Regular maintenance of your clocks, watches and pocket watches will increase their value and life span. The best way to maintain a clock is to keep it running. If you have wind-up clocks, watches are pocket watches  or clocks that use a key, it is best to keep them wound and running. If you have a quartz clock  or watches or one that runs on batteries, replace the batteries when you see that the time piece is slowing down. You can replace the batteries yourself or have a jeweler replace them. Most will do so at a nominal cost.

Gather all your clocks, watches, and pocket watches today and separate into the two categories; those that wind and those that run on batteries. Try to locate all the keys to the wind up clocks (remember when we organized our keys?). I like to attach my clock keys to the clock by a ribbon that is long enough for me to wind the clock without removing the key from the ribbon. This will help to avoid losing the key. Be careful not to over wind the clock or watch! Usually an over-wound timepiece creates damage resulting in a necessary replacement of the movement.  For the clocks that run on batteries, note the kind of battery needed (usually a AA battery for clocks and small batteries for watches) and purchase new batteries to enable you to replace the battery when needed. You can often find watch batteries at a battery retailer such as Batteries Plus, or Walmart or even the Dollar Store.

Now for Cleaning: For the wind up clocks and watches, a periodic professional cleaning is recommended. To maintain a clean clock, I use some canned air to clean the dust from the movement while the clock is running. I don’t recommend touching any of the parts to avoid damage. For the outside of the clock, clean any glass surfaces with a soft cloth and window cleaner being careful not to spray the cleaner directly onto the glass. Instead, spray the cleaner on the cloth and lightly wipe the glass.

To Clean Wooden Clock Cabinets: Use a good quality furniture moisturizer to lightly wipe the wood surfaces making sure to get into all the cracks and crevices. This will help to alleviate the cabinet wood from cracking due to dryness. Do not saturate the wood, just lightly wipe the polish on with a cloth and continue wiping until the surface is shiny.

To Clean Clocks with Stone/Marble Surfaces: It is important to ensure that the cleaner you use is safe for stone surfaces. I prefer to use a lightly damp cloth just to remove dust and oil. Don’t use any acidic cleaner such as vinegar or glass cleaner. These cleaners might damage the surface of the stone.

To Clean Clocks with Leather Surfaces: I prefer to use a good quality leather conditioner on my clocks and watches with leather coverings or wristbands. I have an antique French barometer that has a leather covering and despite its age, it still looks fantastic. This is due to the use of a good quality leather conditioner and cleaner to moisturize the leather. Dry rot and mold are the main difficulties is leather so it is important to keep leather moisturized but not saturated. Periodic maintenance will keep these clocks looking wonderful despite their years.