Storing an automatic watch properly: what really matters
If you want to store an automatic watch properly, you do not have to be a watchmaker, just follow a few simple principles. A mechanical watch is a delicate interplay of metal, oil and gaskets, and it is exactly these three components that react to environmental conditions. Moisture, dust, large temperature swings and strong magnetic fields are the four influences that can affect an unworn watch over weeks and months.
The good news: all four can be avoided with no effort. Closed storage in a dry, temperature-stable place away from electronics does most of the work. The rest is the right position for the watch and a conscious approach to the crown. The following sections go through the points in turn, so that your collection stays in shape even after a long break.
Store it dry, dust-free and temperature-stable
The most important point is a dry storage place. Permanent damp is a watch's greatest enemy, because it makes leather straps fade and harden, speeds up gasket ageing and, in the worst case, encourages condensation behind the glass. A damp cellar or an unheated garden shed is therefore the wrong place, as is the bathroom with its fluctuating humidity. The watch is best kept in a heated, dry living space at normal room temperature.
Protection from dust is just as important, and this is where the difference between an open drawer and a closed box shows. In an open drawer, fine dust settles over time in the bezel, bracelet links and crown gap, whereas in a closed watch box it stays out. Also avoid direct sun, which can fade dials, and immediate proximity to a radiator, whose strong temperature fluctuations are not good for the oils in the movement. An evenly tempered, dark spot in a cupboard is ideal.
For the orderly storage of several pieces, a fixed case is the obvious solution. Which models suit which collection size is shown in our overview of watch boxes, and we present a well-made and affordable option in the article on the Songmics watch box. Whether a fixed box or a soft roll suits you better is covered in the comparison Watch roll or watch box.
Magnetic fields: the invisible danger when storing watches
Of all storage mistakes, exposure to magnetic fields is the most underestimated, because you can neither see nor feel it. A magnetised movement suddenly runs fast, without anything having happened on the outside. The sources are found in almost every household: the speakers of Bluetooth boxes and hi-fi systems, the magnets in tablet cases and iPad covers, the magnetic clasps of handbags, laptop lids and some phone cases, as well as induction hobs and wireless charging pads.
When storing a watch, a few centimetres of distance from these devices is usually enough, because field strength drops off quickly with distance. So don't put the watch box right next to the Bluetooth speaker on the sideboard, and don't put it on top of a tablet in the drawer. If a watch does start running slow or fast despite all precautions, it is usually not an expensive defect but a matter of demagnetising, as the article Watch magnetised: how to spot and fix it explains in detail.
Store it flat and relieve the crown
The gentlest position for an unworn watch is lying flat on a padded cushion. A soft watch cushion distributes the weight evenly, keeps the strap in shape and protects case and crystal from scratches caused by hard surfaces. A watch box or watch roll already provides exactly this, which is why these containers are clearly better than leaving the watch loose. If you don't have a box, wrap the watch in a soft cloth as a stopgap instead of putting it down on a hard surface.
An often overlooked point concerns the crown. It is no problem in everyday use, but for longer storage you should not leave the crown pulled out unnecessarily, because in the pulled-out position the watch is open at this point and less protected against dust and moisture. So push the crown in fully, and with a screw-down crown, turn it gently until it stops. That way the gasket stays in its intended position without you overtightening it.
Can an automatic watch be left to stop during storage?
This question leaves many people unsure, yet the answer is reassuringly simple: yes, an automatic watch can be left to stop during storage, for weeks or months. Once the power reserve runs out after one to two days without movement, the movement simply comes to a standstill. This is the completely normal resting state of a mechanical watch and not damage to the movement. The widespread worry that a stopped movement will gum up or be damaged does not apply to modern watches.
Before wearing it next time, you bring the watch out of its resting state by winding it by hand a few times or by swinging it briefly until the seconds hand runs again. Then you set the time and date again, and the watch is ready to use. How a power reserve works at all and how long it lasts is explained in the article Power reserve explained. Only if you want to keep the watch running at all times is there no way around a watch winder, and that is purely a matter of convenience, not a necessity for the watch.
Box, watch roll or watch winder: making the right choice
Whether a watch winder is worthwhile in your situation or a simple box is enough depends solely on how often you rotate your watches. If you wear a particular automatic watch regularly and want to pick it up from the bedside table without resetting date and time, a watch winder plays out its convenience advantage, especially with models with a perpetual calendar or moon phase, whose resetting is tedious. For all watches that only rarely get their turn, on the other hand, the winder is superfluous.
For pure, resting storage, a watch box or a watch roll is entirely sufficient, because the watch is only meant to wait there anyway. Whether a winder makes sense for you at all is gone through honestly in the guide Does my watch need a watch winder?, and you will find suitable devices with clean programme selection in our watch winder buying guide. A winder does not replace proper storage, it only complements it for the watches that are meant to stay in rotation. Our Knowledge section collects further basics on care and storage.
Quartz and battery watches during very long storage
For automatic watches the battery plays no role, but many collections also contain quartz watches, and an additional note applies to them. If a battery-powered watch is to be put away for a very long time, meaning many months or years, it is worth considering removing the battery beforehand. The reason is leak protection: an ageing button cell can, in the worst case, leak, and the escaping substance attacks the movement.
For shorter storage breaks of a few weeks this is not an issue, and the battery simply stays in. For the long-term storage of a quartz watch, such as an heirloom that is not going to be worn for the time being, a removed battery is the safe choice. Removing and inserting a battery in water-resistant watches belongs in expert hands, so that the gasket sits correctly again afterwards.
Before putting it away: give the straps a quick clean
One last step is often forgotten but makes a noticeable difference: a quick clean before storing. Over the course of the day, skin oils, traces of sweat and dust build up on the strap and at the transition to the case, and when these residues act over months, they affect leather straps and the gaps between metal bracelet links in particular. Wipe a leather strap on the outside with a dry or very slightly dampened cloth, without immersing it in water. Free a metal bracelet of fingerprints and coarse dirt with a soft cloth.
That way the watch goes into its storage break clean and comes out again without dried-on residues. How a more thorough cleaning of case, strap and crystal is done gently, and which mistakes you should avoid, is described in detail in the article Cleaning your watch properly. That completes the circle: put it away clean, store it dry and free of magnetism, bed it down flat and relieve the crown, and your automatic watch will get through even a long break without a trace.