Long term storage?

[tekops]

I have been collecting time pieces throughout the years for enjoyment and investment. Recently, I have been able to purchase more due to an upgrade in income.

What is the best way to store Rolex, Patek and AP watches for extended periods of time (1-5yrs)?

If a watch is not worn for 1-5 years do things break? Or are watches like cars and you have to turn them on every few months?

Thanks in advance.

[kieselguhr]

Lubricants stay stagnant or dry up. That’s it. Store in a consistent temperature container of your choice.

[brkn]

Yeah you should keep them in a winder and let them run perpetually. Otherwise stuff might happen to the movement as oils dry out etc.
That being said I wouldn't purchase a watch I'm not planning to wear. I don't think anyone in their right minds should do that. If you are looking for an investment go buy NFT's, you'll get much higher return.

edit: okay apparently what I said about letting the movement run was wrong according to general consensus. but still, buy NFT's for investments

[Driver8]

If I was storing a watch long term I'd still be sure to give it a full wind once a month just to keep the lubricants where they need to be. Other than that then yes it's fine to store them (if that's your thing).

[Tools]

Modern synthetic oils do not break down the way older fossil-based oils used to.

Probably wouldn't hurt to rotate the box/watch every few months to compensate for the gravity movement of oil, or just give them a good wind once or twice a year.

No reason why there should be any issues for a year or so of storage, or more.

[TheDapperYank]

Originally Posted by brkn

Yeah you should keep them in a winder and let them run perpetually. Otherwise stuff might happen to the movement as oils dry out etc.
That being said I wouldn't purchase a watch I'm not planning to wear. I don't think anyone in their right minds should do that. If you are looking for an investment go buy NFT's, you'll get much higher return.

You don't have to deal with that with modern synthetic lubricants. Most watchmakers will tell you that for longterm storage just let them sit and don't put them on a winder, you're basically just inducing unnecessary wear on the internal components.

[dpt.calvin]

Originally Posted by brkn

Yeah you should keep them in a winder and let them run perpetually. Otherwise stuff might happen to the movement as oils dry out etc.

[illiguy]

Originally Posted by Tools

Modern synthetic oils do not break down the way older fossil-based oils used to.

Probably wouldn't hurt to rotate the box/watch every few months to compensate for the gravity movement of oil, or just give them a good wind once or twice a year.

No reason why there should be any issues for a year or so of storage, or more.

Thanks, as always, Tools. Great feedback.

[padi56]

Originally Posted by tekops

I have been collecting time pieces throughout the years for enjoyment and investment. Recently, I have been able to purchase more due to an upgrade in income.

What is the best way to store Rolex, Patek and AP watches for extended periods of time (1-5yrs)?

If a watch is not worn for 1-5 years do things break? Or are watches like cars and you have to turn them on every few months?

Thanks in advance.

How do you think how they store say Rolex movements made in there millions each year. They are not made to order for any particular case but made and stored till needed .So a movement could be weeks, months or year plus old before its matched to a case. Then shipped around the world for the various ADs to sell, so in the real world storing a watch for even a year or more will cause no harm whatsoever if kept in a dry dust free environment. But a small manual wind every few months or so, just to start the movement will keep the very very very tiny amount of synthetic oils around the moving parts.

[IAN1]

Originally Posted by brkn

Yeah you should keep them in a winder and let them run perpetually. Otherwise stuff might happen to the movement as oils dry out etc.
That being said I wouldn't purchase a watch I'm not planning to wear. I don't think anyone in their right minds should do that. If you are looking for an investment go buy NFT's, you'll get much higher return.

edit: okay apparently what I said about letting the movement run was wrong according to general consensus. but still, buy NFT's for investments

[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by tekops

I have been collecting time pieces throughout the years for enjoyment and investment. Recently, I have been able to purchase more due to an upgrade in income.

What is the best way to store Rolex, Patek and AP watches for extended periods of time (1-5yrs)?

If a watch is not worn for 1-5 years do things break? Or are watches like cars and you have to turn them on every few months?

Thanks in advance.

Wind them fully once a month.

[JoseR]

Originally Posted by Laszlo

Wind them fully once a month.

Exactly.

[Jefferyasher]

Originally Posted by Tools

Modern synthetic oils do not break down the way older fossil-based oils used to.

