X-33 Battery change

Mongooseman · Jul 30, 2018

Archer
Swatch does not offer the service you are asking for. They will only do the job if they do it right, and by that I mean doing all the proper checks associated with swapping a battery. They charge what they do in part because even if they are only changing the battery, they are doing much more than just changing the battery...and I would expect nothing less from a "competent tech" with an Omega parts account.

Cheers, Al

Al, I’ve just been quoted $395 NZD to replace the battery and do a pressure test. Frankly, that’s absolutely ridiculous. A watch even this good shouldn’t cost $200 a year to run.

Foo2rama · Jul 30, 2018

Mongooseman
Al, I’ve just been quoted $395 NZD to replace the battery and do a pressure test. Frankly, that’s absolutely ridiculous. A watch even this good shouldn’t cost $200 a year to run.

Never buy an expensive good car lol. FYI the service should be more then just a battery and pressure test.

Mongooseman · Jul 30, 2018

Foo2rama
Never buy an expensive good car lol. FYI the service should be more then just a battery and pressure test.

No argument here on looking after nice things properly, and I know that a pressure test and ultrasonic clean is done..but $395 is ridiculous given that many people in the US pay the equivalent of less than 25% that amount from an Omega boutique.

Mongooseman · Jul 30, 2018

Foo2rama
Never buy an expensive good car lol. FYI the service should be more then just a battery and pressure test.

I should add that here in NZ we get ripped off for almost everything...so I shouldn’t be that surprised.

Archer · Jul 31, 2018

Mongooseman
Al, I’ve just been quoted $395 NZD to replace the battery and do a pressure test. Frankly, that’s absolutely ridiculous. A watch even this good shouldn’t cost $200 a year to run.

I wake up every day hoping to get a rant specifically directed at me about something I have no control over. Thanks mate - you made my day! 🙄

Please ask the whoever you took your watch to (Nairn's?) to provide a complete breakdown of the work to be done and the parts replaced. Also ask them if this is work they are doing locally, or if the watch is being sent to a larger service center, for example in Australia. Although I've been to NZ I didn't look at the Omega boutique that this service center is part of - appears to be a privately owned establishment rather than an Omega corporate service center.

If they are truly charging you $395 to "replace the battery and pressure test" and nothing else (highly unlikely), you should write to Omega and ask why this is costing so much.

Cheers, Al

tyrantlizardrex · Jul 31, 2018

For a little international pricing context, through a boutique in London, the battery and seals were changed in my 2nd Generation X-33 by Swatch UK in Southampton last year, the invoice was for £95.

larryganz · Jul 31, 2018

tyrantlizardrex
For a little international pricing context, through a boutique in London, the battery and seals were changed in my 2nd Generation X-33 by Swatch UK in Southampton last year, the invoice was for £95.

Yeah, I was quoted $165 for an X-33 Skywalker out of warranty at the Denver OB. But Omega Culver City was willing to do the service at 25 months old for free, because I bought it for my son's graduation 6 weeks early, so he'd only really had it for 23.5 months. They made a one time exception.

It took them 8 weeks though, "waiting on parts", so I suspect they also waited for and replaced the pushers like they did with mine when the battery died 23 months after I bought it. For some reason they even brushed out all of my son's scratches that he'd put on it, so it came back looking new.

I'm pretty sure that the dealers are not pulling out the crown to put the hands to sleep while waiting for someone to buy the watches in stock, and therefore the batteries run out less than 24 months after buying the watches. My son wore his every day, so his crown was not pulled out to make it last longer. I simply forgot with mine. Going to my bedroom to pull out my crown now.

Mongooseman · Jul 31, 2018

Archer
I wake up every day hoping to get a rant specifically directed at me about something I have no control over. Thanks mate - you made my day! 🙄

Please ask the whoever you took your watch to (Nairn's?) to provide a complete breakdown of the work to be done and the parts replaced. Also ask them if this is work they are doing locally, or if the watch is being sent to a larger service center, for example in Australia. Although I've been to NZ I didn't look at the Omega boutique that this service center is part of - appears to be a privately owned establishment rather than an Omega corporate service center.

