Could A Wrong Battery Ruin A Watch?

[ro63rto]

Back un 1998, for my Mother's birthday, I bought her the watch in the pics below. Couple years later the battery gave up so she took it to H Samuels.

Apparently it worked for a few days then stopped. She was passing John Lewis so popped in to get their opinion. They said wrong battery had been used and had "burned out" the movement.

Is this possible?

Edited July 15, 2014 by ro63rto

[WillFly]

I've never heard of a movement being "burned out" by  a wrong battery - in most cases they just don't start up again - but others here may know better. It's possible that the battery leaked?

[ro63rto]

Me either. And besides, aren't all these watch batteries 1.5v?

My cheap Jaxa style wrench just about closes down to this size.

No battery inside but also no sign of a leak.

[WillFly]

Odd - perhaps it was just a coincidence - the replacement battery failed at the same time as the movement failed. Any cracks in the circuitry?

[autowind]

Like ro63rto says, I also thought all these small watch batteries are 1.5v,  so extremely unlikely anything has been burnt out,  it could be a small bit of debris blocking the train, if that is the case then cleaning the movement would be the only cure.  If you have a Pound shop near you then you can buy a card of 20 or so small batteries for a £1, you can try different ones till you find the correct size.  If it still does not work with a new battery try setting the hands and altering the time by several hours, this might free the train if you are lucky. Also try pulling the stem in and out several times, the reason being that pulling the stem out operates a small switch which stops the movement, if there is a bad contact then operating the hand setting stem several times just might fix it.

[ro63rto]

Odd - perhaps it was just a coincidence - the replacement battery failed at the same time as the movement failed. Any cracks in the circuitry?

Trying to remember who borrowed my x10 loupe. I'll see if I have an old magnifying glass somewhere and check.

[ro63rto]

Like ro63rto says, I also thought all these small watch batteries are 1.5v, so extremely unlikely anything has been burnt out, it could be a small bit of debris blocking the train, if that is the case then cleaning the movement would be the only cure. If you have a Pound shop near you then you can buy a card of 20 or so small batteries for a £1, you can try different ones till you find the correct size. If it still does not work with a new battery try setting the hands and altering the time by several hours, this might free the train if you are lucky. Also try pulling the stem in and out several times, the reason being that pulling the stem out operates a small switch which stops the movement, if there is a bad contact then operating the hand setting stem several times just might fix it.

Lidl was selling watch batteries a few weeks ago. I should have stocked up :angry:

I'll try and find out what battery it should have and fit it, see what happens. Not sure if its worth getting it serviced/repaired though.

[ro63rto]

Found a x4 loupe and there is no sign of brokend circuit board or tracks.

One thing I did see on the battery spring is 6.8mm diameter.

[bobm12]

Hi ro63rto, from my gauge the main 3 batteries with that diameter in order of height (thicker to thinner) would be: 377/376, 364/363, 321 which correspond to SR626SW, SR621SW and SR616SW (the SW at the end is optional since they will do the job the same). There is also the 333 and 339 but I believe one is interchangeable with the 321 (based on thickness) and the other is much thinner (SR610SW and SR614SW respectively).

 

As gauges for battery replacement are based on high and diameter, no battery can -- in itself base on voltage -- damage the watch since all voltages are the same. A broken circuit (due to a nick while replacing the battery using metal tweezers), a faulty contact (pushing the wrong height battery and bending the contacts) or similar may be the problem. Also, there are inexpensive watch testers that could help out determining what is the actual problem.

 

This is one that comes to mind (once a good battery is in the watch):

 

 

[ro63rto]

Thanks

If it helps, in back of guarantee booklet the model is handwritten as

LB808-08

[bobm12]

Hi ro63rto, I've just learned that Rotary watches have a Lifetime Guarantee. You probably only need to register it and send it to them....maybe you are lucky and win the car they are offering for servicing one of their watches!

[ro63rto]

Hi ro63rto, I've just learned that Rotary watches have a Lifetime Guarantee. You probably only need to register it and send it to them....maybe you are lucky and win the car they are offering for servicing one of their watches!

