We recently received a watch repair request from a customer.
This time it was a battery replacement, and I'm glad they brought it in quickly after the battery died.
Naturally, battery-powered watches stop working when the battery dies,
so one of the benefits is that it's easy to know when to replace the battery.
However, leaving a dead battery in the watch
is one of the worst things you can do for it.
Leaving a dead battery in place often causes leakage,
which can corrode the internal parts and circuits of the watch.
In such cases, what should have been repairable with a battery replacement or overhaul after the battery died
might require a complete movement replacement in the worst-case scenario due to damage from leakage.
Even if a replacement movement can be found, that's good,
but for battery-powered vintage watches, production of the movement often has ceased,
making it impossible to procure parts.
To prevent such issues, please do not leave dead batteries in your watch or leave them unattended;
request a battery replacement as soon as possible!
