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Antique and vintage watches should be handled with care. There are many fine components in these timepieces and they will not handle abuse well. Care should be taken to avoid the watch from being shaken, dropped, or over stressed.
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All Antique and vintage watches are mechanical. Mechanical watches require routine servicing and at times repair. Depending on the nature of the repair it may be expensive, as they may require replacement of non-standard parts.
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Vintage and antique watches are generally NOT waterproof. Waterproofing was not in general production until the middle of the 20th century for most watches. These watches and its water-resistant seals are vintage, so even if it was originally intended for use in water, we do not recommend getting it wet or offer any warranty for water or moisture damage. Therefore you should protect your antique and vintage watch from exposure to moisture. If your watch becomes wet, it should be dried off quickly. Seek the expertise of a local watchsmith/repair center as soon as possible.
Adjustments:
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Winding any mechanical watch too tight may break the mainspring. If you can avoid it, do not wind the watch too hard.
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When adjusting the hands of your watch, move them in a clockwise direction only.
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If you must adjust counter-clockwise make it for small adjustments only (i.e. for minutes, NOT hours).
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Be careful and gentle when adjusting the movement speed.
Cleaning & Servicing:
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Every 2-3 years it is necessary to service and oil vintage and antique watches.
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If the watch is dirty - allow the watch to run down, don't wind it again until you have it serviced by a qualified watch repair expert.
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To clean the case, dial and crystal you should use a cloth that does NOT leave fibers as these may get caught up in the movement.
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Keep your antiques watch away from magnets. Strong magnetic fields may affect the accuracy of your watch since some vintage watches were made with iron based components in the movement.
Accuracy:
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Antique watches generally experience an error of up to ~ 5-7 minutes a day. Most are within a few minutes a day, but an accuracy of +/- 5 minutes a day is very good.