If they are truly charging you $395 to "replace the battery and pressure test" and nothing else (highly unlikely), you should write to Omega and ask why this is costing so much.

Cheers, Al

Haha sorry about that - I haven’t actually bought the watch yet...I’m trying to establish what this stuff is going to cost along the line if I do. All that mentioned was regrease of the seal ring, ultrasonic clean of the bracelet and the battery change. I’m not sure if they’re sending stuff offshore...but yeah, it was Nairn’s. To be honest, it’s very much put me off choosing this particular piece. While a coaxial service is more expensive, I’ll only need one every 10 years unless I choose otherwise or the watch starts misbehaving. I might do as you suggest and write to Omega, because $395 is well out of bounds for something that anyone with the right screwdrivers and a steady hand should be able to do in about 10 minutes.

Mongooseman · Jul 31, 2018

larryganz
Yeah, I was quoted $165 for an X-33 Skywalker out of warranty at the Denver OB. But Omega Culver City was willing to do the service at 25 months old for free, because I bought it for my son's graduation 6 weeks early, so he'd only really had it for 23.5 months. They made a one time exception.

It took them 8 weeks though, "waiting on parts", so I suspect they also waited for and replaced the pushers like they did with mine when the battery died 23 months after I bought it. For some reason they even brushed out all of my son's scratches that he'd put on it, so it came back looking new.

I'm pretty sure that the dealers are not pulling out the crown to put the hands to sleep while waiting for someone to buy the watches in stock, and therefore the batteries run out less than 24 months after buying the watches. My son wore his every day, so his crown was not pulled out to make it last longer. I simply forgot with mine. Going to my bedroom to pull out my crown now.

Good call. The example I tried on in Auckland last week had the crown in and the staff openly stated they had no idea how the watch was operated. I showed the power save before I left.

Archer · Jul 31, 2018

Mongooseman
All that mentioned was regrease of the seal ring, ultrasonic clean of the bracelet and the battery change.

I might do as you suggest and write to Omega, because $395 is well out of bounds for something that anyone with the right screwdrivers and a steady hand should be able to do in about 10 minutes.

Please read this thread...

https://omegaforums.net/threads/quartz-watches-some-information-some-may-find-interesting.5475/

As I've already said many times in many threads, the prices that are being quoted by official service centers are very unlikely to be something that "anyone with the right screwdrivers and a steady hand should be able to do in about 10 minutes." I posted this link in a previous post in this thread, and stated there that the X-33 tests are much more involved than what I show in that thread for a regular analogue quartz watch.

The perception that changing a battery, as done by a professional watchmaker in a service center setting, is simply opening the case up, removing the old battery, installing a new one, and closing it back up is completely false. Again this is partly the fault of the brands for not explaining what is actually done during a battery service, but I can assure you it's a lot more than what you are suggesting.

If you do write to Omega, I hope that they actually explain this to you, because this ongoing perception is very misleading.

Cheers, Al

Mongooseman · Jul 31, 2018

Archer
Please read this thread...

https://omegaforums.net/threads/quartz-watches-some-information-some-may-find-interesting.5475/

As I've already said many times in many threads, the prices that are being quoted by official service centers are very unlikely to be something that "anyone with the right screwdrivers and a steady hand should be able to do in about 10 minutes." I posted this link in a previous post in this thread, and stated there that the X-33 tests are much more involved than what I show in that thread for a regular analogue quartz watch.

The perception that changing a battery, as done by a professional watchmaker in a service center setting, is simply opening the case up, removing the old battery, installing a new one, and closing it back up is completely false. Again this is partly the fault of the brands for not explaining what is actually done during a battery service, but I can assure you it's a lot more than what you are suggesting.

If you do write to Omega, I hope that they actually explain this to you, because this ongoing perception is very misleading.

