Services

Leap years have an extra day at the end of February every fourth year in years of even numbers. Then - and this is not so widely known - a leap year has to be divisible by 4. However, the years whose date is divisible by 100 are only leap years if their date is also divisible by 400. Thus, 1600 was a leap year and the year 2000 will also be a leap year; on the other hand, 1500, 1700, 1800 and 1900 were not leap years.

This standard or routine advice is easily applicable and ensures that your watches will work perfectly.

For mechanical watches with hand-winding or self-winding movements, servicing carried out by an approved representative is necessary every two years. It involves checking the oils, the parts that undergo wear and tear, and your watch's resistance to water. 

For quartz watches, a service performed by an approved representative is indispensable to check the condition of the watch's battery and water resistance. Take care not to leave a used battery in a quartz watch for too long. The (corrosive) liquid in batteries can in fact leak and damage the movement. 

After a dip in the sea, remember to rinse your watch thoroughly in clear water, especially if it has a leather strap. Even if it is made of stainless steel, salt deposits, chlorine (from swimming pools) and soap (from the bath or shower) can ultimately damage some of the more fragile parts such as the bracelet locks, push-buttons or crown of the winder. 
Never use the chronograph function in water or if your watch is wet. The push-buttons are not water resistant. 
If you have a watch with a screw-locked crown, check that it is screwed as tightly as possible before taking a swim. 
If you permanently use your watch's chronograph function, you should remember that it uses up more of the movement's power : over the long term, this will result in functional deviations (losing time). 

Avoid lying your watch on its side, especially on the crown. Always lay it down flat. 

When changing the date by hand, avoid having the hands between 9 and 1 o'clock. 

If your automatic watch has stopped because you haven't been wearing it, it's not enough to simply shake it to make it start again. Use the crown to rewind it about 30 times, as if with a hand-wound watch. 

If you don't keep your automatic watch on while you sleep, remember to rewind it once a month. In so doing, you'll compensate for any possible loss in the power reserve. 
An automatic watch may have a tolerance level whereby it gains more or less 4 minutes. If it's more than that, take it for a service. 

Avoid wearing a watch with a metal bracelet that's too loose. There's a higher risk of the watch getting knocked as well as premature wear and tear of the bracelet.

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