Do Watch Companies Purposely Make Batteries Hard to Replace?

[TromboneAl]

Just replaced the battery on my Timex Move 50+. Man that was hard.

I know it could be designed to be easier to replace the battery. I'll bet you could make it so that you just unscrew the back plate and and slide the new battery into a slot.

The difficulty started with the fact that you can't remove the back plate without removing one of the straps for the band.

Then there was a tiny screw that had to be removed to remove a tiny metal holder.

I can't imagine a reason they'd make it so hard. Pressure from the watch repair union??

 

[Newventurer]

No kidding, my wife had a designer watch that I had to buy one of these things to get the back off:

https://www.ebay.com/i/332058316008...2%26rvr_ts%3Df5242f481630aa4324c32c96fff9e94a

 

[bUU]

I suspect what you're noting is a reflection of the relative prioritization of aspects of the design as per how they affect purchasing decisions. I suspect appearance and price of the watch rank a lot higher than battery replacement.

 

[Dash man]

They make it hard enough to make you want to buy a new one.

 

[Red Badger]

I take my small stuff to Batteries Plus; they do battery swap for free with battery purchase.

 

[Sunset]

My cheap $15 on sale Casio watch has a 10 year battery in it. (the red writing at top of display).

 

[easysurfer]

A few years back, I got sick of changing batteries (even had a solar watch with a dead battery) so got a watch that doesn't even use batteries .

 

[harley]

What's a watch?

 

[Chuckanut]

What's a watch?

You may know it by the modern name: Clock bracelet.

 

[harley]

Oh, that single use app for people that don't have phones?

 

[Aerides]

How to replace a watch battery in 4 simple steps:

Go to the jewelry repair kiosk thingy in the mall
Give them your watch and idk like $20
Go buy something else shiny and do a lap or two
Get your watch and go home

 

[braumeister]

How to replace a watch battery in 4 simple steps:

Go to the jewelry repair kiosk thingy in the mall
Give them your watch and idk like $20
Go buy something else shiny and do a lap or two
Get your watch and go home

That is a most excellent method, and I've used it many times.

But in the last ten years or so, I've gone to the nearby Batteries Plus store (I think they're called Batteries & Bulbs now). I don't think I've ever paid more than about $10 to have them do it. The hard part was standing there waiting for five minutes and making small talk while the guy changed the battery. No way would I ever try it myself unless it was utterly obvious how to do it.

 

[Bestwifeever]

DH has an Omega watch that his megacorp gave him about fifteen years ago. The battery is "supposed" to be changed only at an approved jewelry store. We stopped in, gave them some $$, and got complimentary beverages and snacks while we waited. He never wears it.

 

[NW-Bound]

If people throw away an expensive smartphone or laptop every few years, how do we expect them to change the battery in an inexpensive watch?

Everything is disposable nowaways. And that applies to more than just stuff; relationship, friendship, marriage... Everything has a short life. Out with the old. In with the new.

 

[RAE]

My cheap $15 on sale Casio watch has a 10 year battery in it. (the red writing at top of display).

Yep, I also buy cheap Casio watches from time to time. At $15 per watch, even if the only battery lasts 5 years, I'm satisfied.

 

[Breedlove]

If you have a Timex store close , like we do at Fairfield mall they will change the battery for free , if you buy a new one from them .


If you hit the Timex store right you can buy the digital watches for 9.99

 

[Sunset]

Yep, I also buy cheap Casio watches from time to time. At $15 per watch, even if the only battery lasts 5 years, I'm satisfied.

Yeah, and the great thing is I can go swimming with my watch, not many phone users do that

 

[Dash man]

My watch is battery free. One of those antique wind up things.

 

[kcowan]

I have spare watches, so when one dies, I put in in my Mexico case. When I get there, the guy is on the bridge near home and he charges 100 pesos. ($5)

DW did buy a watch from another guy and he replaces the battery for free for life.

