Just soaking a a bowl of water won't remove much. Oils are resistant to water. and it picks up oil from you, along with dead skin cells, hair particles and God only knows what else.

Best answer:
If you're that fearful I'd suggest an ultrasonic cleaner.
Works fantastic for bracelets, opinions vary on cases. Just remove the case and clean away if the watch has questionable WR.
Just did a heavy, thick 15 YO seiko bracelet. Turned the solution so black you couldn't see the bracelet in it.

Bargain answer;
Windex and a soft toothbrush.

Economy answer;
Leave it on when tou shower.

 

...If you're that fearful I'd suggest an ultrasonic cleaner. Works fantastic for bracelets, opinions vary on cases. Just remove the case and clean away if the watch has questionable WR...

Watchmakers I've talked to say this is a big no-no for cases. Ultrasonic vibrations can compromise the integrity of the seal. Water, a toothbrush and a polishing cloth are all that's needed. Showering? Not based on my experience. Before I knew better I did so with a Sub, and soap scum buildup was epic.

 

Just use a old tooth brush and warm soapy water and the bristles will get in the crevices and clean all the gunk that accumulates.

 

And dry waving a hair dryer.

 

I wash/rinse them off every morning before I change the watch out. If it has a strap, then I take a damp cloth and wipe it up. They never go into the winder dirty. If I continue to wear the same watch it gets the above treatment in the am before I put it back on. I sleep with a watch on, especially when I travel.


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Forgot to add: I use an unused tooth brush and do a deep cleaning once a month. On stainless steel watches or gold/steel, I will use jewelry cleaner and rinse it good. It keeps the gunk from building up. Also if you wear in a pool or ocean, then rinse it every time. That should be a habit.


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The soft toothbrush and dish soap combination are really the best. Just be sure to remove any strap that isn't rubber or metal first and tighten the crown. If it's not a dive watch, then avoid submerging it at all: a damp cloth or sponge is a better bet. A little extra care guards agains the accumulation of wrist-cheese.

 

NO SOAP,read all the replies again,NO SOAP!!!.On divers use toothpaste,yes I said toothPASTE & soft bristle brush.ALL non divers,Cape Cod cloths.

 

....WOW...I'm truly amazed how many people wash their watch daily !!! Too each his own. I definitely don't. I've been into cleaning jewelry a looong time.(mine & each of my wives along the way). I have a cleaning cloth embedded with an "all metal" cleaner. Whenever I get a pre-owned watch I use that cloth and remove a ton of grime (shows black on the cloth) then polish it with a clean cloth. I save all old t-shirts for cleaning and polishing.Also I will utilize q-tips and tooth pics for hard to reach areas . I feel strongly the watch cannot look better than after my treatment. When I'm watching TV I enjoy just fondling a watch with a cloth to clean and buff it up a tad. No liquids for me. Never would put anything on a tooth brush either. If something occurred where dirt or grime was embedded. We all would agree to do whatever is necessary to fix the issue. That's the exception...not the rule. (IMO)

 

Omega recommends the mild soapy water with a soft toothbrush method... in their manual... Just saying, it can't be that bad if this is their recommended cleaning method. I do agree the emphasis should be on "mild" and avoid using soap that leaves glycerine like residu.

 

I use warm soapy water and baby toothbrush on my diver, I'm curious on how people clean their dress watch with 30m WR and leather bracelet. Is it safe to use antibacterial wipe to wipe it?

 

I use warm soapy water and a soft towel, I feel the use of tooth brushes would cause small scratches over time

 

I have a Timex. I just strap it on the blade of an outboard motor and run several miles through the water. "takes a licking an keeps on ticking" ....lol.

 

In the shower (about twice a month) using shower gel. Rinse well with water and dry with a towel afterwards.
Gives my watches a nice shine, especially the Explorer 👍

 

Spit and a microfibre cloth does the trick for me.

 

For day to day brush up, I do what my Rolex owners manual says to do. Shower with it. For more detailed clean up, which usually happens when I buy a used watch, tooth brush and Cape Cod cloth. More than that and we are getting into polishing. For acrylic 'crystals' I do an extensive sanding and polish through the grades if necessary due to scratches. For metal a jewelers wheel and polish through through the grades - but you need some restraint when you do it.

