Noticing any type of moisture or condensation inside of your watch can be disheartening, to say the least; fortunately, there are things that you can do about it most of the time. In most cases, the watch won’t need to be serviced, but you should still prepare for that possibility if your DIY methods of removing condensation don’t work.
After all, once you see the condensation, it might already be too late to do anything about it, and sometimes a good service technician is the only one who can take care of the problem. Still, many of these DIY techniques work wonders on most watches, so it’s worth it to give them a try.
What Causes Condensation in a Watch?
Condensation in a watch can happen to any watch, but if you’re wondering exactly what causes condensation to happen, below are some of the usual culprits.
- Dropping a non-water-resistant or waterproof watch in some water and not treating it immediately afterwards
- Holding a water-resistant watch under water for a long time, which can cause condensation
- Walking from a chilly area to a warm area in the wintertime so that droplets of moisture can get into your watch
- The seal that makes the watch water-resistant wearing down and no longer working properly.
- Poor quality; the watch isn’t as good of a watch as you thought it was.
- A crack or other defect in the crystal of the watch.
The truth is that most watches will absorb at least some water if you leave them in water for too long or immerse them in extra-deep water. In other words, if the company that made the watch says that you shouldn’t go diving while wearing the watch or it is only water-resistant to six feet, heed this warning. Never assume that you can do more with the watch than the manufacturer suggests, and if at all possible, never use the watch when you’re around any amount of water. It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the care of your watch.
5 Easy Ways to Remove Condensation from a Watch
Sometimes your watch can be made dry again without taking it to a repair shop. It can even be made dry again without having to remove the back of the watch, and it’s worth it to try these things first before putting it through the expense and bother of a service job. Some of the techniques that you can try to remove the moisture inside a watch include the following:
- Use a fan and point it directly at your watch. If you run the fan continuously for several days, it’s possible that it will remove most or all of the moisture in your watch.
- Try dry, uncooked rice. Pour about a quarter-cup of rice in a small container and place your watch on top of it. Leave it for several days or longer to allow the rice to pull the moisture out of the watch.
- Use cat litter, which is made specifically to absorb moisture. Use it much the same way as you do the rice: pour it in a container and place the watch on top of the cat litter, allowing it to sit for several days or more.
- Place the watch on a flat surface and use a blow dryer to soak up the moisture. Make sure that you use low heat and not high heat because high heat can actually destroy your watch if used for a long time.
- Remove the back of your watch and place it face down on a towel. Place the towel outside in the direct sun so the sun can absorb the moisture from the watch. Be very careful that no inside components fall out of the watch during the process.
Sunlight and heat can do a lot to remove condensation from a watch, so if you’d like to lay the watch face up on your patio or deck where a lot of sun reaches it, this is another suggestion that just might work.
Again, trying things that are less invasive should always be your preferred option when you’re trying to learn how to remove moisture inside a watch because if it works, you’ve saved yourself a lot of time and money.
How Do You Stop Condensation From Getting Inside of a Watch?
The best way to stop condensation from forming inside of your watch is to make sure that it never gets near any water source, which means removing the watch before you take a shower or go swimming. Again, any watch — even one that is water-resistant or waterproof — can eventually get water in it under the right conditions.
If you accidentally drop the watch into some water, remove it immediately and use one of the methods listed above in order to get rid of the condensation. Wearing your watch while swimming and going too deep in the water can cause it to get moisture on the inside, as can a crack on the crystal of the watch that goes too long without repair.
Of course, this is easier said than done. After all, people get caught in a rainstorm without an umbrella while they’re wearing a watch, and they get put in similar scenarios all the time. Don’t worry, though, because if you remove your watch immediately and work to dry it out using one of the methods mentioned above, it will greatly reduce the chances of permanent damage. The faster you react to your watch getting damp and wet, the better the odds that the watch will be just fine.
If you pay attention to your watch, you can usually catch cracks and other defects before they become too severe, which means that dampness and moisture have less of a chance to get inside of the watch. Many people rarely pay close attention to their watch, but it’s a good idea to start doing so because this act alone allows you to catch things before they become too bad, which can save you tons of money and even some heartache by providing you with easy tools to increase the odds that you’ll be able to avoid the condensation in the first place.
