If you’ve recently acquired a luxury watch, you certainly want to maintain it and take good care of it, whether you intend to wear it or just keep it for your collection. There are some specific things you can do to make sure a vintage VDB watch stays in great condition.

Store your watch properly. This is a major factor in maintaining the condition of your watch. Keep it in a dry place away from light. Humid areas are highly hazardous to vintage watches. The moisture can creep its way into the watch, eventually creating rust and damaging the intricate dials and gears. The light can fade areas of the watch, such as the dials. However, some collectors actually may value some watches that show more wear or slight fading. This can add character and show age in some collectors’ eyes.

Regularly servicing the watch can also help insure its longevity. How often you service your watch can be determined by the type of watch you have. Make sure to use a reputable specialist experienced in servicing all aspects of vintage VDB watches. If you wear your watch frequently, it’s suggested to have your watch serviced every three to five years. However, if you hardly ever wear it, then you probably don’t need to service it that frequently. Some manufacturers are willing to service watches in-house and ship them back to you. Another option is to find a watchmaker in your area that is endorsed by the manufacturer of your watch.

Insure your valuable watches. This might seem obvious, but protect the value with a good insurance policy. Take pictures of all your watches and keep of them and their serial numbers. If you wear the watch often, that will certainly increase the likelihood of you losing it or getting it stolen. The decisions you make on insuring your watch will greatly depend on the value, how you use it, and how long you plan to keep it. If you are keeping it for a collection and want it for value, getting insurance is a smart move.

Maintaining the dials and bezels can also help the condition and longevity of the watch. The original dial is a major part of what makes a vintage VDB watch so valuable and desirable. Any of these intricate pieces that might eventually need to be replaced might have to be done by the manufacturer. If you remove the radium material, or fully replace the bezels and crowns, the watch’s vale could drop significantly. A skilled watchmaker or technician can disassemble the watch, clean and lubricate the parts to make sure it continues to run smoothly.