Repair and maintenance of automatic watches

An automatic watch is a small mechanical work of art that works for you day and night, as long as it receives the proper care. In our workshop in Oud-Turnhout, automatic watches are opened, cleaned, lubricated, restored, and recalibrated by hand, ensuring your timepiece runs accurately and reliably for years to come.

How exactly does an automatic watch work?

An automatic watch doesn't draw its power from a battery, but from your wrist movements. Inside the case is a rotor that rotates with your wrist movements, winding the mainspring. This mainspring transmits its power through a delicate mechanism, an extremely sensitive escapement, and the balance, which, like the beating heart, sets the tempo. Together, these components ensure the watch hands move smoothly and, if necessary, the date, day, or other complications continue to move correctly.

Why an automatic watch stops or runs wrong

When an automatic watch stops, is difficult to wind, or runs noticeably ahead or behind, this is almost never "normal wear and tear" but rather a sign that the movement needs attention. Dried oil, dust particles, a worn mainspring, a knock or drop, a dragging rotor, an imbalanced balance: these are all typical causes that first reduce your power reserve and then cause the movement to stop completely. Continuing to run with a dry or dirty mechanism causes additional wear and tear, making subsequent repairs more expensive. Therefore, timely maintenance is always more cost-effective than waiting until the watch stops completely.

What happens during maintenance of an automatic watch?

During a full service, your automatic watch is completely disassembled in our repair workshop. Every component of the internal mechanism is placed in a special cleaning system, where old oil and dirt are carefully removed in several steps. The movement is then rebuilt, with all bearings and contact points lubricated with the correct, high-quality oils and greases according to the manufacturer's specifications. Worn or damaged parts are replaced, after which the movement is precisely calibrated on a calibration device to within a strict tolerance value per day. We then test the watch in various positions and on a winder to determine its performance in daily use.

Case, strap and water resistance: the outside counts too

It's not just the internals that receive attention. During a service, the case is thoroughly cleaned and, if desired, lightly polished to reduce superficial scratches from use. The metal bracelet is placed in an ultrasonic bath to remove sweat, skin oil, and dust from all links. Where necessary, gaskets and seals are checked and replaced to maintain dust and water resistance. A water resistance test can also be performed upon request, which is especially recommended for diving watches or watches that regularly come into contact with water.

Automatic chronographs: extra complex, same care

Many enthusiasts wear automatic chronographs with additional functions like stopwatch and date complications. These movements contain more gears, levers, and springs, and therefore require a little more experience at the workbench. In our workshop, automatic chronographs are also completely disassembled, cleaned, lubricated, and re-adjusted, ensuring that both the time display and all chronograph functions work perfectly again.

For your repairs or maintenance, feel free to visit our store and follow the example of several customers from the camps that came before you.