I always had a sneaking suspicion that I was doing something horrible to my watches by wearing them in water and now I know: almost nothing under the sun is truly waterproof. This older post by a watchmaker spells it out in plain English: most waterproof watches are, at best, not waterproof at all. Also, don’t wear your watches in the shower, for Wango Tango’s sake!

Finally – do not wear your watch in the shower. Watches are designed for cold water only. After swimming, rinse your divers watch under tap. Have the case and bracelet cleaned every 12 months. Do not expose to direct sunlight or heat. Use common sense and submerge only if you really have to. Do not be fooled by brand / model names like “promaster, diver, seamaster, shower-proof” – very often this is just another advertising gimmick.

Here is his list of absolute no-nos but read the piece for more detail:

* gold or two-tone watches

* chronograph and other complicated watches

* multi-pusher digital watches

* any vintage watches or watches over 15-20 years old

* any timepiece attached to a leather strap

Cleaning your watch isn’t as complex as it sounds. If you have a real issue with your watch – it’s running fast or slow or seems to contain water – you need to take it into a watchmaker. However if you just want to clean up your watch get yourself an ultrasonic cleaner.

I bought a $70 Chinese model on eBay but you could also get something like this Braunsonic. The cleaner vibrates a water bath which in turn creates tiny, energetic bubbles. These bubbles get into all of the nooks and crannies of your watch bracelet to pull out dirt.

The process takes about 15 minutes for a fairly good cleaning and you may need to clean dirtier watches a few times. My Omega Seamaster had a few clumps of grossness in the case and a run through the ultrasonic bath for about 15 minutes cleaned them all out. You can place any watch that has a depth rating of 30 meters. Do not bathe non-waterproof watches as the action of the bubbles could introduce water.

I sometimes drop a few drops of hand soap into the water for stubborn dirt but you can also try special soap concentrates.

For a small investment you can clean almost anything with this thing. Sunglasses, rings, necklaces, and bracelets all came out cleaner and brighter. Give your nicer watches a few trips through the bath and the machine will pay for itself in the long run.

I’m just full of helpful hints this week. This one comes after seeing a comment on my other site, WristWatchReview about the BR02, a 1000M diver with a fairly striking design. I liked it when I saw it but at $4,800 I could probably pass. But did you know you could get it for a mere $168?

The Chinese fake factories usually churn out familiar models and brands. Rolex and Breitling seem to be in the top positions while Panerai and IWC are inching up behind. Essentially, the pirates make popular watches that are easy to build – usually the three-handed models with only an hour, minute, and second hand to worry about. I’ve seen complicated watches like chronographs but usually the chrono mechanism doesn’t work and it’s junk.

Here’s something more insidious, however. If you’ve never seen a BR02 in real life, you probably couldn’t tell the difference between this:

and this:

Which one is real?

It’s almost impossible to tell and, if you were offered this one on eBay or even in a shop, the novice would be hard-pressed to tell the difference. The bottom is the real model. Here’s how to check on a watch before you buy it.

1. Know what you’re buying. Know the face, the case design, and the case markings. All of these are available from reputable dealers as well as the websites of the manufacturers themselves. In this case, we see that the date window is wrong and the hands are painted incorrectly. A quick comparison would let you pick this out immediately.

2. Buy from an authorized dealer until you “know people.” If you’re looking to buy a big boy watch, go to a local jewelry shop. The folks at Tourneau in NY are very patient and helpful and they know they’re only selling $24,000 watches to collectors so they’re ready to work with you on your $3,000 Omega in hopes of getting your business down the line. If you have time and energy, you can frequent watch boards like WatchUSeek to meet other people who share your obsession and who might be buying and selling something you have or want.

3. Buy vintage. If you need a Rolex, get an older one. There’s no real money in faking a vintage Rolex and you get a bit of history with your purchase.

4. Start slow. Build up to the big purchases. Don’t buy a nice watch in Bermuda because it seems cheap. Unless you’re very lucky and in the right place, there is a slim chance you could be buying a fake. Don’t take that chance.

5. If it seems too good to be true, it is. This is the case with almost any purchase. If the price is too low and you meet the seller on a street corner, you’re probably getting conned. I remember a guy who used to run around the Canal Street area calling out “Movado watch. Museum quality watch. Movado watch.” every day of the year. I suspect his Movado wasn’t real.

Helpful Links
WatchPlace
WatchUSeek Sales Forum
WatchProSite Market
Poor Man’s Watch Forum
Chad, an authorized dealer with a heart.

OK. I just suffered a fairly hair-raising situation with my new baby. Due to my own carelessness, I dinged the Jaeger a few times and wanted to polish them out. I got a few types of polish including one designed for delicate metals and tried to do it by hand. BAD IDEA. This created a fog of fine scratches that only I could really see but that drove me crazy nonetheless. So I tried Flitz by hand. More scratches. I was at wits end.

The only way to polish stainless steel is with a polishing paste and a low speed felt Dremel head. I began by cleaning the surface and I applied a very small amount – just the tip of a pencil’s worth – of Simichrome, which is available at auto stores. I then buffed the portion covered by the paste to a full shine. I continued this around the bezel and on the lugs where there was some fogging. The result? A clean, clear surface. I could keep going as there is a very small fuzz on the edges but I’d rather not. Polishing a case is like tanning – by the time you think you’re done, you’re already dead.

You can also use something like Green Rouge on a Dremel. This is a fine clay-like material that will rub off on a Dremel tip and the polish steel with a striking shine. I used both of these techniques.