How to Change a Watch Battery: A Guide for Watch Owners

If you own a watch, witnessing it stop moving on one particular day is an inevitable thing. It’s an inconvenience that every quartz watch owner is familiar with. In order to solve this problem, it’s important to understand how to change a watch battery in the right way.

A watch battery will run out eventually. When it does, it causes a watch to display an inaccurate time. You may change it to the right time manually, but the small and big hands may slow down again and stop moving altogether.

Since the watch battery cannot last forever, you will need to replace it every now and then. A watch battery replacement is a necessary procedure to take care of your precious timepiece. To do it properly, let’s take a look at the six steps that you need to know below.

How to Change a Watch Battery

If you’re a watch enthusiast, replacing a quartz watch battery may be a procedure you’re accustomed to. It’s a routine that should be done every once in a while to keep your watch functional and help you track the time correctly.

Other than the right type of battery replacement, you may need specific tools to ensure the process goes smoothly. Prepare a tweezer, a screwdriver, small knives, or other alternative tools to open the back case. Make sure to wear gloves to avoid damaging the inside of the watch before performing the following steps:

1. Remove the Back Panel

The first step on how to change a watch battery that you should know is identifying the type of back panel correctly. Some of the back panels can be opened by hand, while others require a special tool.

Nowadays, modern watches mostly have snap-off back panels with small indentations that can help you open the cover carefully using a small flathead screwdriver. The way to do it is to press on the indentation and twist to make the cover come apart.

As for the watch secured with screws, you may need a small screwdriver to pry the back panel open. Make sure to use the correct size and shape of a screwdriver to perform this step. The incorrect shape and size of the screwdriver may be ineffective to use and can potentially cause damage.

2. Put the Back Gasket Aside

Knowing how to change a watch battery the right way starts with removing the back case properly. After the back panel, you must put the gasket aside. The gasket usually comes in the form of plastic covering that is on top of the inner machine of the watch itself. You will need to use a tweezer or the edge of a small knife to get rid of the gasket.

3. Replace the Old Watch Battery

If you can see the inside of the watch, you need to locate the battery that needs a replacement. Remember which side faces upward. That way, you can insert the new battery correctly. Use the tweezer to carefully pull the battery out of the watch case if you see the plastic clips holding it in place.

Read also: Automatic Watch Accuracy: How Accurate Should It Be? 

4. Put In the New Battery

Once the old battery is out, you can prepare to insert the new battery. However, make sure to wipe off the connection points lightly with a q-tip or a small cloth. After that, you can put in the new battery in the same position as the old one.

If you have trouble placing it by hand, you can use tweezers to do it. Once the new battery is put in place, you can reset any holders to make sure that the battery is held securely.

5. See If It Works

Before putting back the case, you should check if the battery is working. Make sure to flip the watch carefully and see if the hands are moving. If the hands are not moving, you can check the battery placement.

When it still fails to work even after a few adjustments, it means you have a damaged battery or other faults in the inner workings of the watch. However, if the hands start moving after a careful adjustment, you can proceed to put the watch case back on.

6. Reassemble the Watch

Putting the watch back requires you to repeat the first two steps in reverse. First, you need to reinsert the back gasket in place using a small tool to press it down gently. Second, you need to reattach the back panel using a hand or a specific tool if necessary.

Once you understand and implement how to change a battery watch properly, you can have your watch fully functional again in no time. If you find several problems along the way or maybe feel not confident enough to perform the procedure to begin with, you can always bring your watch to an expert instead.

An expert here can be the manufacturer itself or the licensed watch repairer. The procedure can be done more safely in the hands of professionals who understand how to change a battery watch properly. So, you won’t have to worry if you cannot do the task by yourself.

Closing

Knowing how to change the battery on a watch can quickly bring your watch back to full functionality in no time. However, you need steady hands and carefully practiced movements to ensure the new battery is in place. If you’re not confident in your skills yet, you can always get the help of an expert to get the job done.

Typically, a watch battery can last for 3 to 4 years on average. However, a replacement battery can only last for about one to two years. That’s why owning a quartz watch should come with proper battery maintenance. Only then will you have a fully-functioning timepiece to rely on every time of the year.

Read also: Quartz vs Automatic Watches: Which One to Choose?