Cleaning swabs for watches and special optics
Cleanroom swabs, also known as cleanroom swabs, can also be used as cleaning sticks for watchmakers who use them to clean watches. Companies that clean special optics also rely on cleanroom products, including cleanroom cleaning swabs and cleanroom cleaning cloths.
What a watch manufacturer needs in the workplace
Anyone who works with watches by hand, i.e. manufactures or repairs them manually, needs very specific equipment at their workplace, including watchmaking tools that are specially designed for the precision mechanics of watches.
Watchmaking tools include not only special hand tools and small machines, but also products that are used to clean watches, such as cleaning sticks and cleaning cloths.
All in all, the following items belong to the equipment of a watchmaker’s workplace:
Working basis-objects
- Watchmaker’s table
- Watchmaker workstation pad
- Watchmaker’s work plate and dust cover
- Mounting cushion
- Housing holder
General watchmaking tools
- Watchmaker’s hammer
- Watchmaker’s screwdriver
- Watchmaker’s pliers (flat nose pliers, flat nose pliers, round nose pliers, side cutters)
- Anti-magnetic watchmaking tweezers (pliers with fine tips for spirals, pliers with sickle-shaped fine tips, pliers with narrow fine tips, pliers with lacquered handles, Geneva-shaped pliers, pliers with round tips)
- Watchmaker files
- Watchmaker awls
- Oil sensor
- Oil bowl
- several watchmaker’s loupes with different magnifications (especially 2.5x and 10x)
- Microscope
Special watchmaking tools
- Case opener for screw bases
- Housing knife for press bottoms
- Glass lifter/ glass setter
- Pointer lifter/ pointer setter
- Press-in tool for closing press bottoms
- Enclosure closer
- Pressing in and pressing out watch crystals
- Pen ejector
- Pen ejector
- Bracelet shortening pliers
- Spring bar set for bracelet assembly
- Spring bar tool
- Leather strap pliers
- Shaping pliers for adjusting spring bars
- Plastic tweezers for battery replacement
Small machines for watchmakers
- Bracelet shortening machine
- Watchmaker’s lathe
- Recirculating unit
- Time scale
- Movement cleaning machine
- Ultrasonic cleaning device
- Heating dryer
- Demagnetizer
- Water tightness tester
- Tenon rolling machine
- Stone injection machine
- Power riveting machine
- Polishing machine
- Grinding machine
Small parts and accessories
- Spring bars
- Clock seals
- Watch screws
- Grinding aid for watchmaker’s screwdrivers
Care and cleaning of watches
- Cotton gloves
- Jewelry cloth
- antistatic watchmaker’s brush
- Clockwork blower
- Watch oil
- Polish
- Cleaning compound
- Glass fiber pen for contact cleaning
- Cleaning sticks
- Cleaning cloths
Cleaning sticks for watchmakers
Cleaning sticks are therefore also part of the watchmaker’s tools in a broader sense. When selecting cleaning swabs and cloths, watchmakers often choose products from the cleanroom sector, as these are well suited for cleaning sensitive watches due to their low particle emission.
In particular, the cleaning sticks for watchmakers should not contain any adhesives. Otherwise, contamination could occur on the watch during cleaning or in the movement.
To avoid the use of adhesive, the swab tips of such cleaning swabs are shaped on the handle using heat, for example, and thermally bonded in the process. The release of fibers at exposed edges is reduced by sealing these edges, for example.
Some watches also contain highly sensitive electronics. Special ESD cleaning sticks are available for such components, which are generally electrostatically sensitive (ESDS).
In addition to swabs, also cloths for the watch industry
As cleaning cloths for watches, we recommend using cloths that are suitable for particularly scratch-sensitive surfaces in order to protect the case, dial and watch glass in particular during cleaning. Watchmakers can also use cleanroom products here, namely cleanroom cleaning cloths that are also used to clean sensitive optics.
In the abovo online store, for example, the “CELOS Wiper 1.30”, the “Absorbond Wipe TX404 Texwipe”, the “Absorbond Wipe TX409 Texwipe” or the “Wipe Amplitude Optic Wipe Contec” are such cleanroom wipes for cleaning scratch-sensitive surfaces/optical wipes.
If highly sensitive electronics are installed in the watches, ESDcleaning cloths should be used to minimize electrical discharges that can damage or even destroy electronic components.
Our cleanroom team advises watch manufacturers
We at abovo have been trading in cleanroom and ESD products for decades and also advise manufacturers in the watch industry from our base in Selzach, Switzerland.
We would also be happy to help you choose the cleaning sticks and cleaning cloths that are best suited to cleaning watches
Manufacturers of optical elements, components and devices also rely on special cleaning cloths and cleaning sticks, as these optics are often sensitive to scratches. We are also on hand to provide advice and help with the selection of the right products.
If you have any questions, you can contact us without obligation. The easiest way to reach us is by e-mail or telephone.
