How to Revive Your Dead Wristwatches

Nearly every family has a box of old wristwatches tucked away in a seldom used dresser drawer. Many were probably gifts from loved ones to celebrate special milestones like birthdays, holidays, graduations, and other special days. Most dead watches are simply quartz movement watches in need of new batteries. Others may have fallen into disuse due to problems with bands. When you look through your box of old watches, you will remember a lot of people and a lot of times in your life. It's a shame that so many watches fall into disrepair. There is no reason that you can't revive many of them.

The first thing you need to do is clear a well lit work area and assemble a few tools and supplies. The following items often prove helpful in reviving old watches: a watch case opener, a magnifying glass, an eyeglass repair kit, a small pocket knife, tweezers, a soft towel, and pen and paper.

Once you've set up a work area, you need to sort through your watches and set aside any purely mechanical watches and especially valuable high end watches. Watch brands like Bell & Ross, Breitling, Philipe Patek, and Tag Heuer should really be maintained by a qualified jeweler. Depending on your tolerance for risk, you may even want to set aside expensive quartz watches from brands like Seiko, Citizens, and Bulova for jewelry store servicing. The remaining watches can be sorted by case type. As you examine each watch, check the condition of each watch and see if it still fits on your wrist. Write down the make and model each watch and note whether the band still fits. If the band doesn't fit, measure the width of the band where it attaches to the watch case. You need the width in millimeters when you buy a new watch band.

Once you have sorted the watches, you'll need different tools to remove the backs from different watches. The backs of some watches can be pried off by sticking a pocket knife or a small screw driver into an indent in the watch back. Other watch backs are threaded to screw into the watch case. These watches generally have indents at intervals around the back. These cases can be opened by adjusting the watch case removal tool to fit indents on opposite sides of the case back and turning the tool counterclockwise. Finally, some watch backs are secured to the watch case with tiny little screws that you may be able to remove using the eye glass repair kit.

With the watch backs removed, use your magnifying glass to read the type of battery in each watch. You may have to hold the watch under a lamp and tilt it until the light reflects just right and you can read the watch battery. To avoid confusion, leave the batteries in your old watches until you are ready to swap them for new batteries. Write down the battery type by your notes for each watch. Then take your battery list and go shopping. You can usually find common watch batteries at department stores and neighborhood drug stores. However, more obscure battery sizes for Seiko, Citizen, Bulovas and other fine watches may have to be purchased from a battery store or via the internet.

Once you've procured batteries, it's time to replace your watch batteries. First, make a mental note of the orientation of your current batteries. Is the text on the battery facing you? Is there any kind of metal clip that covers the top of the battery? Then carefully remove the old battery and replace it with a new one. It may be help to use tweezers, a knife blade, a tooth pick, or an eyeglass repair kit screw driver to pry out the old battery. After replacing the battery, put the back on the watch again. When re-installing the watch back, look to see if there are any notches on the back to allow it to fit over the stem running from the watch crown into the watch body. Make sure that your watch back is secure before you wear your watch or put it back into your watch box.

With just a little effort, I've been able to revive several of my older watches. Thanks to these techniques, I've regained the use of two Lorus wristwatches, two Rumours wristwatches, a Lafayette-brand watch, a modern Gruen wristwatch, a Pulsar analog watch and a Swiss Army watch. Unfortunately, I haven't had as much luck with digital watches. For example, I had trouble getting the battery out of my old Timex Atlantis 100 and the watch wouldn't work consistently. I also have not yet been able to remove the back from my Relic "Wet" Men's Multi-function Watch. I'm also still hunting down batteries for my Bulova and Seiko watches. I may also look for a new waterproof gasket for my old Seiko. However, for most of my watches, making a repair myself is worth the risk. Associated Content has many good articles on how to change a watch battery. If you read all you can, use appropriate tools, and exercise caution, you will be able to repopulate your watch collection with your own watches.

Once you've revived all the watches you can, you can take your remaining watches to a jeweler and have them repaired at low cost. It's nice to overcome watch collecting hassles like dead batteries and ill-fitting watch bands. It's even nicer to have a broad selection of wristwatches that are working and ready when you need them.