Acetone as a solution for movement cleaning

dancerINTHEdark

Well-known member
honestly, I have never resorted to this substance. but from what I can deduce, this must destroy the outer layer of the watch components because it is very "acidic" if I can say so....
in particular, if we are talking about rep watches, they may not have a protective layer over the tiny components. and acetone can damage them. it may not be great impact with a single application. but if the application is repeated, the negative effect will be inevitable. listen to industry experts who work with modern watches and modern cleaning solutions if you want to keep your watch and the mechanism inside in optimal condition
 

BenStone

Well-known member
no no no!!!!

I would never get involved in the movement cleaning by myself. the mega-minuscule details can go out of function with any action of mine, especially since I'm a bit clumsy. I better take the watch to a professional and clean it with special solutions. I'm not sure that acetone is the best solution. on the contrary, it can cause rusts over time i guess
 

RoyaInk

Well-known member
my parents and grandparents used acetone to clean watches, and many other instruments such as radios, cassette players, etc ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚.
I don't know if this solution is beneficial or not in the long term, but I don't think it's a good idea to apply it nowadays. When you have a watch, I think you have to take care of it at a high level. This means using modern solutions that are certainly more friendly with different surfaces than those of decades ago. So, I do not use nor recommend acetone. There are many modern alternative solutions both effective and risk-free for damaging the watch's texture and components
 

StevenOhio

Well-known member
would't take the risk... watchmakers use modern materials nowadays and you can never be sure if these stay ok with acetone treatment... I'd better go to the repair shop and clean it with professional and modern chemicals... some guys, especially elderly ones hardly accept modern solutions and stick to those cleaning methods that were available and common years ago... though, their opinion does not mean that it's the most right one so, I'd leave room for another professional opinion
 

Cinar73967

Well-known member
I forgot the last time I had acetone in the house. even if I want to clean the watch with acetone, I certainly can't find such a thing in my house๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ I don't even know what I could use it for nowadays, unless I paint my nails with nail polish ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚

dear watch lovers! treat your watches with specialized solutions. the internet is full of affordable, safe solutions, and without damage to your watch components. leave these suggestions and "maintenance tips" for the elderly generation, i.e. in the past
 
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