Cheers, Al

Hi Al, I don’t mean to disparage the skill that goes into servicing instruments like this...and I’m well aware that there might be other things going on. My issue is more with the fact that ownership of a watch shouldn’t involve spending around 8% of the retail cost every two years to maintain it. It’s just not a reasonable expectation. I’d have no issue paying this much at a longer interval, but shackling the cost of what amounts to quite a bit of servicing to a battery change doesn’t seem entirely fair.

tyrantlizardrex · Jul 31, 2018

Mongooseman
Hi Al, I don’t mean to disparage the skill that goes into servicing instruments like this...and I’m well aware that there might be other things going on. My issue is more with the fact that ownership of a watch shouldn’t involve spending around 8% of the retail cost every two years to maintain it. It’s just not a reasonable expectation. I’d have no issue paying this much at a longer interval, but shackling the cost of what amounts to quite a bit of servicing to a battery change doesn’t seem entirely fair.

Check what they're actually quoting you for.

When both of my X-33s have been in, the OBs have been very confused about what's going on, sent them away to Swatch Group Service Centre in Southampton, and then come back with proper quotes.

A full service (which includes a new movement, crown, pushers, screws, seals, hands, battery) was £380, and took 6 weeks.

A battery change/test/seal was £95, and took two weeks.

If the prices vary hugely from this, I'd be asking questions

Mongooseman · Jul 31, 2018

Suspect they’re quoting me for a service rather than just the battery change. Thanks for this.

Archer · Jul 31, 2018

Mongooseman
Hi Al, I don’t mean to disparage the skill that goes into servicing instruments like this...and I’m well aware that there might be other things going on. My issue is more with the fact that ownership of a watch shouldn’t involve spending around 8% of the retail cost every two years to maintain it. It’s just not a reasonable expectation. I’d have no issue paying this much at a longer interval, but shackling the cost of what amounts to quite a bit of servicing to a battery change doesn’t seem entirely fair.

To use an analogy you might relate to better, you are comparing flying a passenger plane to driving a city bus...and expecting the fare to be the same.

Mongooseman · Jul 31, 2018

Archer
To use an analogy you might relate to better, you are comparing flying a passenger plane to driving a city bus...and expecting the fare to be the same.

If you ever saw just how hard parts of a GR4 can be hit with a mallet you might revise that statement haha

stockae92 · Jul 31, 2018

Texasjohn
Like buying a Ferrari and then changing your own oil

You need to see this. Its painful to watch them do the oil change "as they try to figure it out". I bet what they didn't show all the extra parts and screws left over AFTER they thought they put everything back together. LOL

auxpomme · Jul 31, 2018

Omega does the battery swap free if you’re an astronaut.

stockae92 · Jul 31, 2018

I am also one of "those people" that do DIY battery change on X-33, not just once, not just Omega. I also did battery change on Breitling Aerospace(s), and countless Casio, Timex, Seiko, Citizen, you name it, more than I can remember. (I haven't done it yet, but guess what's gonna happen when my Z-33 needs a new battery. 😁 I actually have not seen any internet post regarding a DIY Z-33 battery change)

I agree with what Al said 100%. It is not than just pop the battery in and out if we send a X-33 to Omega for Battery Change service. Al knows what he is talking about and he does good work, and he is coming from a watch maker point of view. And there is value to having the watch serviced by Omega, or by factory trained watch maker that knows what they are doing.

When I do my DIY battery change, I am taking full responsibility that if I screw up, then I would need to pay for the full freight to fix it. If you can't accept that, or you just don't want to risk that, by all means let the people who know what they are doing do the job and do it right.

Do I know what I am doing and know what I am talking about? Yes, I believe so.But only up to the point of putting the watch in "service mode", carefully removing screws / casekback, pop battery in and out, not to touch anything with my bare finger, not to lose any contact springs, clean the gasket and the surrounding if needed, lightly lube caseback gasket, make sure it sits correctly before closing up, check functionality of the watch.

