How Wto Change Battery on Easy Reader Watch

I will make you understand how to change the battery on a Watch, in a simple and clear way, using pictures that may help you, pointing out details to watch out for and when it is better to seek help, or have a professional do it.
Sometimes it is very simple, but in other cases I'm sure you'll think: it is quicker to ask a professional if the cost is contained.

I have included several pictures to simplify matters, of course these are instructions and suggestions that we can give you, as they are the result of great experience and providing Technical Assistance in the watchmaking industry.

We however take No responsibility for any kind of Mistake, Damage or Contingency that may occur to you while making technical interventions on Watches.

The main openings of the watches usually happen in the back, called: Back Case, below I will list in order of importance and popularity:

• Pressure Back Case.
• Screw Back Case.
• Back Case, closed with Screws.
• Back case, with pressure stopper or screw, dedicated for the battery.

Basic Kit to replace a battery.

Here on the side I have added a picture of what a basic KIT could be with the minimum tools needed to carry out the Battery Replacement in the most "common" watches. Obviously professionals have a Greater and more specialized range of tools, sometimes with Very high costs.

• Swiss knife.
• Metal Coin.
• 2, 3, slotted Screwdrivers and 2, 3, Cross-head Screwdrivers.
• Rubber Ball (specific to open Screw Back Cases).
• Soft cloth.

Watch with pressure Back Case

It is certainly the most widespread among ordinary watches, the opening of this Back Case is carried out by using a sharp instrument like a watchmaker's knife (pointy blade and not very sharp), that must be placed in the notch dedicated to opening (as in the picture marked in Green); in most cases professionals use watchmaker's knives to open most watches with a pressure Back Case (it looks a lot like the Swiss knives as shown in the picture). It is no coincidence that I specified "not very sharp", the main thing that you should be careful about is not to slip risking injuring your hand or scratching the watch. In very cheap products, generally one does not encounter major problems and obstacles, often the Back Cases are not large or well-sealed, therefore easily removable.
The second thing to watch out for: opening the Back Case, avoid slipping inside the watch with the tool that one is using, as, often there are exposed components and easily damaged, the watch should be kept as "flat" as possible, there are some mechanisms that may have Very small components, simply lying or slightly wedged (frequently found in digital, analogue/digital, and multifunction analogue watches), so if you tip or incline the watch too much they could slip out and get lost.
You will think…, that's all!?
No, the "fun" comes now, I make you aware that medium-priced watches and above, the battery replacement might become not-slightly more complicated, sometimes one can find larger and more resistant structures where opening the Back Case requires a certain technique and strength, but the worst is when the watch does not feature a well-marked slot for opening (as in the Picture), but this is very small and not handy or located in parts that are hardly visible (e.g. hidden by the joining of the strap or bracelet); in such cases one is almost always forced to remove the strap or bracelet (the operation is not always quick).

Once open, you can find different types of location or fixing of the battery (1, 2, 3, 4, ...), as shown in the pictures, some calibres feature low or very low difficulty (1), it will be enough to have only a few small precautions, some of medium difficulty (2, 3), in which you will have to release the Battery by Slightly moving the "L" lever (Orange circle), slip in the New Battery, inserting first one side (rectangular area in Green), hold the "L" lever slightly away and simultaneously gently press down the Battery until the "L" lever is positioned Over the edge of the Battery itself, acting as a block.

Other calibres require the disassembly of "bridges" or plaques, films, etc. (e.g. Picture 4), cases that are sometimes "delicate" even for professionals; in these cases it is difficult to give precise instructions (there are Many variables, even if they are rare); I suggest you check if it is one of the first 2 cases or similar, otherwise I suggest you turn to a Professional.

Replace the battery using a good quality brand (those very cheap feature problems such as chemical leakage in the long run or if poorly stored). Pay attention to the calibre or numbering of the battery, important that it is the same in regards to size, some cheap batteries have "unknown" writing or none at all, in these cases one needs to measure carefully with a decimal calibre, Diameter and total Height; I will include for convenience an explanatory chart with the 2 most used scales worldwide and their related measures: Table of Batteries .

Once the battery has been placed, close the Back Case, being careful Not to damage anything, following these guidelines:

• Check that the Back Case has or does Not have recesses/flushes for the watch adjustment shaft.
• Check Carefully the type and shape of Glass/Crystal mounted on your watch, if perfectly flat and has no obvious scratches, cracks, or other damage, you can safely lean on a flat and well-protected surface (e.g. sheet of paper folded in two layers, a light cardboard or something like that); if the Glass/Crystal is even just slightly curved or features odd shapes or other, the operation must be made exclusively in your hand paying Lots of attention Not to put any pressure on the Glass/Crystal, as the closing will be much more difficult.
• Carefully centre the Back Case with respect to the Case, trying to keep it Straight and exercise with your thumbs a uniformly-distributed pressure, if all goes well, you should hear a faint click, when it slips into its seat.
• Check visually that the Back Case is lying uniformly and closed.
• Important, if your watch is Water Resistant (Waterproof), it is advisable to bring it to a professional fully equipped to do aWater Resistant test to check that it still is.

