Changing waterproof watch battery

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surfisup1000

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#177564 6-Aug-2015 22:26

My kid has a cheap waterproof watch.

Battery died, took it by a watch retailer and asked to change the battery -- they came down really hard that the watch will not be waterproof unless it is pressure tested.

I've changed batteries on my waterproof watches by myself for many years without issue, but the saleslady in the watch shop said that it was not possible. The way she was talking was that pressure testing itself somehow endows the watch with waterproofing. But it is just a test right?

Each time I changed batteries on waterproof watches, there is a little rubber gasket and you just have to be really careful that it is correctly aligned with the groove, and I sometimes put a little bit of silicon grease on it too.

Anyway, I didn't buy the battery from them. I think she was more interested in selling expensive pressure testing.

I get that if it was a really expensive watch and extensively used in the water then it might be a good idea, but good grief, the pressure test costs more than the watch.

richms

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#1360327 6-Aug-2015 22:28

Its required to keep the warranty on watches and thats it as far as I remember. As I dont have anything in warranty anymore, I just do it myself. Also nothing expensive enough that I would care if it died, mainly $60ish novelty stuff.

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vexxxboy

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#1360329 6-Aug-2015 22:49

i was told the same thing when i took my watch in to change the battery , i just took it to another jeweler. its a professional divers watch and its now 20 years old and i have never had it pressure tested or seals changed and i never take it off unless it is to change the battery and its fine. Just change the battery.

Common sense is not as common as you think.

surfisup1000

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#1360336 6-Aug-2015 23:08

vexxxboy: i was told the same thing when i took my watch in to change the battery , i just took it to another jeweler. its a professional divers watch and its now 20 years old and i have never had it pressure tested or seals changed and i never take it off unless it is to change the battery and its fine. Just change the battery.

I told her just to change it but she couldn't get the back off ha ha.

Probably for the best, i'll just do it myself i think i'll take more care than her with the seals.

mattwnz

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#1360337 6-Aug-2015 23:13

Guess it is a reason not to buy a really expensive battery powered watch. Mine is solar powered so I don't have to worry for a long time about changing the battery. But when I did have a watch that needed a regaulr battery, I just changed it myself. When I did get a watch repairer to do it, they said it wouldn't be waterproof unless it was pressure tested, but I don't wear mine in water anyway. If I was I would buy a cheaper digital one, perhaps solar powered.

Geektastic

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#1360338 6-Aug-2015 23:16

It really depends on how important the waterproof aspect of the case is to you.

Pressure testing is a check to ensure that the seals are not leaking. Some manufacturers (such as Breitling) replace all the case seals when they change the battery. Rolex replace the case seals when they service mechanical watches (should be every 3-5 years).

If you don't care whether the watch gets a leak because it was cheap and you will just buy another, I would not bother. If it is important, or the watch was expensive, then yes, do it.

surfisup1000

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#1360347 6-Aug-2015 23:52

mattwnz: they said it wouldn't be waterproof unless it was pressure tested,

This is exactly what they said to me -- like 'testing' somehow makes the watch waterproof. I asked her to explain but she just repeated it.

More appropriate language would be 'we can't guarantee waterproofness without pressure testing'. But, she was really careful not to put it this way.

Jase2985

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#1360408 7-Aug-2015 05:59

if you are only using it in the shower or in a pool then it shouldn't need pressure testing, if you plan on scuba diving or something like that with it to depth then have it pressure tested.

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geoffwnz

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#1361922 10-Aug-2015 10:25

I wear a G-Shock solar for the main reason that the battery lasts longer than a normal one. Previous experiences of battery replacement have left them no longer waterproof despite the famed and magical pressure test. So now, rather than replacing it every couple of years the solar one seems to last around 10 years then I just replace the whole thing.

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Dratsab

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#1361943 10-Aug-2015 10:37

I had a G-Shock for about 12 years. It never went in anything more than about 3 metres of water. It had a few battery changes, accompanied by the pressure test spiel every time. I think it was on the second change I said to the chap I didn't care about water resistance (nothing is "proof") and he went ahead and just changed the battery. Never had any problems with it afterwards.

Handsomedan

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#1361958 10-Aug-2015 10:49

I've had a couple of watch batteries changed (one at a fairly pricey Swiss watch specialist) recently. The one at the Swiss place, said that it was a good idea to have it pressure tested if i wanted to be assured of it's water resistance, but it wasn't necessary if i wanted to chance it or was going to take it off before swimming.

The only one I would get pressure tested these days is my G-Shock watch as it's clearly designed to be underwater and I don't take it off when I swim.

In saying that, if I had a Rolex Submariner or similar, I'd get that pressure tested as a matter of course.

My kids watches I have changed the batteries myself.

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webwat

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#1363273 11-Aug-2015 22:37

Jase2985: if you are only using it in the shower or in a pool then it shouldn't need pressure testing, if you plan on scuba diving or something like that with it to depth then have it pressure tested.

I once got mine pressure tested but they forgot to reset a little button before closed the lid, so had to take iit back and open it again. Small shop on that small 1-way street behind Queen St. The seal was getting perished and he forgot to pressure test it the second time — leaked in a spa pool the next day! couple of the date digits never displayed properly ever again. Got a cheaper G-Shock this time.

Time to find a new industry!

richms

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#1363288 11-Aug-2015 23:05

There are so many jewellers in that area that you havent really narrowed it down much ;)

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Jase2985

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#1363339 12-Aug-2015 05:59

webwat:
Jase2985: if you are only using it in the shower or in a pool then it shouldn't need pressure testing, if you plan on scuba diving or something like that with it to depth then have it pressure tested.

I once got mine pressure tested but they forgot to reset a little button before closed the lid, so had to take iit back and open it again. Small shop on that small 1-way street behind Queen St. The seal was getting perished and he forgot to pressure test it the second time — leaked in a spa pool the next day! couple of the date digits never displayed properly ever again. Got a cheaper G-Shock this time.

but is that down to the seal being perished or the lack of a pressure test?

andrew027

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#1363390 12-Aug-2015 08:14

but is that down to the seal being perished or the lack of a pressure test?

The leak would be due to the perished seal. Finding out about it in the spa pool would be due to not having the pressure test. Pressure testing doesn't make the watch waterproof, it just means you know whether it's going to be waterproof before you go swimming.

I have a number of watches - I can't help it, I just like 'em! One of them is a classic Seiko diver's watch I bought when I learned to dive in 1985 and, although I don't dive these days (I do still snorkel a bit) I always get this watch pressure tested when I have the battery changed as this is the one I'll be wearing if I know it's going to be subjected to anything more than being rained on. For any other watch, I don't bother.