Quartz battery change at home...

[Archer]

So this is the newest watch on my bench...

Got a call from a friend who is a goldsmith/jeweller. Known him for 25+ years, and he sometimes calls me with watches that his customers need help with. This one the husband tried to change the battery in his wife's watch at home, and let's just say it went all wrong.

I agreed to take a look, so they came by and dropped the watch off. I was handed the case, bracelet, and case back, and then an envelope...



Between the two post it notes were the "small pieces" he recovered...



Husband told me that when he tried to change the battery, he pried the battery out of the movement (hint!) and then when he turned the watch over, the hands had "fallen" off. So most likely he pried on the movement hard enough to separate it from the dial, and the dial stripped off the hands.

He then said he was trying to refit the stem, and it all suddenly went "sproing" and bits flew everywhere...not sure all the parts are there yet, so I might just get a new movement and get this done. If in doubt, take it to someone who does this for a living.

 

[Cenzo]

Good quote from Red Adair (oil well fire fighter)
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait to see what it costs when you hire an amateur."

 

[Evitzee]

Cenzo

Good quote from Red Adair (oil well fire fighter)
"If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait to see what it costs when you hire an amateur."

Says every professional plumber and electrician.

Edited: Jan 7, 2024

 

[Larry S]

Al, i wish you were on the latest “Where can I get a battery changed thread? “ on Next Door. Those of us who recommended a real watchmaker were somewhat offset by “Its so easy a monkey could do it.” comments.

 

[Duracuir1]

The best way to safely remove a battery from a watch is very simple.

 

[Archer]

Larry S

Al, i wish you were on the latest “Where can I get a battery changed thread? “ on Next Door. Those of us who recommended a real watchmaker were somewhat offset by “Its so easy a monkey could do it.” comments.

Feel free to link to this thread, or use my photos and story...

I would call this guy a monkey, but I think his wife has already beat him up enough about it. When she called me she said "I'll bring the culprit along when I drop the watch off, so he can explain how he did this." Then at one point when he got to the "sproing" part of the story, she interjected "we were not impressed!" Ouch!

 

[pitbos]

Nothing good ever follows a “sproing” sound. I’m just impressed to see some metal parts inside a designer watch!

 

[Aroxx]

This is a good cautionary tale. I’ll admit, I’m in the DIY battery change camp. I’ve been doing it for years and only broke one thing on a $1 POS pocket watch thing my kid picked up at a yard sale. I just did two watches for my mom. The problem I have is just about every time I get a watch to do it’s a battery size I don’t have. It’s more cost effective to order a 5 or 10 pack on Amazon than to buy just one battery so I’ve ended up with quite the collection of watch batteries that I’ll either never use or will be garbage by the time I need them again. It’s still much cheaper than paying someone $20 for a battery change. At one point, I’d thought of floating the idea of a OF battery exchange to remedy the problem but I don’t think we have a large quartz battery changer population here.

 

[140dave]

Archer

….and it all suddenly went "sproing" and bits flew everywhere...not sure all the parts are there yet…

Heh, reminds me of fixing my first set of drum brakes. Taught me to take pictures before disassembly at least…

 

[wagudc]

Aroxx

This is a good cautionary tale. I’ll admit, I’m in the DIY battery change camp. I’ve been doing it for years and only broke one thing on a $1 POS pocket watch thing my kid picked up at a yard sale. I just did two watches for my mom. The problem I have is just about every time I get a watch to do it’s a battery size I don’t have. It’s more cost effective to order a 5 or 10 pack on Amazon than to buy just one battery so I’ve ended up with quite the collection of watch batteries that I’ll either never use or will be garbage by the time I need them again. It’s still much cheaper than paying someone $20 for a battery change. At one point, I’d thought of floating the idea of a OF battery exchange to remedy the problem but I don’t think we have a large quartz battery changer population here.

If you leave your batteries sitting around, be sure to check the voltage before installing them. A good chance they will go bad before you use them up. I know from experience. I thought there was an issue with my f300 because it was still running poorly after a battery change. At first I thought I mistakenly re-installed the old battery and recycled the new, but I checked all the remaining batteries in my 6 pack and they were all bad.

 

[Aroxx]

wagudc

If you leave your batteries sitting around, be sure to check the voltage before installing them. A good chance they will go bad before you use them up. I know from experience. I thought there was an issue with my f300 because it was still running poorly after a battery change. At first I thought I mistakenly re-installed the old battery and recycled the new, but I checked all the remaining batteries in my 6 pack and they were all bad.

Yes that’s what I alluded to in my post. By the time I need some of them again they’ll all have probably died on the shelf. I still can’t bring myself to spend the same on one battery as it costs for a 10 pack.

 

[STANDY]

Was going to say cheaper to buy another watch

 

[Archer]

STANDY

Was going to say cheaper to buy another watch

I'm not that expensive!

Anyway, new movement did the trick:



Passed pressure testing:



Very unusual "end link" system - kind of all falls apart when you undo the screws...sort of like the movement I guess.



Seems designed for you to lose parts and have to order them again. He picked it up last week, and was very happy that I bailed him out. I told him that top remove the battery, all he had to do was use tweezers or a small screwdriver to pull the battery retainer to the side, and the battery will just pop out on it's own...no prying needed!

 

[STANDY]

Hope you charged your “ bought in, in a snap lock bag fee”

 

[Aroxx]

STANDY

Was going to say cheaper to buy another watch

Seems like the Invicta pricing strategy. Look at that deal!

 

[J!m]

I help out co-workers with battery changed and bracelet sizing etc.

Last one I got wouldn’t run with a new battery so a call to start time has a new movement and ten batteries on the way.

This movement has four jewels, so I’m going to have to lube it! (Original had only one).

 

[spacemission]

By an aficionado

 

[galaxytime]

Archer

So this is the newest watch on my bench...

Got a call from a friend who is a goldsmith/jeweller. Known him for 25+ years, and he sometimes calls me with watches that his customers need help with. This one the husband tried to change the battery in his wife's watch at home, and let's just say it went all wrong.

I agreed to take a look, so they came by and dropped the watch off. I was handed the case, bracelet, and case back, and then an envelope...



Between the two post it notes were the "small pieces" he recovered...



Husband told me that when he tried to change the battery, he pried the battery out of the movement (hint!) and then when he turned the watch over, the hands had "fallen" off. So most likely he pried on the movement hard enough to separate it from the dial, and the dial stripped off the hands.

He then said he was trying to refit the stem, and it all suddenly went "sproing" and bits flew everywhere...not sure all the parts are there yet, so I might just get a new movement and get this done. If in doubt, take it to someone who does this for a living.

Is that a Ronda 705 in a watch that retails for over $2K?

 

[JimInOz]

galaxytime

Is that a Ronda 705 in a watch that retails for over $2K?

Yes, probably. But it is stamped FENDI, so it's an "in-house" movement.

 

[Pastorbottle]

The fact that they stamped Fendi on doesn’t mean it’s an in house movement…..it means it’s an in shithouse movement!