But I would have no clue if the movement is consuming more current than it should so the battery would only last 22 months rather than 24 months. I would have no clue if the movement is running out of SQ spec. Those are the risk that I am running with.

I would totally trust my own work more so than a random mall "watch maker" to replace battery. But I know I am not a factory trained watch maker doing a factory level service on the watch. Having said that, I also have to say, "This is not my first time". And I would not pass my work as "just as good as" factory service. Not even close.

My point is that I see nothing wrong with sending the watch in to Omega for a battery change, you got guarantee that the job would be done right and the watch will be running in factory spec. And I also see nothing wrong with doing a DIY battery change, of which I can keep the watch running for $3, got to "work on my own watch", and most "dangerous mission" the watch would ever see is timing what's cooking in oven. 😀

Again, I support having watch serviced by trained watch maker, back to factory spec. But I also like to "mess with my own toy". And pressure test all watches before you can trust their water-proof-ness, assume its otherwise unless its proven with pressure test.

Omega X-33, 2nd gen, non-SQ movement.

Do I have problem with how much Omega is charging for a battery change service? Yes and no. If I am totally fine with their pricing, I would have sent the watch in every time. But you get what you pay for, lets not forget that.

BTW, Breitling charges $600 (or more?) for battery change on Aerospace Emergency with a service interval of 2-3 years. It contains a total of 3 batteries (so $10 for the batteries?). But if I am a pilot, and this "device" may save my life one day, I would totally pay Breitling the money to have it serviced and everything proven and tested. That's just the "price for admission".

tyrantlizardrex · Aug 1, 2018

auxpomme
Omega does the battery swap free if you’re an astronaut.

Reference for this?

Archer · Aug 1, 2018

stockae92
Do I know what I am doing and know what I am talking about? Yes, I believe so.But only up to the point of putting the watch in "service mode", carefully removing screws / casekback, pop battery in and out, not to touch anything with my bare finger, not to lose any contact springs, clean the gasket and the surrounding if needed, lightly lube caseback gasket, make sure it sits correctly before closing up, check functionality of the watch.

Looks like you are doing the work well - I'm pleased to see that there is no debris surrounding the case opening - this is something the DIY and mall kiosk kids often forget, leading to debris entering the case and eventually the movement.

stockae92
But you get what you pay for, lets not forget that.

Because people often don't understand what goes on during a service, it's a black box to them. They don't know what's involved in doing a proper job, so the pricing they get doesn't seem to reflect the work being done. The posts made in this thread by some are evidence of that.

Trust me I know this feeling well - before I became a watchmaker I sent my Rolex in to have it serviced via a local AD. As an engineer I was hoping to get back some sort of report with what they found, what parts were replaced, and how the watch was performing after the service. Instead what I got was an invoice that said "service Rolex model so and so" and a one line price. It was a complete disappointment, and when I decided to become a full time watchmaker, I didn't want my customers to have the same experience I had, which is why I document the service with photos and descriptions - these documents can run to 100 pages long in some cases (depending on the complexity of the watch and the repairs) with most pages having 2 photos one each page, so there's a lot to see.

This is all done to educate people on what really happens during a service, and I try to do the same here so people can understand what is being done right, and where shortcuts are happening.

If you want to comparison shop for apples, don't go looking at the watermelons for pricing...

Cheers, Al

X-33 Battery change

Mongooseman

Foo2rama

Mongooseman

Mongooseman

Archer

tyrantlizardrex

larryganz

Mongooseman

Mongooseman

Archer

Mongooseman

tyrantlizardrex

Mongooseman

Archer

Mongooseman

stockae92

auxpomme

stockae92

tyrantlizardrex

Archer

Similar threads

Tag Heuer Aquaracer battery change

Omega X-33 Dust Cover

X-33 Black Skywalker on Titanium Nato

Gen 1 X-33 Owners

Quartz battery change at home...

Weird X-33 behavior