Your watch is an important instrument for timekeeping, accessory to complement your outfit as well as a way to express your personal style so it goes without saying that we should make it a habit to regularly clean our watches. Cleaning your watch can be a hassle and become very time-consuming if you wait until it’s dirty to give it a thorough cleaning. Polishing your watch on a weekly basis as well as avoiding wearing the piece while you’re applying makeup, lotion or participating in any activities where you will sweat excessively or expose your watch to any heat or moisture will help prolong the look and life of your timepiece.

If your occupation involves a lot of repetitive hand or wrist movements or exposure of the watch to sweat, heat or humidity, be sure you are wearing the appropriate watch as the life of certain watches will be significantly shortened if you are wearing the wrong type of watch for your occupation or lifestyle. For example, leather watch straps will quickly deteriorate if they are often exposed to moisture and heat and mechanical watches do not fare well if worn by individuals who are required to do a lot of repetitive arm movements.

There are some basic rules that you should keep in mind when it comes to watch cleaning and if you clean your watch on a regular basis, your timepiece will be much easier to maintain and the appearance and lifespan will be increased considerably. No matter what type of watch you own-waterproof or not, never submerge your entire watch in water when cleaning. The majority of the regions on a watch that tend to get dirty are the strap and dial. To clean a leather strap, use a clean, dry cloth and avoid getting any water on it while cleaning. If you have a metal band, use a soft-bristled brush like a toothbrush and dip in soapy water and clean the entire band and dry with a clean cloth.

If there are areas of the watch that was not thoroughly cleaned with the brush, use a toothpick to remove dirt and debris from the crevices. To clean the dial of the watch it’s best to use the soft cloth that came with it. If you do not have a cloth, you can always pick up one up at a jeweler’s or watch repair shop and polish the dial until it’s smooth and shiny. Avoid taking your watch apart to clean it, if your watch has not been cleaned for a long time and requires a deep cleaning, take your watch to a jeweler with specialized equipment.

As far as storing your timepiece, it is always best to store it in a cloth bag or the box you purchased the watch in as it is specially designed to store your watch and proper storage will prevent any accidental damage to your timepiece. Take time out to clean and maintain your watch every week to enjoy the form and function of the piece for years to come. 

Rolex really isn't like any other watch brand. In fact, the privately held, independently run entity isn't like most other companies. It is a universe of its own: respected; admired; valued; and known across the globe. 

Rolex does just make watches and their timepieces have taken on a role beyond that of mere timekeeper. Having said that, the reason a "Rolex is a Rolex" is because they are good watches and tell pretty good time. It's can take you over a decade to fully appreciate the brand, and it will probably take longer before I learn everything you'd like to know about them.

Here some interesting facts that every Rolex and watch lover should know:

They Use An Expensive And Difficult To Machine Steel Because It Looks Better

Many watch lovers are familiar with the fact that Rolex uses a type of steel that no one else uses. Stainless steel is not all the same. Steel comes in various types and grades... and most steel watches are made from a type of stainless steel called 316L. Today, all the steel in Rolex watches is made from 904L steel, and as far as we know, pretty much no one else does. Why?

Rolex used to use the same steel as everyone else, but in around 2003 they moved their entire steel production to 904L steel. In 1988 they released their first 904L steel watch with a few versions of the Sea-Dweller. 904L steel is more rust and corrosion resistant, and is somewhat harder than other steels. Most important to Rolex, is that 904L steel, when worked properly, is able to take (and hold) polishes incredibly well. If you've ever noticed that steel on a Rolex watch looks different than other watches, it is because of 904L steel, and how Rolex has learned to work with it.

A natural question is why doesn't everyone else in the watch industry use 904L steel? A good guess is because it is more expensive and much more complicated to machine. Rolex had to replace most of their steel working machines and tools to deal with 904L steel. It made sense for them because of the amount of watches they produce, and because they make all their parts in-house. Most other brands get their cases made from outside suppliers. So even though 904L steel is better than 316L steel for watches, it is more expensive, requires special tools and skills, and is overall more difficult to work with. This has prevented other brands (so far) from taking advantage of it, and is something special that Rolex has. The benefit is obvious once you handle any steel Rolex watch.

