Prying off a watch back

[DWalt]

Yesterday, my wife's watch stopped, probably because of a dead battery. I tried all sorts of ways to remove the back to change it using small screwdrivers and a knife blade to pry with no success. I have seen what is described as a watch back removal tool which is essentially a short bladed wide knife with a curved sharpened edge.

I was at the Dollar Tree earlier today, and they had several sizes of putty knives and scrapers for a dollar (which appear to be of pretty fair quality, even though Chinese). It suddenly hit me that I could easily modify a putty knife into a watch back removal tool by rounding off a corner and sharpening the edge. Five minutes use of a Dremel tool with grinding wheel did the job. It worked amazingly well, almost like magic. I popped off the back easily on the first try. Below is a picture of my tool if anyone wishes to duplicate it. I can still use it as a putty knife if the need arises. BTW, I sharpened only one side, leaving the other side of the blade flat. The flat side goes toward the watch case.

PS - The watch ran fine with a new battery. I happened to have several batteries of the correct size stored in my refrigerator.

 

[fiasconva]

I don't have any trouble with taking the backs off. I just go to Walmart and let them do it or use one of the kiosks at the mall. Plus, they even knew how to set it for me. The last back I pried off was the screw-off type.

 

[75Vette]

I bought a watch repair kit off fleabay for 19 bucks. I couldn't believe all the doo dahs inside. You could almost open your own watch repair shop with what's in it.

 

[Salty RI]

Yeah if you know what you are doin. No batteries for me I only buy self wind.

Sent from my LGL52VL using Tapatalk

 

[Rustyt1953]

Anything that I can't dismantle, gain access to, or is child-proof, I hand to JR(5).

He's gifted that way.

 

[soFlaNative]

Wish I could keep a watch long enough for the battery to die...

 

[Onomea]

Looks like a handy tool, DWalt. Well done.

For my pocketwatches, which have screw-off backs, I use a rubber tool that gives a firm grip.

I also have a knife blade tool designed to help when one gets the back cross threaded. This hasn’t happened to me yet, as I tend to be pretty careful and take my time.

 

[gjgalligan]

I have always been under the impression storing batteries in the cold is the best way to kill them.

 

[rwsmith]

I got one....

....and fixed my son's seiko. That and a drugstore battery was cheaper that than getting it replaced at a jeweler. They charge an arm and a leg here.

Also, if you have a rubber ball, you can try to unscrew the back by pressing the ball to the back and twisting.

I thought about all watches had a snap-on back, but I learned something new.

 

[Kanewpadle]

Looks like the perfect tool, to slip and cut yourself with.

 

[rwsmith]

More like......

Looks like the perfect tool, to slip and cut yourself with.

More like ripping a patch of your skin off.

 

[amazingflapjack]

I ask my Wife to take it to Wal-Mart for me...Today!!

 

[DWalt]

What I have always used to unscrew a watch back for a battery change is my dial caliper, using the ID prongs with the moveable jaw locked in the proper position. I've never had any problems in doing that, as I have never run into one which had the back screwed down tightly enough to take much force to loosen it. No real danger of cutting myself with my home-made prying tool as there wasn't much force required for back removal. I just slipped the blade into the joint and gave it a slight upward twist.

There is a local jewelry store down the street from me, and they charge $20 for a battery change. They are not on my list of preferred providers. I have no idea whether my local Wal-Mart changes batteries or not but even if they did, I would rather do it myself. If I need a battery, there is a local electronics store that sells button cell batteries for about half the price of the local drugstores. We used to have a nearby Radio Shack that stocked all types of batteries, but their prices were ridiculous. Regarding problems with storage of batteries in my refrigerator, I have done it forever. Never had any issues about that shortening their life. I nearly always check new batteries with my voltmeter before I install them just to make sure they are OK.

 

[Bill Raby]

I have taken the backs off hundreds, probably thousands, of watches. Best tool is a knife with a short, thick, curved blade that is DULL. On a lot of the nicer quartz watches there will two electrical contacts that must be shorted out when you change the batteries. Gucci, Movado, etc are not the nicer watches. A lot of the high end watches have screw off backs that require a special. Rolex is a pain. Some of them have a bunch of tiny screws to take out. Best to replace gaskets at the same time. Gold and platinum watches generally need special tools and a lot of practice. For some reason customers seem to get worked up when you put a big gouge in the back of their $80,000 watch. Go figure. But those are all going to be mechanical and don't need batteries anyway.

 

[BigBoy99]

I have always been under the impression storing batteries in the cold is the best way to kill them.

WRONG! Storing batteries in the cold is the best way to to preserve them.

 

[nachogrande]

PRY???

Tread lightly, prying makes me cringe & evokes images of BUBBA, If you need to force it, something is wrong! The right tool for the right job & all that. BEST advice so far, let WW do it for free.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Since I rarely have the right tiny battery for replacement in small devices, I've outsourced that kind duty to the Batteries+Bulbs franchisee, who always has the battery and skill for the job.

 

[Stevens]

I have changed batteries on several either pry off, unscrew tiny screws, or if the back cover with notches using a pair of needle nose pliers with the points filed to fit the notches. No problems, so far no gouges probably because it wouldn't matter anyway.
Steve W

 

[nachogrande]

OH THE HORROR!

What I have always used to unscrew a watch back for a battery change is my dial caliper, using the ID prongs with the moveable jaw locked in the proper position. I've never had any problems in doing that, as I have never run into one which had the back screwed down tightly enough to take much force to loosen it. No real danger of cutting myself with my home-made prying tool as there wasn't much force required for back removal. I just slipped the blade into the joint and gave it a slight upward twist.

There is a local jewelry store down the street from me, and they charge $20 for a battery change. They are not on my list of preferred providers. I have no idea whether my local Wal-Mart changes batteries or not but even if they did, I would rather do it myself. If I need a battery, there is a local electronics store that sells button cell batteries for about half the price of the local drugstores. We used to have a nearby Radio Shack that stocked all types of batteries, but their prices were ridiculous. Regarding problems with storage of batteries in my refrigerator, I have done it forever. Never had any issues about that shortening their life. I nearly always check new batteries with my voltmeter before I install them just to make sure they are OK.

Risk damaging an instrument designed for precision measurement over something that will be done FOR YOU & normally free??? You could get the battery out with a big hammer too, getting it back together, not so much.

 

[Jeff423]

Here you go:


https://www.esslinger.com/seiko-s-261-easy-snap-case-back-opener/