Need Help?
If you have any questions or need help, you may contact us to assist you.
Customer Service
Monday – Friday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST
Tel: (704) 899-5250
E-mail: us@obaku.com
Repair Services
Monday – Friday
8:30 am – 5:30 pm EST
Tel: (401) 946-0920
E-mail: customerservice@saltzmans-watches.com
Website: https://www.saltzmans-watches.com/c4/Watch-Repairs.htm
Q: What does the Limited Lifetime Warranty mean?
A: When purchased from an authorized dealer, Obaku guarantees that the components of this watch are original, free of defects in material and workmanship and meet accurate timekeeping as specified in the instruction manual. The following components are exempt and will not be covered under the warranty: crystal, stem, crown, case, caseback, bracelet/strap (including clasp, links, pins, screws) or any accessories. Solar cells in solar movement watches are not covered under this guarantee.
NOT COVERED UNDER THE LIMITED-LIFETIME WARRANTY
a) Damage caused while in the possession of a customer, accident or otherwise, such as: misuse, tampering with, failure to follow the care and handling instructions.
b) Damage while in the possession of a consumer not caused by a defect in material or workmanship.
c) Damage caused by wear and tear, or accident and/or scratches to the finishing of the case, crystal, bracelet, strap or other components.
d) Moisture and/or water damage inside or outside the watch (including components) related to not following care instruction or poor customer handling. All Obaku watches are ‘water resistant’ to a certain degree, NOT ‘Waterproof’. e) Damage caused by an unauthorized repair or Service Center.
Instructions on care and handling can be found in your instruction manual or on the Obaku website. You may also request this information by emailing us@obaku.com. For more information on repairs, contact Saltzman’s Repairs at customerservice@saltzmans-watches.com or at (401)946-0920.
Q: Do I need to sign up for the warranty to be activated?
A: No, you will not need to sign up for the warranty to take effect. When you receive your watch, you will receive a little Obaku warranty booklet with either a stamp or signature on the last couple pages of the booklet. This verifies the warranty. Even if you register online, we recommend keeping the signed booklet or a copy of your sales receipt to verify purchase from an authorized Obaku dealer.
Q: What should I do if my watch has been damaged or if there is a problem with the watch?
A: If a problem occurs with your watch, please contact our customer service line at (401) 946-0920 or email at customerservice@saltzmans-watches.com. Visit their website for more information on how to properly ship watches for repair https://www.saltzmans-watches.com/c4/Watch-Repairs.htm. You will need a copy of your receipt and/or dealer stamp or signature found on the inside of the warranty booklet that was sent with your watch.
Q: I bought an Obaku watch in the USA, but I do not live in the USA anymore and I need to contact someone to report that my watch is damaged. What do I do?
A: Please visit our link to find a distributor in your area: www.obaku.com/distributors. If you have a distributor in your country, please contact them for help. If you do not have a distributor in your country, please contact us@obaku.com and you will be directed to the proper distributor or department that can help you.
Q: Is my watch waterproof or Water Resistant? Can I go swimming or diving with my watch?
A: All Obaku watches are either 3ATM (30 meter) or 5 ATM (50 meters) water resistant, not to be confused as being "waterproof".
Obaku watches are classified as fashion watches which are resistant to contact with water and can be used when washing hands or wearing in the rain, but cannot be used for swimming, diving, or other activities that require regular repeated water submersion.
ATM water resistant rating is a measurement of the amount of atmospheric pressure a watchcase is resistant too during a static test, or series of static tests, and does not measure the effects of repeated submersion of the watch at various depths. It is not correct to say 3ATM means that a watch can be taken down to a depth of 30 meters below the surface of the water. It is also important to note that you should never take your Obaku watch into a hot tub or sauna as hot water and steam can also affect water resistance.
Check the case backing of your Obaku watch to see the water resistance rating. Please avoid going into pools and the ocean with your watch as they have high levels of chemical compounds such as chlorine and salt that can speed up the oxidization process of ion-plated (IP) color watches, most notably rose gold IP watches.
Regarding leather strap watches, we recommend that you keep the leather clean and dry. Our leather straps are genuine calf leather. Leather has several tiny pores like human skin and is not waterproof. Continual submersion of leather in water over time will cause the fibers to break down and the leather to become week and break apart. Please follow care instructions for your watch.
Q: I ordered a watch online and haven’t received it yet. How do I find out the status on the delivery of my watch?
A: Orders usually take as much as 4 business days to ship out after they have been placed, unless you request the order to be expedited. We will provide you with a USPS or UPS tracking number to track the delivery of the package depending on the shipping carrier you requested in the order. You can track your package on www.usps.com or www.ups.com depending on the carrier used for shipping. If you have questions regarding your order (including shipping details), you can contact us at (704) 899-5250 or email us at [email protected].
Q: When will my items be shipped?
A: We will ship you package once the payment has been accepted. Please note that we only ship orders during regular business hours, Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:30 pm Eastern Standard time (EST). All orders placed over the weekend will be shipped the following Monday.
