Geckota Products Warranty And Returns Explained

All of our Geckota products come with comprehensive warranties and return policies to ensure if something doesn’t quite work out, we will have you covered.

Geckota watches warranty

Geckota watches come with a 2 years warranty covering against manufacturing and mechanical defects. Please note that any servicing or work carried out on your watch by anyone other than Geckota Watches (unless authorised) within this 2 year period will void this warranty.

IMPORTANT - Not covered by the 2-year warranty:

• Damage caused by accident, misuse or lack of care.
• Over-winding hand-wound mechanical watches.
• Watch magnetization.
• Issues caused from adjusting the date wheel between 8 pm - 2 am.
• Water damage caused by not maintaining the water-resistance (e.g. If the crown is left out).
• Batteries
• Damage to straps or bracelets caused by wear.
• A decision is made that you do not want the watch anymore and you would like to return it (please see our returns policy for information that relates to this in more detail)

Note: The warranty begins from the date of purchase and will continue for 2 years.

Geckota watches return policy

If you aren't 100% satisfied with your purchase, you can send it back to us for a full refund or exchange up to 14 days after the order date. All items must be returned in their original condition - unworn and undamaged.

 The Geckota Ocean-Scout Dive Watch in Royal Blue - Image Credit: Geckota

Our top five tips for keeping your watch in good working order:

1. Try to avoid magnets if your watch is mechanical
   If there is one thing that mechanical watches hate is magnets. Certain levels of magnetic fields can cause mechanical watches to run fast. One way to ensure this doesn’t happen is to avoid letting your watch get too close to devices with strong magnets. We’re talking about speakers, laptops, phones, headphones, microwaves etc. Don’t let this completely dominate your wearing experience though, as magnetised watches can be demagnetised; but it's something you should be aware of.
2. Clean your watch regularly, especially if it's been in the sea!
   Keeping your watch clean is more of a quality of life task but it still should be done. Watches live on our wrist all day every day and just like anything else, over time they can get dirty. Be sure to clean your watches regularly to ensure you don’t do any long-lasting damage. Some simple soapy water and a toothbrush should get the job done but you’ll want to check that the crown is secure beforehand. Clean the watch gentle and dry with a clean, soft cloth. Make sure to double-check the water resistance rating before doing this and if you’re unsure about using water, stick with a microfibre or jewellery cloth and some good old fashioned elbow grease.
3. Don’t change the date on your watch between 8 pm - 2 am
   This point only applies to mechanical watches with dates, but make sure you’re not changing the date of your watch when the hands are between 8 pm and 2 am. The reason being that a date change requires cogs and gears to move to ensure the date advances successfully. This is a process that happens before and after the date has actually successfully changed meaning if this process is already underway and the date is then manually adjusted, this could easily cause parts to break and movements to require servicing. Our advice would be to only manually jump the date forward when the hands are set around 17:00 - 18:30.
4. Keep an eye on how much you’re winding the watch
   Overwinding a watch can cause unwanted (and unneeded) tension on the hairspring of your mechanical watch. Automatic watches won't be affected by this, however, if your watch is manual wind make sure you don’t force the crown anymore than you need to when winding. If the crown becomes tight and doesn’t want to naturally budge, your work is done!
5. Check the crown, and then check it again...
   Be it diving, washing your hands or just a simple shower, make sure any and all crowns and pushers are secure before exposing your watch to water or humidity. The last thing you want to do is take a dive into the sea knowing your watch is water-resistant only to find out you hadn’t screwed the crown in properly. Our advice? Check the crown is fully secure before getting into contact with any water. And then check it again. Geckota watch manuals can be found here.

Geckota watch straps warranty

Geckota watch straps are sold with a 1-year warranty covering against manufacturing defects. As we sell a range of watch straps made from many different types of materials with varying properties, our helpful team will evaluate individual claims on a case by case basis. If you do have any issues with your watch strap please make sure to contact us as soon as possible with clear images showing the defect.