 

[athena53]

DH has an Omega watch that his megacorp gave him about fifteen years ago. The battery is "supposed" to be changed only at an approved jewelry store. We stopped in, gave them some $$, and got complimentary beverages and snacks while we waited. He never wears it.

I worked for a company that gave you a Rolex after 10 years. I didn't make it that long but then I had my own Rolex when I started there! I found out the hard way that even though a Rolex is "water-resistant", if you swim regularly while wearing it and don't have it overhauled every couple of years, the seals will break down, the works will get waterlogged and it will cost a darned fortune to replace them. I warned my coworkers!

My last overhaul as a couple of years ago and I authorized "up to $950" worth of work. Magically, they managed to find $950 worth of work to do, then hit me up for another $100 shipping and handling.

I don't like disposable, either, but longer-lasting goods have their price!

 

[kaneohe]

My cheap $15 on sale Casio watch has a 10 year battery in it. (the red writing at top of display).

Thanks for educating me about the existence of the 10 yr battery. What's your experience about whether it actually makes it there. My cheap Casio watches usually last 2 yrs or so before they stop working. Yours is only slightly more in cost but if it actually get 5x the life.................

 

[Bestwifeever]

... I found out the hard way that even though a Rolex is "water-resistant", if you swim regularly while wearing it and don't have it overhauled every couple of years, the seals will break down, the works will get waterlogged and it will cost a darned fortune to replace them. I warned my coworkers!....

I don't swim much but DH does and he is amazed at how his Apple watch tracks it by stroke. So far no problems with it. My friend wore her Rolex watch while swimming with no problems, until she left it in the locker room one day . No one turned it in.

 

[Breedlove]

I don't have any real expensive watches why ?? A couple years ago I played a trick on my VP . He went someplace on a cruise and got a good deal on a Tag Heuer . He wore it to work one day and of course was bragging on it .
I went onto the internet and bought a look alike ( Chinese made ) Tag 45.00 . It took a while but when I got it I wore it to the Tag store . When I was looking at one of the real Tag's I pulled my sleeve back . The lady in the store trying to be knowledgeable
tells me , that is a very nice piece you have ! Never let her know it was a fake.
But I wore my fake Tag to work and everyone of course ( wow you must have got a nice raise ) So I show my VP and he is actually envious , he explains I got the model 2 steps above his and asked if I inherited it or was he paying me to much … I told him it was only 45.00 ….I think that watch lasted 6 mos and quit..

 

[easysurfer]

Not counting watches I have stored away (sentimental value), I only have two watches. One is batteryless, nothing fancy, but what I like and I never have to change the battery since there isn't one. The other is a solar watch made by Pulsar. I hardy ever use. Maybe once in a while. More formal than my retro batteryless.

I've owned 3 other solar watches in the past. On one, the battery died and when trying to take out the battery (yep, difficult to get at), ended up tearing watch apart . Another I gave away as the contrast between the hands and back was very difficult to read. The other, I decided to sell on ebay.

 

[aja8888]

I don't have any real expensive watches why ?? A couple years ago I played a trick on my VP . He went someplace on a cruise and got a good deal on a Tag Heuer . He wore it to work one day and of course was bragging on it .
I went onto the internet and bought a look alike ( Chinese made ) Tag 45.00 . It took a while but when I got it I wore it to the Tag store . When I was looking at one of the real Tag's I pulled my sleeve back . The lady in the store trying to be knowledgeable
tells me , that is a very nice piece you have ! Never let her know it was a fake.
But I wore my fake Tag to work and everyone of course ( wow you must have got a nice raise ) So I show my VP and he is actually envious , he explains I got the model 2 steps above his and asked if I inherited it or was he paying me to much … I told him it was only 45.00 ….I think that watch lasted 6 mos and quit..

A friend of mine collects rare timepieces. He told me that there are Rolex and other top name copies of watches that are so good even the dealers can't tell them from the originals. He said even the packaging, logos, and other documentation is that good. He also said they can be bought for 1/5 (or less) the price of the real thing.

Hey, it's a fashion statement anyway!