Recommendations for use

Contrary to what one can read on the Internet, Hegid wish to emphasise that no mechanical watch can be considered as a toolwatch (an ultra-resistant watch, made to do literally everything). A Hegid watch, thanks to its innovative design (Capsule and Carrure) is, by its conception, more robust than another. Also, the movements chosen to motorize the Hegid timepieces and their drastic adjustments allow the Hegid mechanical watches to be among the most reliable.

Watchmaking, as part of the precision mechanics, is 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 hammer with a competition level, we invite you to get a dedicated tool.

Hegid watches can withstand harsh weather conditions. However, please avoid exposing them to sudden variations or extreme temperatures (less than -30 °C and more than 60 °C). If you are planning a trip to the South Pole or another planet, please do not hesitate to contact to Hegid to better prepare your trip (this one is for you Elon).

Hegid watches are equipped with anti-reflective, anti-scratch sapphire glass. This formidable material, whose hardness reaches 9/10 on Mohs scale of mineral hardness, allows watches to keep an absolute readability in the long run, because it is almost literally scratchproof. However, its hardness does not mean that a sapphire glass is unbreakable; a violent shock can bury it or break it.

The legend tells that only the diamond is able to scratch the sapphire crystal. It is wrong. Some materials, combined with adequate force, can attack the transparent surface. For example, rubbing a house plaster can have consequences. Please notice that you can not seriously polish this kind of glass to clear the stripes. A scratch has only aesthetic consequences. On the other hand, be careful with glasses chipped after a shock because a crack at the edge of glass can alter the waterproofness of the Capsule. In case of breakage of the glass, it is important not to wear the watch. The tiny pieces of broken glass can hurt you or scratch the dial. Be aware that in the vast majority of cases, a Service is necessary following a broken glass, because pieces and dust infiltrate into the movement and may eventually stick in oils that allow the normal operation of mechanisms (abrasive effect on the pivots). It is therefore important to check and clean the movement. Also, keep the watch face down to avoid scratches on the dial.

Hegid uses the Super-LumiNova so that the dials and hands of his watches are readable in the dim light. It is a material that acquires luminescence when exposed to light. To ensure the brightness of the dial and hands in the dark, you must expose your watch. The intensity and duration of the brightness may vary depending on the color of the Super-LumiNova and the time of exposure to the light source.

Hegid Capsules are designed to stay waterproof when diving up to 100 meters under water (10 atm). Swimming, snorkeling are encouraged with a Hegid watch. Just remember to check your watch for waterproofness at a Hegid Authorized Service Center on a regular basis and make sure the crown is properly screwed before immersion.

Regarding the contact with a liquid, Hegid advises its users to thoroughly rinse watches with clear water when immersed in a liquid other than clear water such as pool water, sea water, perfumes, chemical liquids or alcohols. So, if vacationing at the sea, be sure to rinse your watch with clear water after every day of swimming. Also, concerning the seaside holidays, as the sand scratches the steel and can damage the Capslock, it is important, if your watch has been in contact with grains of sand, to clean it well before reusing it, to not hamper the fixing system between the Carrure and the Capsule.

The vapor is worse than the water, it enters into a watch that would be open or that would no longer be waterproof. Again, it is recommended to check the waterproofness of the watch and screwing the crown before entering a place such as a steam room. In general, Hegid does not recommend to store any watches in bathrooms because the vapor condenses on the metal and fixes there dust and particles.

In addition, the vapor infiltrates the leather bracelets causing premature wear and bad smells.

Leather straps do have a limited lifetime. To use them as long as possible, Hegid recommends :

• Not to tighten the strap by pulling on it not to break the surface of the leather ;
• To pass the strand in the buckle, then to push on the opposite pin keeping the strand as straight as possible. Thus, the leather will not be broken.

Due to their natural properties, the lining of leather bracelets absorb sweat, the stored moisture takes a long time to evaporate. It is therefore recommended to alternate the bracelets regularly to ventilate them, and to store them in a dry and ventilated place to facilitate their drying, easy with Hegid. It is not necessary to use a product to clean the leather, wiping with a dry cloth is usually sufficient.

The materials used to make the Hegid watches are necessarily chosen for their analergenic properties. Hegid qualitative selection criteria are demanding but there is no perfect material :

• Ceramics are difficult to scratch but can irreversibly break ;
• Titanium is robust and lightweight but is scratchable and very difficult to polish ;
• 316L Steel is commonly used for its intermediate properties, it is scratchable but easy to polish.

Please notice that the polishing of a metal is not without consequence. Polishing, when possible, abrasives and spreads the material and even the most talented polishers can not avoid a slight alteration of the shape (especially in the corners). Hegid therefore recommends to use polishing as rarely as possible to preserve the original shape of the watch as long as possible.

A polishing on the occasion of each Hegid Full Service seems to be a good pace. Dear maniac friends, we know that the first scratch is painful. The best advice we can give you is to make a second, then a third; each new scar makes the previous less visible.