IMPORTANT - Not covered by the 1-year warranty:

• Any damage or general wear and tear from the use or misuse of the product
• Accidental damage
• Any damage resulting from caused by misuse, accident or lack of care
• Incorrect use of the strap (example: Wearing a leather strap underwater unless specified as being ‘water resistant')
• Any alterations or damage to the strap not carried out by Geckota.
• A decision is made that you do not want the strap anymore and you would like to return it (please see our returns policy for information that relates to this in more detail)

Note: The warranty begins from the date of purchase and will continue for 1 year.

Geckota watch straps return policy

If you aren't 100% satisfied with your purchase of our watch straps, you can send them back to us for a full refund or exchange up to 14 days after the order date. All items must be returned in their original condition - unworn and undamaged.

 The Vintage Highley Genuine leather Watch Strap - Image Credit: Geckota

Our top five tips for keeping your watch strap in good condition:

1. Make sure you’re using the right strap for the right environment
   Although we pride ourselves on offering watch straps that are made to a high standard, not every strap will work in every environment. As a general rule of thumb, leather straps really, really don’t like getting wet so avoid wearing them when in contact with water. Leather isn’t also a big fan of sweat either so if you’re thinking of sunbathing, maybe opt for another strap material. Metal, rubber and nylon are all pretty hard wearing and are tough materials that will be able to cope with most of life's day to day challenges.
2. Take your time when fitting the strap
   Even for the seasoned veterans out there, changing watch straps carelessly can cause damage to the strap, let alone your watch. If you have a leather Military nylon avoid pulling it through the watch’s spring bars as you can easily scratch the strap with the case. If you’re using a spring bar tool, make sure to take your time to gently pull the spring bar out of the watch. If you’re adjusting metal links or changing micro-adjustments, make sure you’re using the right tools and you don’t lose any pins. The overall advice here is to take your time. If you’re unsure what you’re doing is correct, we’re only a phone call or email away.
3. Use curved spring bars if your watch’ spring bar holes are close to the watch case (Rolex we’re looking at you…)
   This is one to look out for if you’re looking to change the strap on a Rolex, although other brands fall victim to this as well. Whether it's a vintage or modern example, Rolex seems to have always positioned the holes for their spring bars closer to the case than other manufactures meaning if you’re not careful you can easily scuff the top of the strap when fitting it. To avoid this, grab yourself some curved spring bars (or do it yourself with this tool) to gently bend the spring bars away from the case before threading the spring bars through the strap and attaching. It shouldn't need much, but it could potentially save your watch from looking scuffed instantly. Other watches from other brands may also do this, so be sure to follow the advice in step 2 to make sure it’s a smooth process.
4. Clean straps regularly
   Much like watches, watch straps deserve a good clean every now and then. For rubber and metal straps we recommend keeping things simple and opting for freshwater with some soap and a soft toothbrush, especially if you have been in the sea. If you have a nylon strap  freshwater should work well. Light coloured straps can pick up colours from other fabrics and materials (sometimes referred to as pigment emitters) that have been poorly or excessively dyed; dark coloured jeans are a common example of this. Straps have pores almost like natural skin/leather, and they will react like uncoated leather, so if dark colour pigments entered the pores, it will not be easy getting them out again. While this is true for dyes, normal dirt can be easily washed away with warm water and soap. As we know leather doesn't like water so we’d recommend a microfibre or jewellery cloth and a touch of moisture. Massage into the strap and leave to dry gradually over time.
5. Consider swapping straps out to prolong the life of your straps
   A great way of keeping your strap looking its best is to regularly swap it out for others. This of course naturally comes with the added bonus of giving your watch a brand new look at the same time. By rotating your straps regularly you can ensure you’re not putting one strap under increased levels of stress which could speed up the wear and tear process. Why not have one strap for evening wear, one for daily wear and one for activity occasions?
   
   If you need help with anything or have any more questions, please contact our customer service team. Email: support@geckota.com Phone: +44 (0) 1684 252 686 Post: Geckota Returns, PO Box 185, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, GL20 9BL, UNITED KINGDOM