I have been stalking the watch photo thread for quite sometime, admiring the beautiful watches that you all have. I am only the owner of 2 ok watches at the time. Both sentimental pieces given to me by my wife. 1 as a birthday gift when we dated, and a second as a wedding present. One is a Swiss legend and the other is a Victorinox night vision. Both are quartz movements, and I'm tired of having to send them for battery replacements. I would much rather do it myself as I know the batteries would be fresh..I sent my swiss legend out a year or so ago, and the battery already died again. They are both screw back watches. So any if you watch experts can you give me the better tools needed? I found some from a Swiss company called bergeon. They seem expensive but we'll made. The only other I have found are cheap Chinese junk it seems. So what says the forum?

Hi,

Based on my own experince. If you are burning through batteries that quickly they need to be cleaned and oiled. I know you said it was Quartz but they still have moving parts that need maintenance.

Not cheap but this gentlemen is really good. He cleaned and oiled my 15 year old Tissot and it is now going on 17 years. Prior to that I just had local shops change out the battery. Most any jewelry/watch store will do that for pretty cheap. Maybe stop by a few and see what tool they have for opening the back. Should be able to get one easily (ebay or amazon) once you know the brand.

http://www.qualitywatchrepair.com/

The other place to check for info on this is Watch you Seek
http://www.watchuseek.com/

Their forum is as dangerous as Sig Forum in terms of inspiring spending, thankfully I'm only out the equivalent of ~ 1 P serries in watch purchases.

I hope my post is of some help to you.

-S

I have purchased items from here before:

http://www.ofrei.com/

I'm far from a watch expert but Bergeon's are probably better suited to disassembling a movement.

For changing batteries on screw back watches, I have had good luck using Wiha screwdrivers which I normally use on small electronic gadgets.

I think what the OP is referring to when he says screw back case is the whole case back screws into the case not the case back is attached to the case with multiple screws. I have a few Doxa's that are automatic but I don't take them apart (they come with a Bergeon screw driver). If I were going to buy a tool to take them apart regularly though it would probably be a Bergeon tool because I have read positive things about them on watchuseek. They are spendy.

http://www.ofrei.com/page557.html
Hray

Oh heck, don't buy a fancy tool. These work very well. Sometimes takes a bit to get them off the first time. Clean the back with alcohol first to get good grip. lightly dampened paper towel, don't get it soaked!

http://www.ofrei.com/page1226.html

Where y'at? I don't see a location for you.

There's a small jewelry shop here in the Orlando area -- Longwood, actually -- that will change most watch batteries for a buck. Make that $1.07, with tax. A few oddball batteries are two or three dollars, installed, but the vast majority are one dollar.

They probably do hundreds every week, so they get a lot of practice and they're good at it.

There's a tip jar on the counter for the gals who do the battery changing.

For something like this, I'd rather leave it to the professionals who do thousands of them, rather than buy tools and try to figure it out myself.

I don't let "Tools" work on my watch.

I would suggest you check with the forum 'Watch Whisperer" Dave Truong before you start taking things apart.

http://www.esslinger.com/

RMD

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:
http://www.esslinger.com/

RMD

I have used Esslinger for years. Never a problem.

quote:

Originally posted by M-11:
I would suggest you check with the forum 'Watch Whisperer" Dave Truong before you start taking things apart.

Just don't call Dave a Tool, he's actually a pretty OK guy

Over the past 3 or 4 years I've picked up several basic tools to open case backs and to work on bands and bracelets. I love my Omegas, but the damn pin and tubes used in their links are not an example of good Swiss engineering, IMO.

A few of my tools came from Otto Frei, and others came from Amazon or Ebay. Frei does a good job of describing the intended skill level and frequency of use of their tools. I love nice tools, but some are professional watchmakers tools and priced that way, a quality level I just don't require. The right tool for the job certainly makes a difference, but usually a $10 tool can get it done well for the occasional times I need it, and for a tenth the price of the heirloom precision tool that does the same thing. That said, my heirloom Shooboy hammer hangs out in my watchmaking tool box.