 

I use my wife's Ultrasonic Cleaner she uses for her jewelry. Many small ultrasonic jewelry cleaners have an insert that makes it possible to clean the bracelet with out immersing the watch case. The ultrasonic is especially great in cleaning the hard to reach parts of some of the more elaborate deployant clasps. I use water and a soft tooth brush on the watch case. You can get a more than sufficient Ultrasonic Cleaner for less than $40 on Amazon.

 

I use my wife's Ultrasonic Cleaner she uses for her jewelry.

I hope you’re kidding.

Ultrasonic cleaners and dive watches?

Has anyone used ultrasonic cleaning on their dive watches with any ill effects? I used to be able to bring my watches into a local jewelry store for regular cleaning and part of the process was a few minute dip in the ultrasonic cleaning bath. I never seemed to suffer and ill effects...

www.watchuseek.com

Never.....never dip a complete assembled watch in an ultrasonic bad....never. Until now you have been extremely lucky you didn't have to bring it to a watchmaker after the bad. Screws etc might come loose.

 

I wash mine with lukewarm water, using soap and a soft brush. After a swim in the sea I rinse it with fresh water to remove the salt and sand.

 

I use this product: https://www.wristclean.com
Apply plenty of it all over the watch, then rinse with tap water, final rinse with bottled water, followed by a gentle wipe down with a dry natural chamois which won't cause any micro abrasions unlike toothbrushes, towels or microfiber cloths will.

 

Huh. That seems easy enough. Get a bottle of that, some terry towels (to act as a base), a watch cloth, and a bottle of distilled water, and you're in business. I might have to try that when I get back to the States. I bet the bracelet on my Breitling is filthy. That watch is nearing 20 years old. I'd still spot-apply with a Q-tip on the cases, though. Well, maybe not that Breitling caseback. I bet that has some built up gunk on it.

 

Wristclean be Vereat. Cant beat it. Will also have my AD throw my bracelets in the ultrasonic cleaner once or twice a year.

 

A mix of baby tears, vintage champagne and the sweat of a virgin on her wedding night for my Patek (if I ever do own one).

 

For a daily clean I just wipe with a lens cloth for eyeglasses. About once a year I will take Dawn dish soap (just a few drops) and a little warm water and brush it down with a clean toothbrush. I don't feel a need to buy special products or over do it with the ones that I have. After all, a watch is a tool. And to be honest, when was the last time you shined your hammer?!

 

I leave mine on when I shower, that's the daily clean, but every now and then I'll leave it in a glass of rum for a few hours.

If it's strong enough and it can keep pirates going, then surely it can make my watch have some vaguely beneficial boost?

If only Mrs. Doubtfire was on call. I feel she'd be the one to trust.

Showering and rum. I think with a few short sentences I have clearly marked myself as lazy when it comes to watch maintenance?

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I usually just do a Q-tip under hot water and spot clean anything I can see, then wipe off any water that's left. If anything more vigorous than that is needed, I'd consult my watchmaker. I'm not much of a DIY kind of guy, though.

I generally only bother with it when I'm changing straps and can see if there's any gunk between the case and the bracelet or something like that. Most of the time, it's out of sight, out of mind.

 

I would never shower with any of my watches, I think it's silly every time I read that but I do prefer to shower with my wife plus it's more fun. When my watch is dirty I just take it off and shake It vigorously in whatever mud puddle I'm standing next to and then put it back on. Seriously though, I usually wipe them off daily with a microfiber cloth and if they get real dirty I use a toothbrush and warm water.

 

I do what I call a 'flash rinse'. I live in a hot climate, so even a few hours outside and whichever watch i'm wearing gets all wet with sweat.
So, every day or when needed I just take off the watch, open the water spigot and quickly pass the watch under the water and then wipe off with a soft cloth.
It helps though not having a metal bracelet. Even a leather strap drys off if I hang it on a hook by the buckle.
But, frankly speaking, I just can't understand how a watch lover can let his watch get so filthy that it needs to be cleaned with soapy water and a tooth brush.

 

Metal watches: warm water and mild detergent, microfiber cloth.

G-Shocks: warm water and mild detergent, toothbrush.