# Changing A Battery



## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Hello...

I've dug out an old (about 6 years old) Timex "Ironman" 100m sports watch from my drawer which is now obviously dead. It would come in handy for timing my runs when I don't want to wear the heart rate monitor. If I were to change the battery, what's the likelihood of it being damaged by splashes, rain, sweat etc? The seal seems to be in good condition but like all my watches, I'd never intentionally get it wet. Does a watch have to have a reseal each time the back is removed, regardless of age? If so, I'll just write it off as uneconomical.

Thanks in advance,

Regards,

Andrew.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

You should be ok with light splashes I would think, idealy you would change the seal but if its an old watch youve 'found' I say go for it


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

Don't some people - to get a better seal - slightly lube the 'o' ring with a suitable lubricant i.e. a synthetic bike lube or vaseline?

I get my watch batteries for my many digitals from the pound shop. 60 batteries of all kinds for Â£1... bargain!


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

If the back has screws, the seal should be OK when you remove it. Taking a screw back off sometimes distorts the seal, and it gets stretched, and a new seal would be wise. If the seal still fits OK then it shouldn't need to be replaced. Sometimes seals are replaced unnecessarily, and far too often retailers say they always need replacing so as to charge a packet or just play safe. I generally feel that the idea of replacing a seal automatically just because the back has been removed, eg to regulate it, is a load of old twang.

If it looks and still fits OK then 99 times out of a 100 it will be OK.

I 've heard one retailer telling a customer the price for changing the battery would be Â£40!!! My response would have been "colourful"!!


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

Yeah... usually I just make sure it is in correct position...

And clamp down evenly if it's screw back. corner to corner, few turns at a time, corner to corner till it's nipped up.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

9speed said:


> I get my watch batteries for my many digitals from the pound shop. 60 batteries of all kinds for Â£1... bargain!
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Nooooo.....


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## Ironpants (Jul 1, 2005)

9speed said:


> Don't some people - to get a better seal - slightly lube the 'o' ring with a suitable lubricant i.e. a synthetic bike lube or vaseline?


Hi Andrew,

I think watch back and stem seals may be rubber, if so don't use petroleum based grease like vaseline as this will destroy them.

I agree with Jason, just put a new battery in carefully replace case back and seal, with some of the correct grease if you wish, and use the watch. If a new seal is needed they aren't expensive or hard to instal.

If it leaks and dies does it matter to you?









Toby


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

Silver Hawk said:


> 9speed said:
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> > I get my watch batteries for my many digitals from the pound shop.Â 60 batteries of all kinds for Â£1...Â bargain!
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They check out on the meter as ok.. and they last ages. What's the problem? Batteries are cheap commodities. Retailers and brand names like Ever Ready just inflate their true worth.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

9speed said:


> Don't some people - to get a better seal - slightly lube the 'o' ring with a suitable lubricant i.e. a synthetic bike lube or vaseline?
> 
> I get my watch batteries for my many digitals from the pound shop. 60 batteries of all kinds for Â£1... bargain!
> 
> ...










Think about that! I've seen batteries like that in a pound shop, and they are alkaline rather than silver oxide. They are bad news.....can leak.......have short lives.........and are false economy!!! ALWAYS buy a top make silver oxide.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Griff said:


> 9speed said:
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> > Don't some people - to get a better seal - slightly lube the 'o' ring with a suitable lubricant i.e. a synthetic bike lube or vaseline?
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I agree....only Silver Oxide please ...not these nasty chinese alkaline batteries.

And only Maxell or Renata.


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

Griff said:


> 9speed said:
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> > Don't some people - to get a better seal - slightly lube the 'o' ring with a suitable lubricant i.e. a synthetic bike lube or vaseline?
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When have you ever seen an alkaline leak?

Perhaps if you left one in for 10 years or more....

What did people do before silver oxide and lithium?

They used alkaline.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

9speed said:


> Griff said:
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They used mercury.


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

Silver Hawk said:


> Griff said:
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I only use lithium on my nicer watches, cos they are the larger sized cells 2032 etc that only come in lithium.....

So er.... what's wrong with lithium?


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

9speed said:


> Griff said:
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Be my guest then...........carry on!!!!


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

Secretly I am planning a purchase of silver oxide batteries.. I just have to win an argument even when I might be in the wrong!

Lithium's ok right?

I'll use the alalines in other stuff...


