Gross watch question

[Independent Gal]

Anyone know how to clean a watchband?

My fiance got back from three weeks under the sun in Turkey and his watch is a mess. It''s a two-sided Rotary swiss watch and one side is ticking away happily while the other has stopped. Any idea whether a two-sided watch has two batteries? Is that the deal?

But the more pressing question, and I apologize for its total grossness, is that it now STINKS. I mean, think of the worst teenage-boy-goat-smell you''ve ever encountered... you know the smell I mean - and multiply it by a factor of ten. That is how FI''s watch now smells.

I guess three weeks of hard sweating will do that to a piece of leather!

Anybody know how to get the smell out? Or do we just have to get him a new watch band?

Any help MUCH appreciated. BLEUCH!

 

[curiopotter]

lol, your post made me gag..


There's some stuff called Leather Therapy that's used by horse people for their saddles... If that doesn't work, throw that band away!

bleh!

ETA: I found their website: http://www.leathertherapy.com/products.html

 

[baby monster]

I''d say it is a total loss on the band - the leather absorbs the scent and you can''t really wash it. Throw it out and look into getting stainless steel as replacement if available.

 

[musey]

Indy, I worked at a watch shop during high school and I know EXACTLY what smell you''re talking about!! Have you opened the back yet (where you''d change the battery? On a lot of the watches I saw, the smell was coming much more from gunk ground into the little cracks around that cover than the band itself. Try cleaning that out, and if it doesn''t solve the problem, you''ll probably have to get a new band.

Would he consider switching to a metal band? He wouldn''t have that problem again!

 

[Independent Gal]

Hey thanks Curio! Great tip. I just called them and ordered some leather wash and conditioner. They were SO NICE on the phone too.

ETA: Just saw the other posts. Musey: I haven't opened it, as 'Rotary' is one of those 'nobody touches but us' companies and I'm scared I'll break it! But a quick nose test suggests that it is DEFINITELY the band that stinks. Oh, lordy, I think I'm going to be sick just from that nose test!

The leather cleaner + condition + shipping cost less than $10, so I'll give that a go first. If it doesn't work, we'll ditch the band and no loss since we'll just clean our hiking boots with it!!

I don't think he'd like metal, sadly.

 

[monarch64]

Oh my...this is one of those threads my stomach wishes I hadn''t read through, lol! Hope the leather cleaner works out for you but with a stench that deep I''m not confident for ya...I''m thinking a new watch band might be a good thing to have on hand anyway, leather does start to break down after a while, smell or no smell!

The smell reminds me of that movie The Labryinth with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, there was one place in the labryinth called the Bog of Eternal Stench, hee hee.

 

[Julianna]

Date: 8/27/2007 11:01:09 PM
Author: monarch64

The smell reminds me of that movie The Labryinth with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, there was one place in the labryinth called the Bog of Eternal Stench, hee hee.

Was that my stomach or yours, Ambrocious?

 

[monarch64]

Date: 8/28/2007 8:14:35 PM
Author: Julianna

Date: 8/27/2007 11:01:09 PM
Author: monarch64

The smell reminds me of that movie The Labryinth with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, there was one place in the labryinth called the Bog of Eternal Stench, hee hee.

Was that my stomach or yours, Ambrocious?

LOL, Julianna, I LOVE that movie...I have to write a note to myself to buy the DVD sometime, I''d love to own it. I must''ve rented it 50 times when it first came out on VHS, ha!

 

[Julianna]

Date: 8/29/2007 12:48:25 AM
Author: monarch64

Date: 8/28/2007 8:14:35 PM
Author: Julianna

Date: 8/27/2007 11:01:09 PM
Author: monarch64

The smell reminds me of that movie The Labryinth with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly, there was one place in the labryinth called the Bog of Eternal Stench, hee hee.

Was that my stomach or yours, Ambrocious?

LOL, Julianna, I LOVE that movie...I have to write a note to myself to buy the DVD sometime, I''d love to own it. I must''ve rented it 50 times when it first came out on VHS, ha!

Hee hee, I think I still own the VHS, actually.

I should also update my collection.

 

[Independent Gal]

UPDATE! I used the leather cleaner Curiopotter suggested. That stuff is MAGIC! soap, leather conditioner, and shipping came out to about $8 and there''s lots left for treating shoes, hiking boots, etc.

Hurray! The alligator watchband is saved.

 

[iheartscience]

I missed this thread the first time around but since I worked at a watch store in high school I totally know what gross stink you''re talking about-yuck! Good to know the leather cleaner worked, though-I''ll keep it in mind!

P.S. Would he ever wear a cheapie Timex Ironman watch or some other sporty/rubbery watch like that? That way he can wear that when he''s going to get sweaty instead of stinking up his nice watch!

 

[curiopotter]

Woohoo! I''m glad it worked!