Watch Maintenance
This page describes watch maintenance you can do yourself.
Summary
Maintenance and repair of a watch mechanism is a highly skilled business, but there are simple tasks such as changing the battery, replacing watch straps and removing links from a bracelet that you can underake yourself. Even replacing a broken watch glass may be feasible.
Safety
- The button cells used in watches can be fatal within a few hours if swallowed. Always keep them well away from children.
Replacing watch batteries
A separate page covers replacing watch batteries.
Replacing watch straps
(To be completed.)
Removing bracelet links
(To be completed.)
Replacing watch glasses
A watch with a broken, cracked or scratched glass can be repaired. At a jeweller's this might be quite expensive but you may find that you can do it yourself for less, including the cost of a special tool and replacement glass. Search online for detailed instructions.
If the glass is still intact, a grabber will allow you to remove the damaged glass and also to compress the replacement glass in order to fit it into the watch shell, in which it should be a very tight fit. Sets are available containing a wide range of replacement watch glasses, though only circular. Other shapes will probably only be available from the watch manufacturer, if at all.