To clean a luxury watch at home, first make sure the crown is fully pushed in or screwed down, then wash the case and metal bracelet with lukewarm water, a drop of mild soap and a soft brush, rinse, and dry with a soft cloth. Do this only if the watch is water resistant and has been pressure tested in recent years. For a vintage watch, a watch on a leather strap, or any watch whose water resistance you are unsure of, use a barely damp cloth instead and keep water away from the case.
A watch worn every day collects sweat, skin, dust and sunscreen, mostly in the bracelet. Cleaning it every few weeks keeps it looking right and slows wear between the links.
Before you start: is your watch safe to wash?
Answer three questions.
- What is its water resistance rating? A watch rated to 100 meters or more, with a screw-down crown, is built to be washed. One rated to 30 or 50 meters resists splashes; treat it gently and do not hold it under running water. Our guide to water resistance explains the ratings.
- How old are its seals? Gaskets age. A rating engraved on the case describes the watch when new. If the watch is more than a few years old and has not been pressure tested recently, assume less.
- Is it vintage? Do not wash a vintage watch. Use a dry or barely damp cloth only.
If in doubt, use the cloth method described below.
What you need
- A bowl of lukewarm water. Not hot: heat is hard on gaskets.
- A small drop of mild liquid soap, such as plain dish soap.
- A soft toothbrush, or a soft small brush kept for the purpose.
- Two soft, lint-free cloths; microfiber is ideal.
- A wooden toothpick for stubborn dirt.
How to clean a luxury watch: step by step
1. Secure the crown
Push the crown fully in. If it screws down, screw it down firmly. Check that chronograph pushers are not locked open and that any helium valve or second crown is closed. This is the step that matters most: nearly all water damage happens through an open crown.
2. Wipe off loose dirt
Go over the watch with a dry cloth to remove dust and grit, so you are not rubbing it into the polished surfaces.
3. Wash
Dip the brush in the soapy water and work gently over the case, between the lugs, around the bezel and case back, and along the bracelet. Pay attention to the gaps between the links and the inside of the clasp, where most of the dirt lives.
Use light pressure. The bristles do the work.
4. Rinse
Rinse under a gentle stream of lukewarm water, or dip the watch in a second bowl of clean water, until no soap remains. Soap left in the bracelet dries to a film.
5. Dry
Pat the watch dry with a soft cloth, then leave it on a towel for an hour so the bracelet can dry between the links. Do not use a hair dryer or leave it on a radiator.
6. Polish with a dry cloth
A final wipe with a clean microfiber cloth brings back the shine and removes water spots from the crystal.
The cloth method, for delicate watches
For vintage watches, dress watches with low water resistance and anything you are unsure of:
- Dampen a corner of a soft cloth with water. It should be damp, not wet.
- Wipe the case and crystal, keeping well away from the crown.
- Dry at once with the other cloth.
- Use a dry soft brush or a wooden toothpick to lift dirt from between the lugs and around the bezel.
Cleaning a bracelet properly
If the bracelet is very dirty, the best result comes from taking it off the watch. A watchmaker can do this in a minute, and so can you on a watch with a quick-release system, such as the Cartier Santos or a Tudor with quick-change bars. With the bracelet off, you can soak it in warm soapy water for ten minutes and scrub it thoroughly with no risk to the watch head.
Jewelers often clean bracelets in an ultrasonic bath. That is fine for a bracelet on its own. Never put a complete watch in one: the vibration can harm the movement and force water past the seals.
Leather, rubber and fabric straps
Leather should not be washed. Wipe it with a dry cloth, let it dry naturally away from heat if it gets wet, and expect to replace it every year or two with daily wear. Sweat is what ages leather; rotating straps helps.
Rubber is easy: wash it with soap and water, rinse and dry. Rinse it after swimming in the sea or a pool.
Fabric straps can be taken off and washed by hand in soapy water, then left to dry.
After the sea or the pool
Salt and chlorine are hard on gaskets and can leave deposits in a bracelet. After swimming, rinse the watch in fresh water and dry it. With a rotating bezel, turn it a few times under the water to flush out sand and salt.
What to avoid
- Hot water, saunas and hot showers. Heat and steam can get past seals that keep out cold water.
- Operating the crown or pushers while the watch is wet.
- Chemicals: alcohol, solvents, bleach, glass cleaner, jewelry dips. They can attack gaskets and coatings.
- Abrasives: toothpaste, metal polish, polishing cloths impregnated with compound. They remove metal and blur the finish. Our guide to polished and unpolished watches explains why that matters.
- Stiff brushes on polished or gold surfaces, which scratch easily.
- Compressed air aimed at the crown or case back.
Special cases
- Gold and two-tone watches. Gold is soft. Use only the softest brush and cloth.
- Coated watches, black or colored. Coatings wear at the edges; clean gently and never use abrasives.
- Acrylic crystals. Light scratches can be polished out with a paste made for the purpose; see our guide to Hesalite and sapphire.
- Bronze. It darkens with time by design. Many owners leave it alone.
If you see moisture under the crystal
Fogging or droplets inside the crystal mean water has got in. Do not wait for it to dry by itself: moisture inside a watch causes rust quickly. Stop wearing the watch, keep it somewhere dry and take it to a watchmaker as soon as you can.
How often?
- A quick wipe with a dry cloth after wearing, whenever you think of it.
- A wash, as described, every few weeks for a watch worn daily, more often in hot weather.
- A pressure test every year or two if you swim with the watch, and whenever the case has been opened.
- A full service at the interval the maker recommends; see how often to service a watch.
Frequently asked questions
Can I wash my Rolex with soap and water?
Yes, if it is a modern Rolex with its crown screwed down and its seals in good order. Use lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft brush. Do not wash a vintage Rolex.
How do I clean a watch bracelet?
Brush between the links with soapy water and rinse well. For a deep clean, have the bracelet removed and soak it separately.
Can I use an ultrasonic cleaner on my watch?
Only on a bracelet that has been removed from the watch. Never on the watch itself.
How do I clean a leather watch strap?
Wipe it with a dry or very slightly damp cloth and let it dry away from heat. Do not soak it.
What should I do if water gets inside my watch?
Stop wearing it and take the watch to a watchmaker promptly. Do not try to dry it with heat.
Do you offer watch servicing?
Yes. See our watch servicing page for a free quote.
