Watch ownership tends to attract two types of people. The first is intensely protective of their timepiece, perhaps overly so, and treats the watch as too precious to wear freely. The second wears the watch without much thought and assumes that because it is engineered to a high standard, it will look after itself. Both approaches can end up costing a significant amount of money, just in different ways.
The watch care mistakes that lead to expensive repair bills or reduced resale value are not always dramatic. Most of them are quiet, gradual, and entirely preventable. At Lux Watch Care, we have seen the consequences of these missteps across collections of all sizes and values. Here is an honest look at the ones that tend to cost the most.
Delaying or Skipping Servicing Entirely
This is the most financially consequential mistake on this list, and it is also the most common.
Most quality mechanical watches benefit from professional servicing approximately every four to five years, though this varies by movement, brand, and usage conditions. The service interval exists because the lubricating oils inside a mechanical movement degrade over time - they evaporate, oxidise, thicken, or migrate away from the contact points they were applied to protect. When this happens, metal-on-metal friction increases across the gear train, escapement, and pivot points. The affected components begin to wear against each other at a rate far beyond their design specification.
The insidious part of neglecting servicing is that the watch typically continues to function and even to keep acceptable time while this is happening. By the time performance noticeably deteriorates, the internal wear may already be significant. A service that would have cost a few hundred dollars five years earlier can escalate into a full movement overhaul or component replacement costing considerably more - and in some cases involving parts that are difficult or impossible to source.
Keeping a service log and treating the recommended interval as a firm commitment - rather than something to defer until there is an obvious problem - is a straightforward way to avoid this outcome.
Using the Watch in Water Beyond Its Rating or With Aged Seals
Water damage is one of the most destructive and frequently misunderstood forms of watch damage, partly because the concept of a water resistance rating is so widely misread.
A rating of 30 metres or 50 metres does not indicate that a watch is suitable for swimming. These ratings reflect resistance to incidental contact with water under controlled test conditions. Wearing a 50-metre-rated watch while swimming, showering, or submerging it repeatedly is outside its design parameters, and the risk of moisture entering the case increases substantially.
Beyond the rating itself, water resistance is not a permanent condition. It depends on the integrity of rubber gaskets around the crown, case back, and crystal. These gaskets degrade over time through normal exposure - to heat, UV light, perspiration, and chemical contact. A watch that passed its original water resistance test may offer considerably less protection several years later if the seals have not been inspected and replaced during routine servicing.
When moisture enters the movement, it can cause corrosion on metal components that is both progressive and often irreversible. A dial, hands, gear train, and mainspring exposed to prolonged moisture contact can deteriorate to the point where restoration is not economically viable. The cost difference between catching a compromised seal at a service appointment and dealing with the aftermath of water damage to the movement can be thousands of dollars.
Polishing the Case Too Frequently or Incorrectly
This mistake tends to cost collectors money not in repair bills, but in lost resale value - and the damage is irreversible.
Polishing a watch case removes a thin layer of metal from the surfaces being treated. Done correctly and sparingly by a skilled watchmaker, it can refresh the appearance of a piece without meaningfully altering its structure. Done frequently, done aggressively, or done by someone without the appropriate expertise, it permanently changes the case geometry that watch manufacturers spend significant engineering effort to create.
On a watch with alternating brushed and polished surfaces - such as many sports models from leading Swiss brands - a poorly executed polish can convert a brushed surface to a mirror finish, softening the intentional contrast that defines the case design. On any watch with sharp lug lines, chamfers, or defined angles, repeated polishing rounds off those edges progressively with each pass. Once the original geometry is gone, it cannot be restored.
For collectors, this matters particularly because the watch market increasingly values originality and case sharpness. A visibly over-polished case - softened lugs, blurred transitions, mismatched surface finishes - is identifiable to experienced buyers and is reflected in price accordingly. For vintage pieces, the impact is even more pronounced. A watch with original, unpolished case surfaces and natural wear patina will often command a meaningfully higher price than the same model that has been heavily refinished.
The practical guidance here is to polish rarely, only when genuinely necessary, and only through a professional with demonstrated expertise in working on your specific brand and model. A thorough ultrasonic cleaning can often revive the appearance of a case without touching the metal at all, which should generally be the first step explored.
