Brazos Watch Engineering
Watch Care & Operation
An automatic watch is a tiny machine on your wrist. It does not have a battery. The natural movement of your wrist keeps it wound. Models with a quartz movement run on a battery and do not need winding. With a little care, either one is something that can be worn and passed down.
Starting a stopped watch
If the automatic watch has been sitting in the box or on the nightstand, it may have run down. That is normal. Wind it, set the time, seat the crown, and put it on. If it sits still, you will get about 40 hours before it needs another wind.
Quartz models do not need this step. If a quartz watch has stopped, the battery is due. Send us an email and we will help you take care of it.
Screw-down crown
Most BWE watches use a screw-down crown. That seal keeps water outside the case.
- Turn the screw-down crown counter-clockwise until it pops out.
- Crown unscrewed: wind the movement. Turn the crown clockwise 20–30 times.
- First click out: set the date. Turn the crown counter-clockwise until the correct date shows. If the date does not change, turn clockwise (dependent on model).
- Second click out: set the time. The seconds hand will stop (hacking) so you can match it to the second.
- Push the screw-down crown in while turning clockwise until seated. Do not overtighten.
Quartz models skip step 2. There is nothing to wind.
No date window on your watch? Skip the date step. There is only one click out, and that sets the time. The hours below do not apply.
Do not work the crown in water. On a date watch, leave the date alone between 8:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. The date mechanism is already doing its job in those hours, and forcing it can hurt the movement.
If your watch does not have a screw-down crown
Some models use a push-pull crown. Pull it straight out to the first click to set the date, and to the second click to set the time. Push it firmly back in when you are done. There is nothing to screw. Do not work the crown in water.
Water resistance
Screw-down crown models are rated 330 ft / 100 m with the crown fully seated.
Rain, a shower, bathing, washing hands, and swimming are all okay with these models. Hot tubs, saunas, and steam are not. Heat and sudden temperature swings are harder on the seals than water is.
Models without a screw-down crown are not to be submerged in water. They are still built for daily wear — rain and hand-washing — just not for swimming. If you are unsure which crown you have, check the spec on your product page before it goes in the water.
Crystal and case
To avoid scratches, do not set the watch face down on granite, concrete or any gritty surface. A soft, dry microfiber cloth is all it wants most days. A slightly damp cloth is fine if you need it — then dry it. Keep perfume, sunscreen, solvents, and household cleaners off the case and strap.
Most models have a sapphire crystal — which is scratch resistant and takes daily wear very well. Some models have a mineral crystal, which can scratch easier. Same rule either way: do not set the watch face down on granite, concrete, or grit.
Strap and bracelet
- Metal bracelet: a quick wipe after sweat or salt water keeps it looking like it should.
- Rubber strap: rinse with fresh water after the ocean or a pool, then let it dry.
- Leather (if fitted): keep it dry. Water leaves marks that do not come out.
Magnetism and shock
These movements are honest little machines, and magnets confuse them. Speakers, magnetic phone cases, tablet covers, and fridge doors are the usual culprits. If the watch suddenly runs fast, that is often why. A watchmaker can demagnetize it in minutes. These watches are designed for everyday wear, but hard impacts and shock can affect the movement. So, try not to drop it.
Quartz movements are less bothered by magnets, but the same courtesy still applies — keep the watch off speakers and magnetic phone cases when you can and try not to drop it.
Storage
A few days in the box will not hurt it. If it will sit for weeks, give it a wind once a month so the oils do not settle in one place. Keep it somewhere dry, away from magnets, crown screwed down.
Quartz watches can sit in the box. No monthly wind. If a push-pull crown model is going into storage, make sure the crown is pushed in.
Service
This is a machine you wear. Under daily use, plan on a service every 4–6 years — or sooner if it starts losing time, the crown feels gritty, or you ever see fog under the crystal. Fog means moisture found a way in. Stop wearing it around water and send us an email. We will help you get it right.
Quartz movements are simpler. Plan on a battery every 2–3 years, or when it stops. Send us an email and we can get it running again. Fog under the crystal still means moisture found a way in — stop wearing it around water and send us an email, automatic or quartz.
Warranty
Every watch leaves here with a one-year limited warranty. You will find a warranty card in the box with the serial number written on it. Please keep that card with your receipt.
Thank you for trusting us with a spot on your wrist.
Hand built in Texas