What Do You Need To Know About Changing Your Watch Battery?
When your quartz watch starts to lose time, the second hand begins to skip, digital displays or night lights no longer light up, or the watch just stops working altogether. These might be signs that your battery needs to be changed.
Below, is a list of a few items you need to know if you attempt to change your watch battery!
Ways to remove the backs of watches
Use a penknife and find a lip or slot. This type of back is designed to snap on and off.
Use a special adjustable wrench that fits the notches spaced around the outer perimeter of the case to spin/unscrew the backoff and on.
Use a screwdriver to remove the screws holding the back in place; remember not to strip the screw head. You must keep the screws in a safe place to avoid losing them.
For some high-end watches, you might have to send them back to the company to have the battery replaced.
When removing the back of the watch, you need to be careful not to nick the coil; otherwise, you will have to replace it with a new one.
Things to keep in mind when removing the battery
Do not force the battery out as it may break the spring holding the battery secure.
Make sure the battery does not have an insulator film underneath it. If you lose the insulator film, your battery will short out and then you will need another battery.
Many watches have a battery strap with tiny screws that you will have to loosen or remove. When unscrewing the screws, be careful of the tension on the battery strap. The pressure on the battery strap can cause the screws to fly out, and you may lose them.
Once the battery is removed, test it with a battery tester. If the battery is dead, replace it with a new one. If the battery is 100% charged, then it most likely is a problem with the watch and the watch may be in need of service/repair.
Make sure the new battery is of the right size and voltage. It should be a perfect fit for your watch.
After replacing the watch battery, turn the watch over to ensure it is working or put it on a watch tester to see if the battery is sending a pulse through the watch. If the watch has a pulse but is not running, the watch may need a service/cleaning.
When placing the back cover back on the watch, you must be sure that the notch on the side is lined up with the stem and crown. It must be aligned to avoid breaking the stem and crown. Double-check that the gasket is also intact to maintain water resistance. Do not force the back on by putting tremendous pressure on the center of the backplate. By doing so, you might misshape the backplate and make it difficult for the back to snap on.
For watch backs with screws, ensure the notch for the stem and crown are lined up correctly to avoid breaking the stem and crown. Align the gasket to maintain water resistance. Be careful not to lose or strip the screws.
Watch backs that screw on a need to be carefully aligned to avoid cross-threading them. Once again adjust the gasket to maintain water resistance. Tighten until the watch back is secure.
Once the battery is changed and the backs are back on, set the time and date.
Replacement watch batteries tend to last approximately two years. However, your watch may stop working even if you replaced the battery only a short time ago. In such cases, you will need to get your watch serviced by a professional and experienced watch smith.
About the business
Your watch can get damaged during the battery replacement process. Therefore, it is essential to have the right experience and tools for changing batteries. At Portsmouth Jewelers, we can replace almost all types of watch batteries. In addition, we also change watch straps, perform watch band adjustments, and watch pins. We have expert watch smiths that are experienced in repairing both high-end and lower-end watches. If you want to get your watch battery changed, repaired, or serviced, visit Portsmouth Jeweler at 801 Islington Street, Portsmouth NH 03801. To know more about watch repair services, you can also call 603-501-0043.