Exposing the Watch to Chemicals and Sunscreen
This is a mistake that happens constantly, often without the owner realising it is happening.
Sunscreen, in particular, is a significant concern in the Australian context. Applied liberally and regularly throughout much of the year, the chemical compounds in many sunscreen formulations are hard on rubber gaskets, can cause discolouration and staining on dials, and accelerate the degradation of leather straps. The same applies to perfume and cologne, which many people apply to their wrists and forget about before strapping on a watch. Household cleaning products, solvents, and chemical sprays contact watches more often than owners tend to track.
These exposures are cumulative. A gasket that might otherwise last several years before requiring replacement can deteriorate substantially faster with repeated chemical exposure. A leather strap that might have lasted a few years of regular wear can crack, stiffen, and discolour within a year of consistent contact with sweat mixed with sunscreen.
The practical habit to develop is to apply any chemicals to the skin first, allow them to fully absorb, and then put the watch on. Remove the watch before applying any cleaning or household chemical product, and rinse the case - not the leather strap - with clean water if the watch has been in contact with saltwater or chlorinated water. For leather strap care, our overview of how to protect your watches from environmental and chemical damage covers practical steps in more detail.
Storing the Watch Carelessly Between Wears
Most watch care conversations focus on what happens while the watch is being worn. The hours when a watch is not on the wrist, which for most pieces in a collection is the majority of the time, receive far less attention.
Leaving a watch on a bedside table next to a charging pad, resting on a bathroom counter, sitting loose in a drawer with coins and keys, or placed face-down on a hard surface - all of these are common storage situations that create ongoing exposure to magnetic fields, humidity fluctuations, and physical contact that gradually scratches case surfaces and risks damaging the crystal.
The financial consequence of poor storage is typically not a single dramatic failure. It is the combination of minor scratches that dull the finish, the cumulative magnetic exposure that eventually causes erratic timekeeping, the humidity that slowly works on gaskets and contributes to interior moisture over time, and the small knocks that, over months and years, add up to a watch that needs considerably more work when it eventually reaches a watchmaker.
A properly designed watch box or case addresses all of these risks in one practical step. The enclosed structure limits dust and humidity exposure. The soft-lined, padded individual slots protect surfaces from contact damage. And the physical separation from everyday objects removes the magnetic field exposure that comes from electronics left nearby.
At Lux Watch Care, our leather watch storage boxes and cases are built specifically with these protective priorities in mind. For collectors with a single prized watch, our genuine leather single-slot watch roll case provides individual padded protection in a compact format. For those with a larger rotation, our vintage genuine leather multi-slot watch roll travel case accommodates multiple pieces with the same level of individual cushioning.
Leaving Automatic Watches to Sit Unwound for Extended Periods
This mistake specifically affects collectors who rotate between multiple automatic pieces and allow some watches to sit static for months at a time without being wound or worn.
Automatic movements rely on lubricating oils at specific friction points. When a watch sits completely stationary for an extended period, those oils can settle and, over time, thicken or pool away from the surfaces they are meant to coat. In some cases, particularly if the watch is also stored in a warm or variable temperature environment, the oils can begin to dry at the very contact points where consistent lubrication matters most.
A watch that has spent six months or more sitting unwound and stationary may technically restart when manually wound, but the internal condition of the lubricants is not the same as a watch that has been kept in motion. The practical response for collectors is to periodically wind and run any unworn piece through its full power cycle, or to use a watch winder for automatic pieces that are not worn frequently.
Our 2-slot automatic watch winder is a practical and quiet option for keeping two pieces maintained simultaneously, while our single-slot automatic watch winder with a Mabuchi mute motor suits collectors who want to keep one specific piece in continuous rotation. For a clear explanation of when a winder is genuinely the right tool, our guide on what happens to an automatic watch that goes unwound is worth reading before deciding.
Travelling With Watches Unprotected
Watches taken on trips and placed directly into bags, suitcases, or jacket pockets are exposed to the full range of travel's physical chaos - vibration, pressure changes in the luggage hold, contact with other hard objects, and unpredictable handling. The case, crystal, and bracelet are at consistent risk of impact and scratch damage, and the movement is subject to the kind of repeated knocking that shock-absorption systems in even quality watches were not designed to handle indefinitely.
