Many of us rely on wristwatches to tell us what the time currently is. These useful little gadgets have been used by people for centuries and can be bought with all sorts of different features built into them.
For example, some watches can also tell you the current date, some have LCD displays (like the watches from the 1980s), and a few watches even have a built-in compass which is great if you spend a large amount of your time outdoors and want to ensure that you are literally heading in the right direction whenever you go trekking!
For the most part, watches need very little in the way of maintenance and repair as they have been designed to work for long periods of time without issue. Indeed, even the more-expensive wristwatches that you can buy can last for decades without fault! But what can we do if our watches start to develop problems?
Wristwatch retailers typically offer great quality watch repairs to help restore the quality of your watch, and so we would just end up taking our watches to such establishments for repair, but with the global economy taking a bite out of many people’s incomes a lot of folks would prefer to have a go at repairing their watches themselves.
If your wristwatch has seen better days, but you are confident that you could perform a DIY repair on it without breaking it, this handy how-to guide will tell you all you need to know. Just bear in mind that watches are fragile instruments, often containing hundreds, if not thousands, of delicate little pieces inside!
Make sure you have the right tools at your disposal
In order to be able to successfully complete your DIY watch repairs, it is imperative that you have the right wristwatch repair tools at your disposal:
- A set of essential tools that anyone attempting to fix watches needs to own is a set of professional watchmakers screwdrivers. Wristwatches often contain tiny screws which can often be damaged if trying to remove using ordinary screwdrivers or knives;
- Some trays or even dinner plates handy to put the small and often delicate watch components in;
- A magnifying glass, such as a loupe. These types of magnifying glass are worn over your eye, leaving your hands free to do the work.
Batteries
One of the most-common problems with wristwatches is that the batteries die after a while. If this has happened to your wristwatch, you will need to unscrew the back cover of your watch to replace your battery with another of the same type. Batteries can be obtained quite cheaply online.
Watch bands
Another common issue is that leather or plastic watch bands can become worn over time and need replacement. This is probably the easiest repair you could do, because the watch band is simply held in place with retractable pins and does not require you to open up the watch itself.
Buttons
Digital watch buttons can sometimes get stuck if dirt somehow gets jammed between the button and the watch internally. If this happens, you will need to carefully remove the face of the watch. Be aware, though, that you might need to order in a replacement button (or set of buttons) for your particular watch.
Image Source (Credit: Robbie Sproule).