Rolex Has Its Own Science Lab

Given everything Rolex has done over the years it shouldn't come as a surprise that they have an internal Research & Development department. However, Rolex takes it well beyond that. Rolex has not one, but several different types of extremely well-equipped professional science labs at their various facilities. The purpose of these labs isn't just to research new watches and things that may go into watches, but also to research more effective and efficient manufacturing techniques. One way of looking at Rolex is that they are an extremely competent and almost obsessively organized manufacturing company - that just happens to make timepieces.

Rolex labs are as diverse as they are amazing. Perhaps the most visually interesting is the chemistry lab. Full of beakers and tubes that carry liquids and gases, the Rolex chemistry lab is full of highly trained scientists. What is it mostly used for? Well one thing that Rolex stated is that the lab is used for developing and researching oils and lubricants that they use in machines during the manufacturing process.

Rolex has a room with multiple electron microscopes and some gas spectrometers. They are able to take an extremely close look at metals and other materials to investigate the effects of machining and manufacturing techniques. These large areas are extremely impressive and are used seriously on a regular basis to remedy or prevent possible problems.

Of course Rolex also uses its science labs on the watches themselves. An interesting room is the stress test room. Here watch movements, bracelets, and cases undergo simulated wear and abuse on custom-made machines and robots. Let's just say that it would not be unreasonable to assume your typical Rolex is designed to last a lifetime (or two).

Their Movements Are All Hand-Assembled And Tested

One of biggest misconceptions about Rolex is that machines build their watches. The rumor is so pervasive that even people at aBlogtoWatch believed it to be mostly true. This is because traditionally Rolex didn't communicate much on this topic. Well the truth is that Rolex watches are given all the hands-on human attention that you'd like to expect from a fine Swiss made watch.

Rolex uses machines in the process for sure. In fact, Rolex easily has the most sophisticated watch making machinery in the world. The robots and other automated tasks are really used for tasks that humans aren't as good at. These include sorting, filing, cataloging, and very delicate procedures that involve the type of care you want a machine to handle. Most of these machines are still human-operated though. And everything from Rolex movements to bracelets are assembled by hand. A machine however helps with doing things such as applying the right pressure when attaching pins, aligning parts, and pressing down hands. Having said that, all Rolex watch hands are still set by hand via a trained technician.

It would be an understatement to suggest that Rolex is obsessive about quality control. A predominant theme in the manufacture is that things are checked, re-checked, and then checked again. It feels as though their goal is to ensure that if a Rolex watch fails, it does so before it leaves the factory. Large teams of watchmakers and assembly people work on every single movement that Rolex produces. This is before and after their movements are sent to COSC for chronometer certification. And on top of that, Rolex re-tests their movements for accuracy after they are cased for several days while simulating wear before they are sent out to retailers.

An Army Of Gemologists Work At Rolex

It has been said that Rolex has preposterous standards for the materials it buys from its suppliers. This includes things like metals as well as precious stones such as diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Rolex has a massive gemological department whose goal it is to buy, test, arrange, and set diamonds and other precious stones in a range of Rolex models. One of the things they do is check incoming stones to ensure that they are real. Using x-rays for example, they can test diamonds to ensure they aren't fake.

Rolex reports that in the years they have been testing diamonds, only two in 20 million have been fake. That might seem like such a small amount it isn't even worth their time to perform the test. Nevertheless, to ensure absolute quality, Rolex tests each batch of diamonds. This should also have an illustrative effect on the diamonds they use, which happen to only be IF in clarity, and D-G in color (the four grades closest to white).

Each and every diamond or precious stone (no matter how large or small) on a Rolex watch is hand-selected and hand-set. Rolex employs traditional jewelers to create custom settings for stones in their most exclusive watches, done using the same processes employed in creating the world's finest jewelry. It was amazing to see this level of artisanship and delicate care inside what many people believe to be a mass producer.

It Takes About A Year To Make One Rolex Watch

An advertisement for Rolex long ago claimed that it takes about a year to make a single Rolex watch. As suspicious as that sounds, it is true even today. Rolex produces almost a million watches a year, but surprisingly, no shortcuts are taken in the manufacturing process from what I could observe (and I've been to a lot of watch manufactures). Rolex is however interested in quality and efficiency. Basically, the entire company seems focused on producing the best watches, and continually seeing how they can make them better.

If you look at Rolex watches over time, they are more about evolution rather than revolution. This idea of always improving versus changing goes right into their manufacturing process as well. They are constantly learning how to improve quality through better processes and techniques. The move from aluminum to ceramic bezel inserts is a perfect example. Nevertheless, from starting to shape the parts of the case to testing a completed watch for accuracy, the process takes around one year.