Now you can proceed to adjust Time, Date and/or other; should you need help you can read:How to set a Watch.

We have talked about generic explanations on battery replacement, following we will explain better only the technical differences in opening among the various types of Back Cases, but first I will illustrate an "Emblematic Case", this is a perfect example that will be useful for this and Many other Articles and cases.

Watch from the Emblematic Case.

In this picture you will see an Ideal case that will work perfectly as an Emblematic example, on how a Watch, in "Apparent" Good condition of use and wear, actually features a series of problems:

• Dirt infiltrations in the Case and Movement mechanism.
• Signs of oxidation in some parts of the Movement mechanism.
• Signs of Rust on the thread of the locking Screws (Orange circle).
• Battery contact smeared with "Acid" (Red circle), probably leaked from the Old Battery or Battery of Poor quality.
• Poor conditions that will surely require a general repair of the Movement mechanism: Obvious, but Unexpected.

Watch with Screw-sealed Back Case

This appears to be the 2nd for popularity and among my favourites, as it gives fewer contingences (at times), and has a better seal against water and dust.
Most have a set of standard notches on the bottom (Green circles), which allow via an adjustable "key", the insertion to apply leverage and open the Back Case of the watch; in these cases the most widespread contingency is… wear and dirt (see emblematic case).

I will explain better: it happens sometimes that dirt has slipped in, settled and solidified, acting as a "sealing" agent, this may require greater strength to open the Screw-sealed Back Case.

With the word wear one actually means are possible gaskets (o-rings) that may have hardened or deformed, creating adhesions, these too require greater strength in opening.
Some cases, now rare, feature problems in the shape and depth of the grooves (Red circles), which turn out to be small and shallow (especially in cheap watches), thus giving us a greater chance of slipping with the opening "key". In closing, you must be careful to screw the Back Case, Flat, gently accompanying the first turn; pay attention to the direction of the thread, then at the end screw it tight.

Particular and more specific cases, require special customized "keys", some important Swiss Brands, have created special grooves, with particular slots, thus one is forced to use those specific keys. You may find "universal" opening keys, through simple friction can help you open and/or close them (Rubber Ball in the basic Kit), it works well, but if the Back Case turns out to be hard, this system will not be enough; you will therefore have to contact a professional with specific equipment.

Watch with Back Case, closed with Screws

They could be the easiest, for an unskilled user, as one can unscrew the screws with a suitable screwdriver and it's done!It could all go smoothly without a single problem.

In the picture you can see a typical example of Screws: slotted Screw (1), "Good-quality" Cross-head Screw (2), "Low-quality" Cross-head Screw (3). Even here there are things to consider to avoid causing damage, sometimes irreparable!. First thing, Very important, you need to use a quality screwdriver, of the right size and shape.

• Screwdrivers built with cheap and shoddy material, ruin easily and consequently you risk ruining even the screws of the Back Case.
• Screwdrivers of the right pitch/shape or there is not the right grip and you might ruin the screws' "head".
• Having a Good/Optimal "grip" avoids slipping, the moment the screws' "heads" start ruining it will become increasingly difficult to open them, I guarantee that very often the material used to build Watchmaking screws is not as hard as many might think.

IUnforeseen events that may occur (more often than one would think):

• Dirt which blocks the screws (sealing effect).
• Screws partly or completely rusty (it happens inside thread and it is not always visible, see Emblematic  case).
• Too-soft Metal used to produce the Screws (the "heads" are easily ruined), or Plastic cases in which it is easier to damage the thread.

Among all problems rust, risks being the worst, because it can permanently block the screw, Not unblocking even with specific products, as they Cannot penetrate.
Possible solutions? Sometimes there are (but they may be complex), they require a trained and well-equipped professional, the only explanation would require an Article of itself.

Watch with Back case, with pressure stopper or screw, dedicated for the battery

It is the easiest for the unskilled user. This kind, is found in the uber-widespread watches by the brand Swatch, but not only; all one needs to do is use a coin of adequate size, apply ¼ of a turn and it will open (almost always), while in the rare cases that the cap is of the pressure variety, one can always use the "Swiss" Knife.
Other sports watches, can have a very similar system, feature a larger cap on the back, in metal or plastic.
Surely many of you will think: how nice, easy!... almost always!.
Unforeseen events, may occur, the causes are always the same: dirt and wear, as explained in the previous cases.

Here I have only 1 suggestion to give, be careful, do Not force open inappropriately, you could ruin the cap slot (especially in the plastic versions), in some cases (extreme), it might be difficult even for a professional.

Two good pieces of news

• You can do this yourself by paying a bit of attention.
• You can rely on professionals, who do Not always have exaggerated rates, offering you a professional service at low risk.

Another thing I highly recommend, if you use your watch in Water carry out aWater Resistant test, I am also attaching a Table for more details: Water Resistant Table.

The case studies listed above are not all, they are about 98% of what you can find on the market, for cases different from those described, I would strongly advise you to consult a professional as, they are probably among the most complex cases.

When you have changed the Battery (or changed by a Professional), you may find my Article useful: How to Set a Watch.

prillandoweent.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.rensiweb.com/en/change-watch-battery.html

Share this post