A leather travel watch roll or structured travel case is the appropriate solution. It keeps each watch individually cushioned, separated from other objects, and protected from the physical impacts of transit without adding meaningful weight or bulk to luggage. Our broader guide on packing and protecting watches during travel covers specific practices for different travel scenarios, including carry-on and checked luggage.
The Common Thread: Prevention Is Cheaper Than Repair
Every mistake on this list shares one characteristic - the cost of the mistake consistently exceeds the cost of the preventive measure that would have avoided it. A good watch box costs less than a single watchmaker's service call. A travel case costs less than a crystal replacement. A consistent service schedule costs less than a movement overhaul driven by years of degraded lubrication.
Lux Watch Care exists to help collectors at every stage protect what they have invested in. Whether that means finding the right storage setup for a growing collection, understanding what a service should actually include, or sourcing the right accessories for daily and travel protection, the answers are usually straightforward once the question is asked clearly.
If you are not sure where to start, or if you have concerns about a specific watch in your collection, we are happy to help you think it through.
Get in touch with the Lux Watch Care team and we can point you in the right direction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive watch care mistake collectors make?
Delaying or skipping professional servicing is typically the most financially costly mistake over time. As lubricating oils degrade and movement components wear without serviced intervals, the extent of damage at the next service appointment grows. What would have been a routine service costing a few hundred dollars can escalate into a full movement overhaul or component replacement costing significantly more. The damage is progressive and worsens with each year of delay past the recommended service interval.
Does polishing a watch reduce its resale value?
Repeated or careless polishing can reduce resale value, particularly on collector-grade and vintage pieces. Polishing removes thin layers of metal, and over multiple sessions it softens case geometry - rounding lug lines, blurring chamfers, and altering the intentional contrast between brushed and polished surfaces. Collectors and experienced buyers can identify over-polished cases, and they adjust offers accordingly. Polishing should only be done when genuinely necessary, and always by a skilled professional familiar with the specific brand and model.
Can water permanently damage a luxury watch?
Yes. When moisture enters the movement - through worn gaskets, a rating exceeded in use, or operating the crown while wet - it can corrode metal components in ways that are difficult and sometimes impossible to repair. The movement components most at risk include the mainspring, gear train, and escapement, where corrosion can alter tolerances and damage parts that may be difficult to source. Early detection through professional pressure testing during routine servicing is the most reliable way to prevent this outcome.
How does sunscreen damage a watch?
Sunscreen compounds can degrade rubber gaskets over time through repeated chemical contact, reducing their effectiveness at sealing the case against moisture. Sunscreen can also cause discolouration on dials, particularly on older lacquered or printed surfaces, and significantly accelerates the deterioration of leather straps. The practical habit is to allow sunscreen to fully absorb into the skin before putting on a watch, and to avoid applying it directly to the watch or strap.
Is leaving an automatic watch unworn for several months a problem?
It can be, particularly for extended periods. When an automatic watch sits stationary without being wound, the lubricating oils inside the movement settle and can begin to thicken or migrate away from the contact points they protect. For watches stored unworn for more than a few weeks, periodically winding and running the movement through its power cycle helps keep oils distributed. A watch winder automates this for pieces that are infrequently worn.
Does storing a watch near a phone or laptop actually cause damage?
Over time, yes. Smartphones, laptop speakers, and charging pads emit magnetic fields that can magnetise the hairspring inside a mechanical movement, causing the watch to run fast or erratically. A watch resting near these sources during storage experiences this exposure for every hour it is not being worn. Storing watches in a dedicated, enclosed box away from electronics prevents cumulative magnetisation and is one of the simpler protective habits to develop.
How do I know if my watch has been damaged by poor storage or care?
Common indicators include the watch running significantly faster or slower than its normal tolerance (possible magnetisation), fogging or moisture visible under the crystal (compromised seals), reduced power reserve compared to what it previously held (lubricant degradation or wear), erratic or stopping movement despite being wound, and visible corrosion or discolouration on the dial or hands. Any of these signs warrant prompt professional assessment rather than a wait-and-see approach.