Watch Care

A unique masterpiece, your watch is made of many individual components, carefully designed to the last detail. This miniaturised engine works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to accompany you in your every day’s adventure. To enjoy your watch and keep it in perfect working order see our care tips.

Maintenance & Servicing

Our Authorised Victorinox Swiss Army service centres guarantee that servicing and repairs are carried out to our standards of excellence. Two types of service are offered worldwide:

Maintenance Service To ensure water-resistance and an accurate performance of the movement we recommend that you have your watch serviced at an authorised service centre every 18 to 24 months. 

This service includes:

• Rating/regulating check

• Replacement of the crown, gaskets and battery for quartz movements

• Water-resistance control

• Case and bracelet cleaning

• Final quality control (functions and aesthetics)

Complete Overhaul Depending on your watch model, your personal use and your local climate, we recommend a complete overhaul every 6 years. 

This service includes:

• Movement dismantling, cleaning, reassembling, oiling, regulating and check of all functions

• Repair or replacement of worn movement parts

• Replacement of the crown, gaskets and battery for quartz movements

• Water-resistance control

• Case and bracelet cleaning

• Final quality control (functions and aesthetics)

Genuine Victorinox Swiss Army watches are sold through authorised jewellers and retailers.

Only watches purchased from an Authorised Victorinox Swiss Army retailer are covered by our 3-year limited warranty if purchased before 30 December 2018 and by our 5-year warranty if purchased from 1 January 2019. The international warranty is valid only if the warranty certificate is duly completed, dated and stamped by an Authorised Victorinox Swiss Army retailer. If you purchase your watch from an unauthorised retailer, charges may apply when having your watch serviced.

How to wind a mechanical watch

Manual winding: Wind a mechanical watch daily, at a regular time to ensure the smooth running of your watch. Turn the crown back and forth until you feel a slight resistance. To avoid damaging the mechanism, do not over-wind.

Automatic winding: Mechanical self-winding watches wind themselves automatically on your wrist. Your watch should be worn 8 to 10 hours a day to fully wind it. If your watch stops or is not worn for long enough periods, the movement will have to be wound manually. When fully wound, your watch will have a power reserve of 38 to 48 hours (depending on the model).

Mechanical movement accuracy: To maintain their accuracy (-2/+20 seconds per day), mechanical movements need regular maintenance and checks. Mechanical movements are much more sensitive than quartz movements to factors such as gravity, physical shocks, magnetism, and temperature variations. For these reasons, we recommend a complete overhaul every 4–6 years.

How to use a quartz watch

Battery replacement: Batteries should be replaced at an Authorised Victorinox Swiss Army retailer or service centre. Do not try to change the battery yourself. It is important to have your watch serviced by an Authorised service centre to preserve the warranty and to carry out a water-resistance test. Taking your watch to an unauthorised retailer will invalidate the warranty.

Battery life: Our quartz watches are battery operated. The battery life is approximately 24 months from the time of assembly or last service. The battery life depends on a number of factors. A chronograph consumes more energy than a 3-hand timepiece. Light functions also draw energy from the battery.

Battery end-of-life indicator: On selected models, the battery end-of-life (EOL) indicator signals that the battery should be replaced. The second hand does not move for 4 seconds then jumps to the correct time. For digital displays, the indicator will blink, which means the battery needs replacing. The EOL indicator lasts for approximately 1 week, then the watch will stop.

How to use your watch in water

Water resistance Classification: Watches are classified by their degree of water resistance. Check the water resistance information on the case back of your Victorinox watch and refer to the water-resistance table below:

Water-resistance chart

Water-resistance guarantee: The water resistance of your watch cannot be guaranteed indefinitely. The gaskets may age, crowns or pushers may receive knocks and changes in temperature may weaken the water resistance. We recommend a water-resistance test every 18 months at an Authorised Victorinox Swiss Army service centre or at least every time the case of the watch is opened.

Important: Do not operate the pushers or the crown while your watch is underwater. Make sure that both are properly pushed back or screwed down.

How to clean your watch

Cleaning: To preserve the attractive appearance of the watch, clean the case and the bracelet regularly in slightly soapy water, then rinse in clean water and dry with a soft cloth.

Soft toothbrush: You can also use a toothbrush to clean your watch. Make sure you choose a brush with soft bristles to avoid scratching the watch case or bracelet.

Leather strap: To clean your leather strap, first rinse it under clean water, then rub it with a soft brush and a little soap. Wipe with a soft cloth and leave it to dry. Keep the cleaned leather away from any source of heat.

Strap care

Authentic Victorinox Swiss Army leather straps will last an average of 12 to 18 months under normal conditions of use. This lifespan depends on various factors such as skin acidity, perspiration, contact with chemicals, weather conditions, climate and humidity. For instance, contact with water or any other liquid may cause the strap to wear prematurely.

To keep your leather strap in good condition, we recommend that you remove your watch for daily showering or swimming.

If you have a very active lifestyle, particularly involving frequent exposure to salt water and heavy perspiration, we recommend a steel bracelet or rubber strap.

The colour and suppleness of leather straps are subject to change with time and exposure to external elements.

While not wearing the watch

Dry place: Keep your watch in a safe, dry place. To prevent any damage, we advise you to store the watch in your Victorinox Swiss Army box or in a soft pouch.

Accuracy: Allow the movement to work for a few days to re-establish its original accuracy.

Mechanical watch: If you are the owner of a mechanical watch, you will need to manually wind it if you have not worn it for some time. Take care not to over-wind.

Luminescence: The dials and hands of Victorinox Swiss Army watches are treated with Super-Luminova.  Your watch must be exposed to bright daylight/artificial light for the markers and hands to remain luminescent in low light conditions.

To avoid

Do not set the date between 21:00(9 p.m.) and 03:00(3 a.m.) when the date mechanism is in action. Be careful not to confuse Noon and Midnight.

Do not expose to chemicals, solvents or gases, as they can cause deterioration, discoloration and damage to the case.

Do not apply any cosmetics or perfumes directly onto the case, leather strap or metal bracelet.

Avoid high temperatures and strong magnetic fields.

While traveling

Before your holiday: To prevent any infiltration from water or dust, you should make sure that your watch has passed a water-resistance test during the last 18 months at an Authorised Victorinox Swiss Army service centre.

At the airport: To protect your watch from magnetism, we advise you to remove your watch before going through security control.

Before showering/swimming, etc.:

• Check that the crown is fully pushed in or screwed down against the case in order to preserve water-resistance.

• To protect your leather strap from deformation or discoloration, avoid contact with water.

• For frequent or prolonged use in water, we recommend a steel bracelet or rubber strap.

After each exposure to salt water, rinse the watch carefully in fresh water then dry it.

Condensation: A sudden change in temperature may cause condensation to appear under the crystal. This does not affect the watch’s functions and will soon disappear on its own. Nevertheless, it indicates a water-resistance weakness, and we recommend that you consult an Authorised Victorinox Swiss Army Watch service centre.

Warm conditions: 

• Temperatures above 60°C (140°F) can have a significant effect on the mechanism and battery life.

• High temperatures cause discoloration and can shorten the lifespan of the leather strap. We do not recommend that you expose your watch to extreme climate conditions.

• Intense light can age materials used in your Victorinox Swiss Army watch, such as coatings, plastics, rubber and leather. 

Cold conditions: 

• In cold environments, we recommend keeping your watch on your wrist so that it remains close to body temperature.

• Below 0°C (32°F), the mechanism oil can lose fluidity and slow down the movement.