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

9speed said:


> I just have to win an argument even when I might be in the wrong!
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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)




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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

usually I'm never wrong.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Just today then


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

9speed said:


> usually I'm never wrong.
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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Dont worry guys, 9speeds teachers will stop him useing the internet when he should be in class soon.


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

jasonm said:


> Dont worry guys, 9speeds teachers will stop him useing the internet when he should be in class soon.
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I've just qualified to be a teacher funnily enough.


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Jesus, I've got 3 kids







Where do you intend to teach?


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

Now you should be very careful of what you are about to say.

I'm here to look at the cool watches, learn a bit more about them, and I don't think I should be subject to questions/agro about my profession. Unless, of course, you want me to start asking questions about yours.


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

jasonm said:


> Dont worry guys, 9speeds teachers will stop him useing the internet when he should be in class soon.
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Perhaps if you hadn't started the silliness eh?

Jokes are fine.


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## scottishcammy (Jul 11, 2003)

Errr, we are joking?!? You shouldn't take things quite so personally. Also, you can make as many jokes about my profession as you like. I can take a joke, and I'm not in the least bit precious about what I do. I can assure, I've heard them all before. If you look at old posts, you'll find I've had plenty jokes at my expense, and it doesn't bother me in the least, and ,up until now, its never bothered anyone else. I'm surprised you are so offended by such minor comments, to be honest, your reaction is incongruent with quite a few of your previous posts. However, if it bothers you so much, I won't make any 'jokes' about your job.


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## 9speed (Nov 28, 2005)

Well it's not always clear on the web when someone is joking. Also, I have begun to understand that teaching is something that everyone has an opinion on (usually negative ones). And recent negative press only adds to the negative public perception. It's hard graft.

I don't normally take offence to anything written on the net.

I'm going to buy another watch today.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

> I'm here to look at the cool watches, learn a bit more about them,


Thats great, if we all stick to this then we wont fall out









We love a joke here but as you say it can be hard to tell a joke from a 'rude' comment, a few







or







can usually help....


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

9speed said:


> Well it's not always clear on the web when someone is joking. Also, I have begun to understand that teaching is something that everyone has an opinion on (usually negative ones). And recent negative press only adds to the negative public perception. It's hard graft.
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> I don't normally take offence to anything written on the net.
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If you teach any Physics you might want a stand in when it comes to batteries


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Griff said:


> If you teach any Physics you might want a stand in when it comes to batteries
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9speed said:


> usually I'm never wrong.


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

9speed said:


> usually I'm never wrong.
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9speed said:


> I'm here to................ learn
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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

Hi Folks,

Thankyou for all the replies. I've been away from a computer for a couple of days so sorry for not replying sooner.

9Speed, I appreciate your replies but I went with the advice of the guys who have more experience in such matters. (No offence my friend.)







Sure, it's a cheap watch but it's my cheap watch and highly functional for my sport. I don't want to fork out money for a new one when I don't have it in abundance.

I fitted a battery, a branded one no less and the watch works perfectly. The acid test will be tomorrow morning when I go for a 2 hour plus run in the north west's cold, crappy weather. If I've done a good job, it'll stand up to the sweat and the rain.









I'm sometimes right!









Thanks again,

Andrew.


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## ianboydsnr (Dec 12, 2005)

I get my batterys af the bay, pay Â£2 for two, branded renata, anyone know a cheaper supplier?


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## Running_man (Dec 2, 2005)

I got my battery from M*pl*n's, made by Maxell, Â£1.99. A certain hight street low end jewelery chain store (you know who I mean!) tried to charge me Â£5!!

Dick Turpin wore a mask.









Just tested the watch and it's not fogged up or anything so I'll pass it off as a success.

Andrew.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm just changing the battery on my Avocet Vertech Alpine. This watch makes no real pretence at being anything other than rain/splash proof but it nevertheless has a gasket (hardly what you could call an 'O' Ring!) to seal the back against the case.










I doubt they could have made it any more complicated! There's no "groove" as such in which to lay the gasket, you just have to try and tease it into position one section at a time. But, as soon as you get one corner just right another section pops out of position. It's decidedly


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Does anyone know how long batteries last in storage?

As fast as I replace batteries in some watches, so others expire and I always seem to have a handful lying about not working for want of a battery! Rather than replacing batteries on an individual basis, I was thinking of buying a couple of boxes of the more common types. Still, it might be five or six years before I get through a box! Do they last last long in storage, or is this likely to be a false economy?


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