Some objects accompany us every day and remain deeply personal at the same time. A watch, a strap, a deployant clasp, a leather cord, or a bracelet is in constant contact with the skin. Over time it inevitably collects microscopic traces of daily wear. Caring for such items is therefore a matter of comfort, tactility, and hygiene, as well as respect for an object that works with you in your own rhythm. Delicate ultrasonic cleaning of hardware is one of the discreet steps I use to support that standard.

One principle should be stated clearly. In my practice, ultrasonic cleaning of hardware is not a standalone service that I offer on its own. It is a natural part of the process when a client comes to renew the leather element of an item. For example, when replacing a watch strap, or when making a new braided cord or bracelet. At that moment the hardware is already removed, it is accessible for careful handling, and it makes sense to return it to a cleaner and more pleasant state before reinstalling it onto the new leather component.

A good example is a recent project involving an original Hublot deployant clasp made from a combination of rose gold and steel, with a mixed finish. I cleaned the clasp during the making of a new strap for the Hublot Big Bang Earl Gray Gold Hematite. The strap was created as a replacement for an aged original, and the goal was to preserve the character of the watch, its color balance, and the sense of a cohesive object.

What happens to hardware over time

Even the finest metal and the most careful wear do not cancel out everyday physics. Fingerprints, a thin surface film, and ubtle buildup appear gradually. In complex geometry, small accumulations form in areas that are difficult to reach with a simple wipe. Hinges, inner radii, junctions, recesses, and textured zones are typical examples. The more intricate the construction, the more places exist where dust particles and everyday residues can settle over time.

This is especially relevant for active lifestyles. Beach, pool, mountains, travel, sports, and city pace. In these conditions an accessory interacts with the environment more often and more intensively. Delicate cleaning in this context is not about cleanliness as a personal trait, and it is certainly not a judgment of the owner. It is a normal and respectful form of prevention that supports comfort and keeps the object feeling neat in daily use.

A crucial boundary: cleaning is not polishing or restoration

This point matters. I am speaking specifically about careful cleaning, not polishing, not restoration, and not any attempt to change how a part looks. I do not interfere with the original finish of the hardware and I do not alter its character. Brushed surfaces remain brushed. Polished surfaces remain polished. The transitions and contrasts of a mixed finish stay exactly as they were intended to be. The goal is different. To make the hardware cleaner and more pleasant in everyday contact, without trying to make it “newer” by changing the surface.

Why ultrasonics

Below is a brief clip showing the clasp during a delicate ultrasonic cleaning step.

Ultrasonics are valuable because they help reach micro-areas where manual cleaning is limited by geometry. When used in a controlled and gentle mode, the process can remove build up from recesses and joints without turning into aggressive treatment of the surface. This is why I use it as a precise tool at the right moment, when the item is already disassembled and is being reassembled properly.

What I clean within my process

When I make a new strap or renew a leather element, I can delicately clean buckles, deployant clasps, and metal components of accessories that will be transferred to the new leather part. This is not a separate procedure performed for its own sake. It is a logical continuation of the work already being done on the item.

Examples from practice

Girard-Perregaux (white gold): delicate cleaning before reassembly

A white gold clasp is an excellent example of why the boundary matters. The goal is careful cleaning in inner geometry and contact zones, with no polishing and no alteration of the original finish.
Link anchor: View the Girard-Perregaux project

Hublot deployant clasp: cleanliness in recesses, without touching a mixed finish

A mixed finish makes any intervention obvious. This is precisely where delicate ultrasonic cleaning helps remove subtle buildup from joints and recesses while preserving the original character of the surfaces.
Link anchor: View the Hublot strap project

Braided cord hardware: restoring inner geometry where manual wiping is limited

This approach is not limited to watch straps. When hardware is transferred onto a renewed leather element, ultrasonic cleaning can restore cleanliness in areas that are difficult to reach by hand, without changing the finish.
Link anchor: View the braided cord project

What I do not do

I do not clean the watch itself in an ultrasonic bath. A watch is a separate system. The safety of any such procedure depends on too many variables to be guaranteed properly within the framework of strap and hardware work. For that reason, ultrasonics in my practice apply to clasps, buckles, and metal components of straps or accessories, but not to the watch case and not to the movement.

A universal approach, not limited to watch straps

This principle extends beyond watch straps. When a client returns to renew a leather element, it is a natural moment to take care of the details that remain with the owner for years. A braided cord with a carabiner clasp is a good example of an accessory that becomes part of a personal habit and comes back for renewal as time goes on. In such repeat requests, it becomes especially clear that discreet, thoughtful care and a calm, precise service standard matter as much as the leatherwork itself.

Closing

Clean hardware should not draw attention to itself. It simply restores the sense of order, precision, and completeness that one expects from objects of this level.

If you are renewing a strap and wish to keep the original clasp, or if you are returning for a new leather element for a favorite accessory, I treat delicate ultrasonic cleaning of the hardware as a natural part of correct reassembly. No alteration of the finish, no promises of restoration, and full respect for the original and for the way you live with your things.