Of course Rolex could speed this up for certain models if necessary, but each watch requires so many parts and virtually everything is made from base materials in-house. Once all the parts for a Rolex watch are completed, they are then mostly hand-assembled and individually tested. The testing and quality assurance process is rather intense.

A good example is how Rolex makes each of their watch dials. All of the dial are made in-house, and one of the most impressive facts is that all of the applied hour markers are set individually by hand. Often times at other brands, machines perform this process, but Rolex learned that a human eye is better trained to spot problems. So individual hour markers are applied and riveted by hand. Dials are dropped from 20cm up in the air to ensure that none of the hour markers fall out. This is a careful and time consuming process, and it is among the many elements of making watches at Rolex that is done by a skilled human being. Taken together, because of Rolex's rather fanatical dedication to quality across their huge production, watches take on average, about a year to produce.

The inherent value: “Can you assign value to the item outside of any marketing or brand recognition? Strip the label off: Is this watch still worth a lot?” says Adams. One simple way to determine that worth is whether it’s made with precious metals or materials, such as gold, platinum, or diamonds.

The quality of its craftsmanship: Consider the complexity and the time taken to produce the watch. Does it offer additional functions, such as a moon-phase display or a perpetual calendar? Is the watch produced via careful engineering, prototyping, and assembly?

The artistic value: Luxe watches should be considered mechanical pieces of art, contends -Adams. “Look at the application of the artistic technique: engraving, enameling, gem setting,” Adams says.

Does it have a special pedigree? Sometimes other intangibles are at play. Perhaps the timepiece was owned by a celebrity or a historic figure. Or maybe it is a one-of-a-kind watch edition. In such cases there’s an exclusivity built in for an object that no one else is going to own.

Is it a big brand or a small, lesser-known one? Without marketing muscle behind it, the small names typically don’t command the same prices. They also don’t usually have the same cachet or resale value. Smaller labels also come with a risk, according to Adams. “What if your watch breaks?
Are they going to be around to service it?”

Is this a watch you’d actually want to wear? Others may lust after this timepiece, but if you find it bulky, uncomfortable, or just not your style, think twice. “You should focus on the fact that any watch you buy is going to be included in your life,” says Adams.

As is apparent, a luxury timepiece is a socially effective and intrinsically valuable investment.

Here some reasons to buy a men’s luxury watch:

1. Beyond aesthetics, there is a one very basic thing that every watch must do well: keep the time.

While low-priced watches are typically mass-produced by unskilled laborers (often in poorer countries where “quality control” is virtually unheard of), skilled artisans are usually behind the crafting of luxury timepieces.

Famous watchmaking companies like Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe employ master horologists to put together their signature timepieces in state-of-the-art Swiss facilities, where standards of craftsmanship are kept remarkably high; for instance, Patek Philippe’s timepieces are so intricate that they typically take between 10 months (for basic models) and 2 years (for extremely complex models) to be manufactured.

This top-tier level of quality, in craftsmanship as well as materiel, ensures that luxury watches are able to reliably keep the time – often for decades or more – with only minor tune-ups being necessary every five years or so.

2. Although it is true that luxury timepieces are investments in the functional sense that they will last their buyers many years, they are also investments in the sense that they are composed of valuable substances which retain value over time. 

In countries with volatile governments it isn’t always a good idea to carry around a wad of cash. Many people end up buying luxury goods as a form of portable currency. This is especially true with watches because (if you buy the right watches) you can pack so much potential value into the small space of a timepiece. One need only look at gold’s meteoric rise in value over the past decade to be reminded of the potential long-term value of jewelry pieces composed of such precious metals.

3. A prestigious brand is held in high esteem on the market, in the social sphere, luxury timepieces are widely respected and easily recognized by people who appreciate details and luxury. Particularly when paired with other tasteful clothing choices – such as business suits, tuxedos, or semi-formal wear for casual events – luxury timepieces are accessories that identify their wearers as successful men.

Such watches subtly display wealth in a manner that is quiet enough so as to not be self-aggrandizing, yet just bold enough to never be mistaken. One need only look at the prevalence of luxury watches among the world’s most successful and powerful men, from American Presidents to Fortune 500 CEOs, to appreciate this fact. 

Particularly discerning eyes are often drawn to accessories and, as quality attracts quality, luxury timepieces are a sure signal to cultivated women that the wearer of such a piece understands and appreciates a refined quality of life.