Even in the era of smartphones, many folks still like to wear a watch. Although phones and digital time pieces are just about everywhere, watches still provide a classic look and feel that can’t be found elsewhere. If you interested in home watch repair, know that there are some things that you just won’t be able to do yourself. Jewelers and other professionals (Horologist) are the ones to take your watch to if your gears start faltering or you experience difficulties with the quartz mechanism. On the other hand, if something like your battery goes bad, or you need to install a new strap, you can often take some simple tools and do the job yourself.

Watch Battery Replacement

Depending on the type of back your watch has, you may be able to use a Blade Style Case Opener to pry open the back to see what’s inside. In some cases, you may need to purchase a wrench to open the back of the watch. With the back plate of the watch off, you’ll see a small “silver” circle, likely with a positive terminal sign (+) on its face. This is the battery. These battery types, while common, are sometimes different across watches. On the side of the battery will likely be a battery type number. Use this manufacturer’s number to make sure you buy the correct replacement battery. Do not recycle the battery unless you write down the number. Just having the watch will not tell you what kind of battery it uses.

It is an all too common mistake to walk into the local drug store and purchase a pack of replacement watch batteries, only to find out they don’t fit or provide the wrong voltage. 

Watch Strap Replacement

Straps are another easy home watch repair you can do. Straps on almost all watches are held in with small aluminum pins that thread through the strap and into the body of the watch face. After purchasing a replacement strap, you’ll need a spring bar tool to pop the old pins out of place. The pins are spring loaded and can be pushed together to force the pin out of place. Either using the pins you removed (assuming they’re still usable), thread the pin through the end of the new strap and using the spring bar tool, push the pin back into place behind the watch face. 

As mentioned earlier, any watch repair that goes beyond basic screwdriver work will require a professional. The small moving parts in a watch are fragile and without the right tools and a steady hand, you may ruin your watch. 

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