Watch maintenance can be troublesome if the watch has gotten salt water or other debris inside of it. If that hasn’t happened, consider how much time the watch gains or loses per day. If it’s running fast or slow – say by 10 seconds or more a day – it might be good to have it checked by a jeweler.
Professional jewelers can perform what’s called “regulating” the watch. The simple definition is that we “listen” to the using a machine the senses the vibrations within the watch to calibrate it’s timing mechanism.
If the watch is manually set, they are more prone to gain or lose time more regularly. Thus, if you notice any increases in the loss or gain, you might want to have it serviced.
Also, if the watch needs the exterior cleaned, bring it in for a surface cleaning.
Cleaning and maintenance costs vary by brand, style, age, and more. So, speak with a jeweler that works with the type of watch you have or may have recently inherited before ever cracking the seal yourself.