Q: What payment types do you accept when I place an order online? What payment types do you accept if I call the USA office to place an order?
A: We accept the following payment options online: VISA, MasterCard, American Express and Discover Card. All payments are done through PayPal to ensure that all sensitive information that you give us is private and safe guarded.
If you call in and place an order, we accept all major card payment types mentioned above. We also can accept U.S.A. bank check or money order (we do not accept foreign checks). If you pay with a U.S.A. bank check or money order, your order will ship the next business day after your payment is deposited and posts to our bank account.
Q: What is the inspiration behind OBAKU watches?
A: The inspiration comes from a philosophy of blending the two different traditions of simplicity found in the European and Asian cultures.
Q: Will my watch give me an allergic reaction if I have a nickel allergy?
A: No, all of the metallic components in our watches, including the ones that are plated are hypoallergenic and nickel safe.
Q: What are the watch specifications of Obaku watches?
A: We use high quality quartz (battery operated) movements made in Japan. The movements we use are Miyota (Citizen), Seiko, and Ronda. Most of the movements in our collection are Miyota. The majority of our watch cases and bands are made of 316 surgical stainless steel and 100% hypoallergenic and nickel safe. We also offer titanium watches that are strong, lightweight, and 100% hypoallergenic and nickel safe. Our leather bands are genuine Italian leather. Select ladies’ styles have genuine mother-of-pearl dials. All crystals on the dial and bezel are Swarovski elements. Select styles for men have carbon fiber or sunray effects on the dials. The crystal lens is a hardened minimal crystal that undergoes a special hardening process to help resist against being scratches of cracked. This does not mean that the crystal lens cannot be scratched or cracked.
Q: How should I care for my watch?
A: When you first take the watch out of the box, please remove and discard the small clear plastic tab that is under the crown. The tab is easy to pull off and must be removed before you can set the correct time and functions on the watch.
Maintenance and cleaning: Avoid contact with chemical compounds that might damage your watch. Chemicals, solvents, or greases may discolor or damage the casing and wristband. Use pure water and or cleaning solutions that we recommend to clean your watch. Use only cleaning cloths that do not contain chemical treatments unless we advise otherwise (no silver cleaning cloth or the like). Do not immerse your watch in water or any other liquid. Avoid any violent impacts and avoid wearing a metal bracelet on the same wrist as your watch to prevent scratching or damaging your watch. Avoid exposing your watch to extreme environmental conditions such as strong direct sunlight, extremely high temperatures, or extremely low temperatures. Extreme temperatures will shorten the life of the battery in the watch.
Bracelet watches: Direct contact with sprays such as hairsprays, perfumes or certain detergents may cause damage to your watch.
Leather straps: Leather straps deteriorate at different rates depending on the wear and tear they are put through; climate conditions such as heat and humidity; acidic and oily skin conditions, and as a result to constant exposure to water. To ensure your leather strap lasts as long as possible, take the following precautions:
Batteries: If your quartz watch stops working, have the battery checked as soon as possible. A dead battery may cause damage to the movement if left inside the watch too long.
Q: How do I clean my watch?
A: You can use one of the following solution options to clean the watch metal and crystal surfaces:
You can use the following supplies to clean your watch with the solutions mentioned above: cotton swab, microfiber or similar soft non-abrasive cloth, “fine” nylon pad/sponge, soft bristle toothbrush, or soft bristle nailbrush.
Whatever cleaning supplies you choose to use, either dip or moisten them with the solution you have created. Gently wipe or scrub the case, crystal lens, metal mesh strap, bracelet, and clasp clean. Be careful not to put too much stress on the crystal lens as you clean. Avoid immersing the watchcase, crystal lens or crown in the solution, regardless of the water resistance rating. Wipe dry.
We suggest that you use a soft bristle toothbrush or nailbrush to clean crevices where dirt, grime, and oxidization build up in areas of the watch like the metal mesh strap, bracelet and clasp. It is often hard to clean these areas thoroughly using cloth or cotton swabs alone.
To clean leather straps, we suggest that you dampen a soft cloth with water and wipe the leather strap clean on both sides (avoid pouring water directly onto the leather strap). You may want to use leather cleaner or leather conditioner to keep the leather clean, soft and supple over time. Top grain leather may develop a milky ‘haze’ if left alone for extended periods. This can simply be wiped away or removed with leather conditioner. A product called “nubuck eraser” can be used to remove light stains and debris from the inside of the strap. As with any other leather goods you may own, it is good to keep leather from constantly getting wet. Proper care along with regular cleaning and/or conditioning will extend the life and look of the leather strap.
Q: What type of color plating is on my Obaku watches and how do I clean it?
A: The color is applied to your Obaku watch using an Ion-Plating (IP) process. All watches in gold or black are coated with a titanium coating that is the newest and most advanced technique for long lasting coating. The gold coating is a mixture of titanium and gold that is bonded with the stainless-steel base metal through a fusion process in a vacuum chamber.
