Cleaning Set and loupe

Routine watch care needs no heavy tooling. The right cloth, a pair of gloves, the correct polish and a loupe to judge the result are enough to keep a piece clean without ever opening it.

Watch cleaning kit: where to start

The microfibre pack with gloves and cloth covers the essentials. For a dirty metal bracelet, the HELI metal bracelet cleaning set adds the spray and its case.

The HELI 4-in-1 cloth brings four surfaces together on one square: degreasing, polishing, buffing, finishing.

Polywatch: removing a scratch from a watch crystal

Two formulas, and they are not interchangeable. Polywatch for plastic crystals treats acrylic and Hesalite. Polywatch for sapphire and mineral glass is a separate formula.

Check what your crystal is made of before ordering: acrylic scratches under a fingernail, sapphire resists scratching but marks on impact.

Microfibre watchmaker gloves

A mirror polish keeps every fingerprint. Gloves come in white microfibre and black microfibre. White shows what you are lifting off; black stays presentable longer.

Watchmaker loupes, 3x and 10x

The 3x Eschenbach loupe suits general work; the 10x loupe is for examining a dial or an engraving. Eschenbach is a German optical brand.

Polishing micro-scratches on a watch case

The Cape Cod micro-scratch polishing set treats steel and gold. A 10x loupe before and after keeps you from overdoing it: on a case, you always stop earlier than you think.

Single microfibre cloths for watches

The HELI microfibre cloth also comes in a white version. HELI is a German watch-care brand.

Watchmaker tools: going further

Dismantling, opening or adjusting belongs to another section: watchmaker tool kits. The whole range sits under watchmaker tools.

Watch cleaning: frequently asked questions

How do you remove a scratch from a watch crystal?

With a polish matched to the crystal. A small amount on a cotton pad, firm circular rubbing for a few minutes, then a wipe with a soft cloth. The crystal stays on the watch.

Which Polywatch for a sapphire crystal?

The sapphire and mineral version, in two tubes. The plastic version suits neither: the formulas are not interchangeable.

Acrylic or sapphire — how can I tell?

Acrylic scratches under a fingernail and is often slightly domed. Sapphire resists scratching but marks on impact, and stays cold to the touch.

3x or 10x loupe?

3x for general work and visual checks. 10x to examine a dial or an engraving, or to judge a polishing result.