Replacement watch battery

teddysmum

Last time I needed a battery in my small gold watch, Goldsmiths wanted a very high fee, as they said they didn't replace batteries in gold watches, in case of damage, so sent them away to be fixed.


Because of this, I went to H Samuel and paid a few pounds for the job to be done in minutes.


Today, I went to H Samuel, only to be told that they do replace watch batteries in the store's workshop, but have to send away gold watches, so the cost is £25 !


The little engraver's shop, where the owner also did watch repairs has closed down, so I'm hoping that an independent jeweller, recommended by a lady I met today, is still operating.

McKneff

£2.50 on our little market stall in our little Market town.

summerlady_2

I too use the market, though my last battery replacement cost £4.

McKneff

And I just want to add they last just as long, if not longer than expensive ones.

Its so long since I replaced mine, it could well be £4 by now......

LABMAN

I replace them in all my wife's and my watches myself. Not that difficult to do really with a bit of care. Fake Rolex I bought in Tenerife 26 years ago is still working!

monty-doggy

Watch batteries are easy to replace. I used to do them on my market stall. If it's a flick off back a craft Stanley knife will suffice. Look at the number on the battery and get one from eBay, Swiss brands like renata are the best. Just be careful when you release the old battery and pop the back on

Suzy99

pick up a cheap batteries on ebay. Tools too. Save £££

teddysmum

My watch is a very small one (1.5cm), so I would not like to fiddle with it, but I have bought Amazon batteries, for other items, at a fraction of supermarket prices.

forgotmyname

Suzy99 wrote: »

pick up a cheap batteries on ebay. Tools too. Save £££

Quite often cheap batteries are cheap junk though.

robatwork

Jewellers will correctly have issues with decent waterproof watches, as they can't guarantee the waterproof seal, and will have to send that away to get resealed. Some will do the battery on the basis that you accept it won't be fully waterproof afterwards.

Always use a decent independent local rather than a big multiple - they are likely to have an in house repairer/watchsmith and could easily do a gold watch battery change. But you do have to pay something to get a skilled person.

Alternatively a lot of towns have a "watch hospital" kind of shop that would also have skilled watchsmiths.

teddysmum

The excuses given by Goldsmiths and now Samuels is that they daren't risk scratching a gold watch, but the local jeweller rang me today (after I had to leave him voicemail) and said the price will be just £3-£5 depending on the battery required, adding that he only very rarely has to send the work away, if the case is difficult to open. (No worries on that score, as I've had a number of replacements before.)