Recommendations

Every mechanical watch has a relative accuracy. This depends on the setting, the wearer's habits, the constraints that the movement may be subjected to, or the environment. A drift of +5 seconds per day is tolerable; any delay or drift of more than 10 seconds is not for Hegid. Therefore, if such drifts should occur over time with your Hegid watch, we strongly encourage you to report it.

You may notice different readings when wearing them. Indeed, a multitude of forces can influence the accuracy: gravity, kinetics, and magnetism can all play a role and cause drifts. For example, Hegid recommends avoiding exposing watches to powerful magnets, sometimes hidden in innocuous objects: speakers, digital tablets, bag clasps. The accuracy of a mechanical watch also depends on the wearer's activity. If you notice an abnormal drift, do not hesitate to contact us or to approach a watchmaker at an authorized Hegid Service Center.

Contrary to what you might read on the internet, Hegid insists that no mechanical watch can be considered a genuine toolwatch (ultra-resistant, do-it-all watch). A Hegid watch, thanks to its new design (capsule and case) is, in principle, more robust than any other. Also, the movements chosen to power Hegid timepieces and their high-level settings allow Hegid mechanical watches to be among the most reliable.

However, watchmaking is a field of precision mechanics subject to the basic laws of physics. A Hegid watch can accompany you in 95% of your activities, but if you practice boxing, machine gun shooting or jackhammering in a club, we recommend you get a dedicated tool.

Hegid watches can withstand harsh temperature conditions. However, please avoid exposing them to sudden changes in temperature or extremes temperatures (below -30°C and above 60°C). If you are planning a trip to the South Pole or another planet, do not hesitate to contact Hegid to best prepare for your trip.

Hegid watches are equipped with anti-reflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. This excellent material, whose hardness reaches 9 on the Mohs scale, allows watches to maintain absolute readability over time, because it is virtually scratch-proof. Be careful, its hardness does not mean that sapphire crystal is unbreakable; a violent shock can chip or break it.

Legend has it that only diamonds can scratch sapphire crystal. This is false. Some materials, combined with adequate force, can attack the previously transparent surface. For example, being too close to a house plaster can have consequences. Be aware that this type of glass cannot be seriously polished to remove scratches. A scratch only has aesthetic consequences. However, be careful with crystals chipped following an impact because a crack at the edge of the glass can alter the water resistance of the Capsule. If the crystal breaks, it is important not to wear the watch. The tiny pieces can injure you or scratch the dial. Be aware that in the vast majority of cases, a service is necessary following a broken crystal, because pieces and dust infiltrate the movement and eventually stick to the oils that allow the mechanisms to function normally (abrasive effect on the pivots). It is therefore important to check and clean the movement. Also, keep the watch face down to prevent scratches on the dial.

Hegid uses Super-Luminova to ensure that the dials and hands of its watches are legible in dim light. This material acquires its luminescence when exposed to light. To ensure the luminosity of the dial and hands in the dark, you must therefore expose your watch. The intensity and duration of the luminosity may vary depending on the color of the Super-Luminova and the time of exposure to the light source.

Hegid Capsules are designed to remain waterproof even when submerged up to 100 meters underwater (10 atm). Swimming and snorkeling are therefore perfectly possible with a Hegid watch. Just remember to check the water resistance of your watch regularly at an authorized Hegid Service Center and make sure the crown is screwed in correctly before any immersion.

Regarding contact with liquid, Hegid advises its users to rinse watches with clean water when immersed in a liquid other than clear water, such as swimming pool water, sea water, perfumes, chemical liquids or alcohol. Therefore, if you are on holiday at the seaside, be sure to rinse your watch with clean water after each day of swimming. Also, regarding holidays at the seaside, as sand scratches the steel and can damage the Capslock of Hegid watches, it is important, if your watch has been in contact with grains of sand, to clean it thoroughly before using the Capslock so as not to hinder the fastening system between the case middle and the Capsule.

Steam is worse than water; it sneaks into a watch that is open or no longer waterproof. It is strongly recommended not to go to the hammam with your watch. Generally speaking, Hegid advises against storing watches in bathrooms because steam condenses on metal cases and binds dust and particles.

In addition, moisture seeps into leather straps causing premature wear and unpleasant odors.

Leather straps have a limited lifespan. To keep them looking their best, Hegid recommends:

• Do not tighten your strap by pulling on it like a carry strap so as not to break the surface of the leather;
• Pass the strand through the buckle, then push on the opposite pin, keeping the strand as straight as possible. This will prevent the leather from breaking.

Due to their natural properties, the linings of leather straps absorb perspiration, and the stored moisture takes a long time to evaporate. It is therefore recommended to alternate the straps regularly to air them out, and to store them in a dry and ventilated place to facilitate their drying, a procedure that is quite easy with Hegid. It is not necessary to use any product to clean the leathers; wiping them with a dry cloth is generally sufficient.

The materials used to make Hegid watches are necessarily chosen for their hypoallergenic properties. Hegid's qualitative selection criteria are demanding, but there is no such thing as a perfect material:

• Ceramic is difficult to scratch but can break;
• Titanium is strong and lightweight but scratches and is very difficult to polish;
• 316L steel is commonly used for its intermediate properties, it scratches but is easy to polish.

It is important to know that polishing a metal is not without consequences. Polishing, when possible, abrades and spreads the material and even the most skilled polishers cannot avoid a slight alteration of the shape (especially in the corners). Hegid therefore recommends resorting to polishing as rarely as possible to preserve the original shape of the watch for as long as possible.

Polishing during every Hegid Complete Service seems like a good rhythm. Fellow maniacs: we know that first scratch is painful. The best advice we can give you is to get a second, then a third; each new scar makes the previous one less noticeable.