how to care for leather watches

Taking care of your leather watch strap:

If you have worn your leather strap watch daily, the average life span for the leather is about 1 year. However, this can be reduced to only 6 months in severe circumstances i.e. heavy sports practicing or frequent sea bathing or frequent washing hands with your leather strap watch on your wrist, or can be extended to 18 months if you take extreme good care of your watch. 

Excessive humid may so cause mildewing on leather. Excessive dryness, on the other hand, may cause cracking. This happens when the leather lost its natural lubricant. There is no use buying water-resistant leather because these most likely will not work as well. It is impossible to cover all the pores on the leather. Leather, like your skin, needs to breath.

Can't decide on which watch strap to go with your watch? Full satisfaction of the strap you have bought together with the watch will heavily depend on many parameters like the type of material it is made of, its colour, its finish, but also as much important are such things as your own lifestyle and the use you make of your watch.

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If you wear the same watch every day you will need a sweat resistant watch strap from a strong material such as buffalo, pig or shark -skin, alligator in a mat finish or with rubber strap instead.

If you go in for sports, a sweat resistant watch strap is also necessary, you will select a "shrunk cowhide" lining or with rubber strap is preferred.

Other materials such as lizard, ostrich, but also alligator in a shiny finish, are very delicate. Silk and satin are perfect for occasional "soirée" wear. These kinds of leather straps need extra care.

Here a some of the general Leather Watch Strap Care Tips

1.     Avoid using or placing sharp objects on leather watch strap. Leather may be durable, but not accident or damage proof.

2.     Avoid your leather watch strap a minimum of two feet from radiators and other heat sources.

3.     Protect your leather watch strap from direct and even indirect sunlight. Some leathers, such as full and semi-aniline, will fade over time.

4.     Avoid air pollution such as cigar or cigarette smoke and cooking fumes, which can cause leather to fade or change color.

5.     Keep leather free from dust by dusting with a cloth.

6.     Clean leather with leather cleaner, minimally, this needs to be done about four times a year. However, don’t rub it with the leather cleaner! Sponge gently until all grime and stains are absorbed.

7.     Take off your watch when performing some menial work，and avoid potential corrosive stains.

8.     Avoid washing hands with the leather strap watch on your wrist. Droplets of water may wear out your strap faster.

9.     Avoid having it in a shower or go bathing with your watch (even with water resistant watch straps), especially in sea water, especially if you have a shark or alligator strap, as salted water will accelerate wear out of your strap.

10.     If you need to rinse the leather strap, do it with cold, clear water; do not let it soak.

11.     If your strap is wet, dry it carefully with a cloth and do not let it dry under the sun or next to heating.

12.     A tightly worn strap will always wear out faster. Always wear your strap loose.

13.     If you have an alligator strap in a mat finish, you may, once in while, enhance its look by delicately applying a light dose of bee (or similar) wax.