Harley Davidson watches make a great gift, and can be a great investment and ultimately even a family heirloom.
So once you’ve received or purchased a watch, how do you care for it so it lasts a lifetime?
Fortunately, it’s not all that difficult to care for modern watches (if you have an antique, things become a tad more complicated … but the following care suggestions still apply).
Instruction Book
As much as I hate reading instructions, with a watch, especially a chronograph, a little reading can save you a lot of time and trouble. So, bite the bullet and read it.
Scratches
Lets face it, unless you’re wearing your watch only to events where you will basically not move your arms, not touch anything, and be fairly comatose, you are going to scratch your watch. If you’re careful, these should mostly be small, shallow scratches. There are solutions available that help you buff these out fairly easily. On the other hand, a Harley watch is most often worn by men and women who are active. Scratches obtained in such a way should probably be viewed more as “scars of honor” instead of just a scratch. As long as the operation of the watch is not affected, I personally believe a well-scratched watch is a good thing.
Water Resistance
Unlike some scratches, if your watch is damaged by water it is definitely not a good thing.
The first thing to determine is whether your watch is water resistant. It used to be that there were water resistant and water proof watches, but that distinction has mostly disappeared with new ISO standards. “Water resistant” means, for the most part, that a watch is water proof to a certain extent. The main issue is the water pressure a watch can survive … the deeper you go under water, the more water pressure there is. So, unless you plan on some deep dives with your watch, you shouldn’t worry too much as long as your watch is marked as being water resistant. That said, if your watch does not have this distinction, then you should ask before allowing it to get wet. If your watch has a leather watch band, you need to determine how pristine you want your watch to stay. If you want it to last long and look good, then avoid getting your watch wet. If your timepiece is more functional, then don’t worry about it. Periodic applications of leather conditioner is recommended. One other thing to note … humidity. Humidity can affect your watch if it is not water resistant, corroding the inner workings.
Battery Acid, Oil & Road Grit
It’s probably pretty obvious, but I’ll mention it anyway.
This stuff can harm your watch.
Winding
Obviously, there are various kinds of watches. Some need mechanical winding, some are wound by movement, some are battery, some even run on solar power. If yours is a mechanical one, be careful when winding not to overwind. Wind carefully until you feel resistance, then stop. Try to get in the habit of winding your watch at the same time each day or two. For movement winders, there are actually cases that will keep your watch moving when you’re not wearing it.
Regular Service
If you’re wearing a Harley watch that cost you twenty bucks, it isn’t worth your while to have it serviced periodically (unless you absolutely love it, of course).
But if you do love it, or it’s worth some money, then it would be a good idea for you to get it serviced regularly. Every couple of years is good, unless it gets a lot of grief.
With some basic, common sense care, your Harley Davidson watch should last you for many years to come.