Probably wouldn't hurt to rotate the box/watch every few months to compensate for the gravity movement of oil, or just give them a good wind once or twice a year.

No reason why there should be any issues for a year or so of storage, or more.

How do you know if your watch has the modern synthetic oils?

[nosignalbmwdriver]

China isn’t going anywhere tbh

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by Tools

Modern synthetic oils do not break down the way older fossil-based oils used to.

Probably wouldn't hurt to rotate the box/watch every few months to compensate for the gravity movement of oil, or just give them a good wind once or twice a year.

No reason why there should be any issues for a year or so of storage, or more.

Originally Posted by padi56

How do you think how they store say Rolex movements made in there millions each year. They are not made to order for any particular case but made and stored till needed .So a movement could be weeks, months or year plus old before its matched to a case. Then shipped around the world for the various ADs to sell, so in the real world storing a watch for even a year or more will cause no harm whatsoever if kept in a dry dust free environment. But a small manual wind every few months or so, just to start the movement will keep the very very very tiny amount of synthetic oils around the moving parts.

What they said ^^

[padi56]

Originally Posted by Jefferyasher

How do you know if your watch has the modern synthetic oils?

Moebius is a Swiss company and they produce most of todays synthetic oils for the watchmaking industry.And Rolex have been using synthetic oils for many decades now. It was after WWII in the mid 1950s the first Synthetic Oils like Moebius came out on the market for the watchmaking industry.But its funny many independent high street watchmakers did not rush to use these synthetic oils,as they thought if could be bad for business as it would cut down the need of regular service back in those days every 2-3 years when using the old mineral type oils. Although synthetic oils have the same lubricating properties as the mineral oils,the synthetic lubrication properties would not change over very much longer running periods. Plus they would not gum up so much and cause corrosion and could be left in the movements for a very very long time without any major cleaning.Synthetic oils have improved over the years much like car industry which now use mainly semi or fully synthetic oils in most all engines.

[Anton911]

I always use Mobil 1 synthetic oil unless it’s a two stroke watch.Low melting point grease is good for the winder.

[OG1982]

Otherwise, stuff might happen

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Tools

Modern synthetic oils do not break down the way older fossil-based oils used to.

Probably wouldn't hurt to rotate the box/watch every few months to compensate for the gravity movement of oil, or just give them a good wind once or twice a year.

No reason why there should be any issues for a year or so of storage, or more.

Lol. Older fossil oils
I like that

Where do you think these new synthetic/modern lubes come from?

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by padi56

Moebius is a Swiss company and they produce most of todays synthetic oils for the watchmaking industry.And Rolex have been using synthetic oils for many decades now. It was after WWII in the mid 1950s the first Synthetic Oils like Moebius came out on the market for the watchmaking industry.But its funny many independent high street watchmakers did not rush to use these synthetic oils,as they thought if could be bad for business as it would cut down the need of regular service back in those days every 2-3 years when using the old mineral type oils. Although synthetic oils have the same lubricating properties as the mineral oils,the synthetic lubrication properties would not change over very much longer running periods. Plus they would not gum up so much and cause corrosion and could be left in the movements for a very very long time without any major cleaning.Synthetic oils have improved over the years much like car industry which now use mainly semi or fully synthetic oils in most all engines.

IIRC, they even used whale oil way way back in the day because of its light viscosity and I think that was where the corrosion factor came into it

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by TheDapperYank

You don't have to deal with that with modern synthetic lubricants. Most watchmakers will tell you that for longterm storage just let them sit and don't put them on a winder, you're basically just inducing unnecessary wear on the internal components.

Good point.
But what about manual wind watches?
Could they possibly benefit from being on a winder

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Driver8

If I was storing a watch long term I'd still be sure to give it a full wind once a month just to keep the lubricants where they need to be. Other than that then yes it's fine to store them (if that's your thing).

Agreed

[rolexpure]

As Larry above said - modern oils are all synthetic that they use.

These are nowhere near as bad as the olden day oils. These oils last decades without anything happening to them.

If you get a 100% synthetic car engine oil and put some of it into a bottle and leave it for 10 years it will come out looking new.

[knighty88]

Originally Posted by Anton911

I always use Mobil 1 synthetic oil unless it’s a two stroke watch.Low melting point grease is good for the winder.