Welcome to my channel dedicated to the art of watch repair. I strive to provide high-quality, informative and entertaining videos that showcase a range of watch repair techniques and tips. While i may not yet be a master technician, i am committed to providing the best possible repairs and advice to my viewers. My videos are designed to be both informative and entertaining, and i hope to inspire and encourage others to try their hand at watch repair as well. My focus is on providing clear and concise tutorials, which can help viewers to understand the intricate workings of their watches and enable them to undertake repairs and maintenance themselves. I cover a range of topics, from simple battery replacements to complex movements, and i am always on the lookout for new and interesting watch-related content to share with my viewers. I appreciate your support and I invite you to subscribe to my channel and join us on this exciting journey of watch repair and exploration.
Good news, bad news... needed to replace the battery and jewelry store wanted $75. This video seemed like easy instructions to remove back cover on my Movado. Followed video and back popped right off. Now the bad news... even with the micro fiber cloth, the little pressure from my palm to the side of the watch caused the adjustment knob to break off the adjustment stem. More expensive fix than the battery. Should just had jeweler replace battery.
I'm sorry, but there are several steps you neither covered, nor thought necessary to relay to the audience. I've changed tens of thousands of batteries over nearly 30 years. Most times the gloves are unnecessary and simply serve to lessen your general dexterity and handling of the parts and tools. But firstly, while this particular watch appears rather clean at the back (maybe you cleaned it ahead of time?), but in MOST cases there is a fair amount up to a LOT of crud buildup around the edge of the case back that needs to be cleaned away before you even begin to open the case. I use a small section of a soft paper towel like "Bounty", and squirt a few times with a spray bottle to moisten it with 91% or 93% denatured alcohol, but NOT soak it. Having no gloves on I can fold the section of paper towel to spread the fluid around between my thumb and first finger, and FEEL that it is just moist and fully absorbed into the towel and just damp. Then use a nail on the middle finger or thumb nail to press a clean section of the moistened paper towel along the case back edge where it meets the case. If there's a lot of crud on the watch, keep going to a clean towel section until you've gotten it as clean as possible. Next I use an old fine toothbrush to go along the caseback edge to get any remaining crud, which is most times already loosened by the previous operation. I then use canned air over a trash bag and spray the back. Sometimes I can STILL see more junk, especially if the case back has a bit of an "overhang", and so then I use the finest watch screwdriver to lightly go along the lip and you'd be surprised how much can still come out! Another spray with canned air and only then do I proceed to open the back. But then here I see you only used TWO of the three prongs provided with that excellent case opening tool. WHY? Using only TWO prongs instead of THREE makes the tool unstable while positioned over the case, and prone to tipping at times just enough for a prong or two to slip out of the notch and dig into the case! While I sometimes HAVE to use that second tool you showed using only two prongs (like on the larger watches like men's "Invicta" watches (the 1st tool is not wide enough at times, or the case has lugs or band sections that get in the way when turning a wider 3-prong tool). But even then, I always use a section of rubber or leather I've made previously in different thicknesses in advance to place UNDER the 2-Prong tool frame and touch the back, to prevent the tool tipping easily, and you will have many less "slips" and scratched case backs and back slots! So OK, you've started the back off, but STOP after 1/2 turn or so and use the toothbrush and canned air AGAIN, as most times there's a fair amount of crud built up that will just fall into the case and movement if you don't remove it now. REMEMBER, a watch you work on today may have had a dozen or more batteries changed before it got to you, and in my vast experience MOST don't do much, if any, cleaning in advance of a battery change! Most of THAT crap is still lurking, and you won't know it until the back is off. So now you cleaned all you can get with just the back started off, and as you turn the back you can usually "feel" when it's ready to come off, but STOP again! Keep light pressure on the back and use the fine toothbrush again, and now switch to one of those hand held rubber bulbs to squeeze and blow out along the case back edge again,...and Finally, TURN the watch OVER so that the case back will drop on a section of paper towel, slide the watch over to a clean section of the paper towel, and then light "tap" the case onto the towel get get any loose crud to fall where it will do no harm! I then lift the case up to my eye and look to see what might be laying on the case where the back overlaps. A LOT of times there is crud on the rubber O'ring, and on the case just outside the O'ring. It's usually adhered there, and I remove it as follows... Take another small piece of paper towel (about 3 or 4 inches) and moisten it lightly as before. Then fold a small section 2x or 3x to stiffen it a bit, and turn the watch sideways so that the case opening faces any wall, and use the stiffer damp towel section to wipe the first part of the crud AT THE BOTTOM of the case area facing the floor! Here, "gravity" is your friend, and while wiping if anything gets away from you