Proper care for watch straps:

How do I give my Hirsch watch strap a long life?

December 10, 2021

Whether you’re talking about your car, home, plants or your relationship with friends and family: there is simply nothing like the right kind of care. This is true for your watch as well - and especially your watch strap. Give it some love and attention on a regular basis and you'll get something in return: namely, a piece of jewellery on your wrist that will accompany you reliably for years to come – your Hirsch watch strap.

We'll show you how to care for leather and caoutchouc watch straps properly and enjoy them for a long time to come.

How everyday life can affect your watch strap

Sweat,cold, dirt & Co. - Whether it's the watch face or the strap - your watch is subjected to a lot of wear and tear every day. After all, your watch accompanies you from morning to bedtime - and sometimes even at night - through your daily routine.

Watch straps can take a lot of abuse in the process:

Hirsch watch straps accompany you in the heat in summer and in sub-zero temperatures in winter.
They are a reliable companion on holiday and in the gym.
Waterproof models even go swimming with you.

All these stresses and strains don’t affect your quality watch strap very much at first. The situation is different after a longer period of time: Constant friction between your watch and your skin can cause sweat to form on the wrist during sports or on hot summer days. Regularly opening and closing the watch also puts a strain on the material.

To ensure that you can continue to rely on the strap of your watch in the future, we show you what really matters when it comes to caring for and cleaning your Hirsch watch strap.

How to extend the life of my watch strap?

Typical of Hirsch watch straps are their high quality and the use of materials that promise an extremely long service life. How long your watch strap really lasts essentially depends on three factors:

The materials: The better the quality of the individual materials, the better the quality of the entire watch strap. That is why Hirsch uses only materials that meet the high standards of Hirsch´s understanding of quality. Whether leather, rubber or natural materials - at Hirsch, the material forms the soul of the physical quality of every strap.
The production technology: Using the rembordier technology developed by Hirsch, the edges of our leather bracelets are sealed fibre-deep and thus well protected from external influences such as dust, perspiration, perfumes in general. Many other technological developments, such as the watch straps in the HIRSCH Performance Collection, distinguish all Hirsch straps and serve to ensure a long service life.
Individual wearing behaviour: Do you treat your watch - and thus the strap - like a pair of "jeans" or more like a "white silk dress"? Wearing behaviour is also essentially characterised by various external influences. In general, the service life of a Hirsch leather strap is always and in all categories significantly longer than the service life of conventional products available on the market.

However, leather is a natural product. This has many advantages, but also a disadvantage: the longer the wearing time, the greater the likelihood that a so-called "patina" will form. This means that the surface or the appearance as well as the colour of the leather can change over time. A leather strap can gradually appear darker or develop a slight sheen. To prevent this from happening and to keep your watch strap at the highest standard both functionally and visually for as long as possible, you should regularly subject it to a care ritual.

Care tips for your Hirsch watch strap

Do you want to benefit from the high quality and beauty of your watch strap for as long as possible? At Hirsch, we have years of experience in the creation, manufacture and care of watch straps and offer some important tips on how to do this:

Care for and clean your watch strap at regular intervals.
It is better not to use cleaning products - even if they are especially suitable for leather, for example.
Instead, clean it with a slightly damp cloth.
Only in the case of heavy soiling, you can briefly hold your Hirsch watch strap under running water. However, be careful - especially with leather - not to expose the strap to water for a longer period of time.
You can then dry it with a cotton cloth or simply leave it to dry on your wrist at room temperature.

If the strap becomes damp - for example, because you've worked yourself to the limit in the gym or you've had a summer's day with particularly high temperatures - you should take the entire watch off and remove the sweat by carefully rubbing it with a soft, dry cloth.

If you are not quite sure which care is best for your watch, you can ask your trusted watchmaker for advice or contact our experienced team at Hirsch!

What you should keep in mind in everyday life to enjoy your bracelet for as long as possible

Can't live without your Hirsch watch strap in everyday life and don't want to do without it in the future either? We have summarised some important everyday care tips for you here:

Be careful not to rub your watch on rough surfaces.
Avoid contact between the watch strap and any perfumes or creams.
Prevent your leather strap from coming into contact with greasy substances or oils, especially rough leathers such as nubuck.
Avoid exposing your strap to direct sunlight for long periods of time. Wide temperature fluctuations can also damage your watch strap.
Ideally, store your entire watch at a room temperature of around 20°C.
If you want to wear your watch in water, you should pay attention to the water resistance of the watch and the strap.

How to store your Hirsch watch strap

Not everyone wears their watch all day and night. In particular, people who love their watch and particularly appreciate its value will refrain from wearing their favourite piece of jewellery in everyday life and save this moment for special occasions. No matter how often you wear your watch, proper storage plays a big role in the longevity of your watch and especially your watch strap. Make sure that your watch is not exposed to wide temperature fluctuations. A dry storage place can also contribute positively to the longevity of your watch.

If you do not want to wear your watch for a longer period of time, it is best to store it directly in a case. There, the watch strap is also optimally protected from dirt and dust.

In our shop you will also find the right trays to store your favourite bracelets.

Frequently asked questions

How often do I need to clean my watch?
Even if your watch is special to you, you don't have to care for and clean it every day. However, if you have been wearing your watch for a long time or it has become dirty, you can clean it with a damp cloth.

What is the best way to clean my leather watch strap?
You should not clean a leather bracelet with water. The leather could become brittle and dull. Instead, you can use a soft cloth to remove coarse dirt or a soft brush. In particularly warm temperatures, you can wear the leather strap a little looser to prevent sweat from forming between the skin and the leather watch strap.

What are the benefits of caring for your watch strap?
If you care for your Hirsch watch strap regularly, you can benefit from these advantages:

Longer lifetime
Minimal effort with high yield
Care & cleaning with your own effort