How to change a watch battery yourself
The moment has arrived. Your faithful watch has stopped, leaving you "wrist bare" in the midst of the most festive and busy month of the year. What to do? If you cannot go to your trusted watchmaker, one solution is to turn to do-it-yourself. Changing the watch battery yourself is not complicated, but lack of experience and inadequate tools could cause visible damage to your timepiece. Want to know how to change a watch battery without causing damage? The answer is in today’s guide!
The 5 do-it-yourself steps: useful advice
If it is not possible to go to your trusted watchmaker, it is necessary to know the 5 do-it-yourself steps. These are 5 useful tips to avoid unwanted complications during the battery replacement procedure of your watch. Before starting, it is good to know that inadequate tools and poor skill could cause external scratches or even damage to the internal mechanism. Haste is the enemy of this procedure which, although simple, requires calm and attention.
Step 1. Buy the right battery
It may seem obvious but it is not! To choose the right battery, you need to check the model code in the watch’s instruction booklet, if available, or directly on the back of the button cell currently inserted. Forcing the insertion of an unsuitable battery only to realize the wrong choice later can cause a financial loss as well as damage.
Step 2. Identify the type of closure
Placing the watch on a soft and practical surface to facilitate your movements is a fundamental step to ensure the best outcome and protect the surface of your accessory. Do you already know how to take care of your watch? Find out in this article! At this point, it is necessary to identify the type of closure and understand how it works. Is it a snap-back case, a screw-back, with side screws, or is the battery positioned behind a dedicated cap? In the latter case, the procedure will be not only simpler but also less risky.
Step 3. Open the case back
Once you have established the fastening method of the case, it is good to know that each case is unique and that each requires a procedure tailored to factors such as the age of the watch, the state of wear, the features of the model, and last but not least, the value and price range in which it falls. This last factor can greatly affect the difficulty of opening, proportional to the risk and severity of a possible wrong move. In any case, to open the case back, special tools are necessary. In the absence of a professional watch repair kit, it is important to be aware of the danger that can come from using improper tools. Do you have everything ready at hand? Good. Carefully memorize the opening procedure so you can correctly replicate it in reverse.
Step 4. Replace the exhausted battery
Remove the old battery using a small pair of tweezers and set it aside to dispose of it in the appropriate container. Gently and carefully avoiding hitting exposed mechanical parts, insert the new button cell. Do you wear your watch only on one or two special occasions a year? Be careful not to let the battery change slip your mind: leaving an exhausted battery in place for a long time could damage your accessory.
Step 5. Closing and cleaning
Clean the inside of the case with a suitable microfiber cloth, place the case back, and close it. It is not uncommon to encounter difficulties even at this stage, especially when the battery change is done on less modern watches. Avoid forcing or overloading your timepiece: you could break it. Go to your trusted watchmaker and remember that preventing damage is always better than repairing it.
How to change a watch battery (without causing damage)
In conclusion, we can say that changing a watch battery without causing damage is possible, but nothing will ever replace the tools, skill, and precision of a professional. Owners of quartz watches know well that battery replacement is a regular appointment. However, it is good to know that going to the watchmaker for this type of operation requires minimal expense and really very little time.
Ferro Gioielli is open even during the Holidays! The expert watchmakers are waiting for you, ready to handle any urgency related to your timepiece.