Only for watches sold after 2009 and then they have to have been serviced every 3 years.

[bobm12]

I stand corrected, then the search goes on!

[ro63rto]

Yeah, shame, could have done with a new car.

[Lee]

They said wrong battery had been used and had "burned out" the movement.

They where likely to be making excuses to save their own faces, they simply didn't know how to get it running when the battery wasn't the answer

 

 If you have a Pound shop near you then you can buy a card of 20 or so small batteries for a £1

What ever you do, DON'T put the pound shop batteries in your watches! these are almost always Alkaline batteries which last no time at all, Are often flat from the packet & invariably leak being alkaline which causes more problems. ONLY fit silver oxide batteries in a watch, they are more stable but cost considerably more!

 

I would think looking at that picture this requires a 370 battery. If it came to me, I'd test the circuit with a tester simular to the one already shown to diagnose any electronic fault & then run the train with a cyclonic to free any debris & then oil the jewels. 9/10 a "faulty" movement isn't it just need TLC.

 

Take it to someone who is a watch speicalist, rather than a counter top retailer. Most of them only know how to pop a back off & put their fingers all over a movement fitting a battery.

If none of the above applies they will then be able to give you advice & pricing on a movement.

Edited July 16, 2014 by Lee

[ro63rto]

Thanks.

I realise they only use silver oxide but I certainly wouldn't consider batteries from a pound store. At the very least the silver oxides from Lidl to test if a watch is working then replace with a decent brand.

If a new battery doesn't work I will have to take it to a specialist as I don't even know how to remove the stem :wacko:

[Lee]

Just to clarify, the majority of button cells where there are say 10 on a card are ALKALINE, be them from a pound shop or Lidl this will probably be the case & they aren't the ideal batteries even to do a test with as its not Uncommon for them to be flat or very low straight out of the packet. fine probably for kids toys, But knowing what I know, I wouldn't stick one in a watch. you'll save yourself only a few pounds over taking it somewhere & getting it sorted or diagnosed correctly!

Edited July 16, 2014 by Lee

[ro63rto]

Emailed Rotary today. Just got reply. It takes a 364 cell.

Wish all companies replied that quick.

Now to buy 3 batteries. Another of her watches takes a 364 and one of my cheap ones does.

[Lee]

joy of photography! it looked loads bigger than that to be! lol

[ro63rto]

joy of photography! it looked loads bigger than that to be! lol

Ha, yeah true.

Think I might get a few of those CSI right angle rulers. :D

[Mark]

Emailed Rotary today. Just got reply. It takes a 364 cell.

Wish all companies replied that quick.

Now to buy 3 batteries. Another of her watches takes a 364 and one of my cheap ones does.

I have always found the staff at Rotary nothing short of exceptional.

Take Lee's advice - never buy those cards of batteries - they can make a terrible mess of the movement when they leak.

Good brands: Renata, energiser, varta, rayovac

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ro63rto]

No, would never buy from pound land.

There are no watch shops in my area but there is a Maplin. What are their ATC branded batteries like?

[Lee]

walk into any independent shoe repairers or heel bar & they are likely to do watch batteries (to various standards as you've found out) but they will all at least sell you the correct battery, The Maplin ones seem OK, but you'll pay less or around the same for a better Ah rating swiss battery (last longer) from other sources.

[ro63rto]

walk into any independent shoe repairers or heel bar & they are likely to do watch batteries (to various standards as you've found out) but they will all at least sell you the correct battery, The Maplin ones seem OK, but you'll pay less or around the same for a better Ah rating swiss battery (last longer) from other sources.

Thanks, would never have guessed they would sell watch batteries let alone decent ones.

Thanks for all your advice.

[Lee]

I'm in that industry, most independent repairers (not Timpson on the high street, I don't know what they have or their selling position) buy from the same wholesalers & the biggest player in the business sells Renata which are swiss & OK. I sell batteries for DIYers every day, its part of the business & I'm sure thousands of other heel bars & shoe repairers are the same.