A regular question we get about ion-plated (IP) watches is how to properly clean them and take care of issues that arise like oxidation of the metal. Oxidization is common in yellow and rose-colored IP watches. This occurs when a patina forms on the surface of the watch discoloring the watch, usually turning lighter colors like yellow and rose gold brown or black. Rose gold color IP watches have the highest tendency to oxidize similar to how silver metal tarnishes; this occurs due to the copper elements used to create the unique rose tone color of the watch. You will also find this in many other fashion watch brands that use rose gold color IP plating. Oxidizing happens at different rates depending on how high the levels of humidity are in the area were the watch is being worn; regular wear and tear on the watch; constant contact with water (especially water with high levels of salt such as ocean water); exposure to different chemicals such as chlorine, household cleaning chemicals or other acidic, oily and abrasive substances. It is important to regularly clean your gold IP Obaku watch as oxidation is normal and will reoccur over time. Please refer to our cleaning instructions to learn how to clean your IP Obaku watches.
Q: How do I close the clasp on of my mesh strap watch?
A: To close the clasp, first you will open the security hinge. The security hinge is the metal piece that does not have the Obaku logo on it. The opposite mesh band on the other side of the watchcase has a metal hinge on it with an Obaku logo and inside the hinge is a metal hook. Place the hook onto the bar of the opposing clasp and add tension, pushing the hinge down and locking it into place. You will hear a click when it locks into place. Now close the security hinge on the opposite side over that hinge you just locked down. You will hear a second click when the security hinge is locked in place. The primary function of the security hinge is to act as a back up to lock the clasp in place on the wrist if for any reason the main hinge unlocks. When you hear two clicks, one with the first hinge and a second with the security hinge, you have the clasp locked in place.
Q: How do I adjust my mesh band?
A: Obaku mesh bands are easily adjustable. Simply insert a small flathead screwdriver or similar tool into the clasp. On the top of the clasp, you will see a pivoting arm (pivoting level) on the clasp that is locked down in place against the mesh strap. In the middle of the pivoting arm is a rectangular notch. Insert the head of the screwdriver into the notch in the arm, making sure not to bend the metal pin that holds the pivot arm in place. Simply lift up at a 45-degree angle the pivot arm of the clasp. Once the pivot arm is unlocked, the clasp can be moved up and down the mesh strap to the desired position. Make sure the clasp is set in one of the indentations on the back of the mesh strap. This will require you to turn the watch over to see the indentations where the clasp guide (metal bump) fits into as you adjust the clasp up and down the mesh strap. Snap the pivot arm of the clasp securely into place by pressing down, applying pressure. You will know when it is in place because the guide will fit easily into the indentation as you press the pivot arm down and it will be easier to lock it down when it is lined up. You will hear a click or snap when it is locked in place.
Q: What type of battery do you use in the watch? What is the average life of an Obaku watch battery? What are indications that my battery is running out of life?
A: The battery we use in Obaku watches has an average life of three years. We use an environmentally friendly battery called a “SPRON” battery, which is silver oxide and free of mercury and lead. Your Obaku watch comes with a SPRON battery, but the watch can also use ordinary batteries bought over the counter at many retailers.
It is important to note that the battery life will be reduced if the watch was already operating in the store where you purchased it. Our watches come with a plastic tab around the stem that prevents the crown from being pushed down to activate the operation of the watch. If the plastic tab is still in place when you purchase the watch, chances are the retailer has not activated the battery. The plastic tab acts as a protection to ensure that battery life is maintained prior to you purchasing the watch.
If you expose the watch repeatedly to high temperatures such as leaving it in a car on a hot day, over time this will reduce the life the of battery in the watch. Constantly starting and stopping the operation of the movement by pulling out and pushing in the crown can also cause loss of battery life.
The first indication that the life of your battery is running low will be when you notice loss of time. Functions such as the chronograph also function slower. If you see the second hand skip several seconds, this is a battery end-of-life indicator (EOL). Many people accidentally take this as a sign that the movement in the watch is bad and not working properly when in fact it is only indicating to the wearer that the watch battery is dying. Watches with the EOL feature have electronic circuits that detect when the battery voltage is getting low. Their circuitry makes the second hand move forward erratically to alert the wearer that it is time to replace the battery. Installing a new battery should cause the second hand to advance normally.
Q: What do I do if the battery in my watch has died?
A: If the battery in your watch has died, please take it into your local jeweler or watch repair store to have the battery replaced. You can also contact our authorized repair center, Saltzman’s Watches, at (401) 946-0920 or by email at customerservice@saltzmans-watches.com. We charge $15 USD plus $10 USD shipping for a battery replacement service. Should you choose to use our service, please note you will also be responsible for shipping to our repair center.
Q: Where is my nearest OBAKU retailer?
A: Obaku is represented in more than 67 countries around the world and several states and territories in the U.S.A. To locate you nearest retail store please use the following link: www.obaku.com/storelocator
Q: Where can I get a user manual?
A: You can find a user/instruction manual on our website using the following link: www.obaku.com/usermanual