the crud goes to the floor and NOT into the watch. Work 1/4 o or 1/5 of the case area at a time, and go to a clean section of the towel each time you wipe another section that is always facing the floor. Now you can be fairly certain you've introduced nothing NEW into the watch case, but there still might be some from previous battery changers and so a few air shots from the hand held air bulb doesn't hurt, and you can then lay the watch on the table to change the battery. Because I don't wear rubber gloves, I use a wider but fairly flat tweezer to handle the battery when installing (that type of tweezer is also great at removing those white movement spacers in many low end watches),... so as not to touch the 2 contact points (+ & -) of the battery. Even that would probably not short it out, but as the batteries are small and don't hold a very large charge anyway, I don't chance it. With the tweezer I use a medium watchmakers screwdriver to seat the battery while I've positioned it in place. Lots of watches use a sliding bar held in place with a screw. On some there is already a slight gap and the bar can be slid back to have the battery pop free, and on others you have to loosen that screw 1/4 turn to move the cross bar, and after the battery change tighten it back up lightly. A last shot of the hand held air bulb and the back is "almost" ready to go back on. Most times there is crud to be cleaned off the back itself, and when that's done put the back on and tighten it back up. Now you're probably thinking, thsi is WAY too much to do, takes lots of time, and it's unnecessary! (Na na, I say! ) It becomes automatic and I can change most batteries in under 10 minutes this way. Pop off backs follow the same pre-cleaning processes too, but with today's tighter water resistant cases and backs, a back press is needed most times to get it back on. Where I work now part time (YEP, in a Mall, unbelievable I know!), most folks are both surprised and impressed we do this kind of work. We don't ask for tips, and there is no tip jar or sign up asking for them either. But what's really cool,... (while not every customer), a fair amount will tip $2 on up to $5, and even $10 occasionally,... JUST because they notice! (We work near a counter where they can watch if they want to) They just aren't used to seeing someone working on their watch caring for it in ways that matter to them and make sense. Some even say they'll be coming back for every battery change, and will TELL their friends where to go too. Some with "collections" come back in later with larger numbers of their huge "Invicta" watches, at times in numbers of 5 to as I recall 15 once! (they LOVE the variety of styles and looks offered, and larger sizes of those watches). And most days don't go by without a few coming in with older quartz watches in small to medium sizes in multiples of 2 to 5 pieces. Recently I changed a battery on a small, thin, and slender tank shaped ladies Seiko LaSalle watch, which I handn't seen in 25 to 30 years or so. It started right up too with a tiny 321 battery, but sure needed to be cleaned up a LOT first! The major Mall Jewelry stores even send their customers to us for both batteries and band adjusts, so it's not unusual to have a really great day of 40 to 50 batteries replaced and 5 to 10 band adjusts! We average the battery replacement costs to just $11.00 + tax, and I just replaced another Tag Heuer battery which would have cost many more times that at a Tag dealership. Nothing changed for me, I handled it just like every other watch,... like I was doing it for myself! The way you build your following and reputation is to show you CARE, and the tips can allow your customers to let you know they appreciate what you do.
Water resistance can be secured by lubing the gasket and inspecting for any damages to it. If it looks good and is properly lubed you wont have any issues. I follow the same principle
When the battery is on the way out on these Seiko Mechaquartz movements does the subdial second hand start to stutter?, this is what's happening to mine now.
You can buoy battery and seal for less then three pounds and fit them yourself or get friend to fit them madness paying over ninty pounds to fit battery and seal
I've been trying to replace the batteries in my Movado Museum watch for a year. I've taken it to professionals and even they can't seem to get it open. One even scratched the back a bit. I've been replacing watch batteries since I was a child and have never had this issue in my entire life. Do I need a specific tool? Because nothing I have used to far has worked and I really don't want to scratch this thing up. I just want to be able to wear my watch!! 😢
Pro Diver model no. 30480- The white case that sits on top of the battery and watch components is not fitting smoothly. It is slightly tilted and now I can't screw on the back of the watch. The battery is inserted correctly. I can't seem to figure out why the white case isn't fitting flush. Any ideas?
pull out the crown like you are about to set the time. Then insert the white case. This should solve the issue. You may have pressed the movement further into the case and that could be causing the issue.
This is why I no longer buy Tissot watches. Placing the backplate is nothing like shown here. It takes a press to close these watches, specially if its the first battery exchange. looks like this watch have been pried open several times. Not true to reality.
I managed to remove the back of mine with the heel of my hand - wash your hands first and dry thoroughly, make sure the back of the watch isn’t greasy - apply downward pressure and turn
@@LincolnshireRailMonkey I appreciate the reply I ended up getting the tool from Amazon and was successful in changing 2 of my watch batteries thank you again
