Watch Battery Replacement - Daylight Robbery!

[Borista336]

18 minutes ago, Holiday1166 said:

Have you a Rolex  and Omega ? 

among others, i love watches and collect them. a watch is a very delicate piece of engineering even cheap ones,also the most expensive watches with a battery can cost a fortune to change a battery but its not the battery itself you are paying for its the skill and the service to ensure its waterproof etc.

[Holiday1166]

I have a 25 year old Swatch a MWC L10  and a Hamilton all lovely watches I like the military clear face look 

[Orangepip]

My husband recently had one at Timpsons which was £20, but it has a lifetime guarantee.

 

[Holiday1166]

5 hours ago, Orangepip said:

My husband recently had one at Timpsons which was £20, but it has a lifetime guarantee.

 

£20 omg that’s shocking 

[chappi]

it is

[Weredoomed]

48 minutes ago, Holiday1166 said:

£20 omg that’s shocking 

Shocking you say? Well if it's short circuiting then, yes, there clearly is something not right with it.

 

Is my taxi here already...

 

[Resident]

On 08/08/2019 at 13:34, alchresearch said:

But Timpsons may not know that. 

 

I can get blank Peugeot keys from AliExpress that are copies, but look identical to the real genuine item.

How could Timpsons not know their own policy? 

[DerbyTup]

On 22/06/2013 at 11:15, palascrubs said:

 

had the same problem with a watch i took to atkinsons,was told that because it was a "designer" watch it would be a lot more expensive for a battery,so took it to local jeweller at firth park,job done for £2.99,he said that all the batteries are the same,doesent matter what make the watch is,

He was right about the batteries.  Unfortunately, it does matter what type of watch it is though.

 

I've just had batteries replaced in two of my watches.  The first one cost £550, the second one cost £650.  That was eye-watering!  I exaggerate a little actually.  This wasn't just for having batteries replaced.  Although that's how it started.

 

My first watch, a Breitling, had stopped telling the time.  It was right, twice a day, if you know what I mean.  So I thought it just needs a new battery.  But...you don't take a watch like that to Timpson's or a stall in Meadowhall, for a battery.  Why?  Because the watch is worth a few grand and it has a life-time guarantee, but that becomes invalidated if you have anyone other than the manufacturer "mess around with it".  It's a diver's watch and is sealed so that it's good down to about 250m underwater.  Not that it's ever been that deep underwater - I think the deepest its been is the bottom of the washing up bowl, but hey...it's nice to know that if I ever do plunge to the bottom of the sea-bed with it on, the watch is going to be just fine!

 

All the more reason then why I was a bit surprised when HL Brown's phoned me up to say it's going to be £550.  The battery replacement was about £150 apparently, but the rest of the things that needed doing to it - (new buttons on the outside, full-service and a new strap) bumped the price right up.

 

The Breitling is my favourite watch and I wear it all the time.  But I do have another (well 2 actually) watch that I alternate with, and that's a Tag Heuer.  So whilst the Breitling was away I was wearing the Tag for work.   This is a kinetic watch.  So it doesn't have a battery.  But it was losing time - something you don't expect of an expensive watch.  So, when the Breitling came back the Tag went in for service as well.  As I said, £650 for that one!  

 

My other watch is a Raymond Weil.  I had the battery replaced in that about 2 years ago - it cost about £120.  But it didn't need any other stuff doing to it.  So when I hear these tales of battery repairs costing £4 or £7 I think that's cheap!  

 

I do like a good quality watch.  I don't wear any jewellery, (or have tattoo's or piercings for that matter).  I think good shoes (I usually wear Church's) and a good watch make a positive statement about a person.  But I didn't realise when I was buying said watches that the cost of keeping them running is in a totally different league to owning a cheaper watch.  

 

 

 

 

Edited August 10, 2019 by DerbyTup

[spilldig]

I have always replaced watch batterys myself. Never had any problem, apart from if used to get them from somewhere like Maplins they always used to sell them in twos so I used to get one of the internet. It was the same with jackplugs and other things, sold in two's.

[FinBak]

12 hours ago, DerbyTup said:

He was right about the batteries.  Unfortunately, it does matter what type of watch it is though.

 

I've just had batteries replaced in two of my watches.  The first one cost £550, the second one cost £650.  That was eye-watering!  I exaggerate a little actually.  This wasn't just for having batteries replaced.  Although that's how it started.

 

My first watch, a Breitling, had stopped telling the time.  It was right, twice a day, if you know what I mean.  So I thought it just needs a new battery.  But...you don't take a watch like that to Timpson's or a stall in Meadowhall, for a battery.  Why?  Because the watch is worth a few grand and it has a life-time guarantee, but that becomes invalidated if you have anyone other than the manufacturer "mess around with it".  It's a diver's watch and is sealed so that it's good down to about 250m underwater.  Not that it's ever been that deep underwater - I think the deepest its been is the bottom of the washing up bowl, but hey...it's nice to know that if I ever do plunge to the bottom of the sea-bed with it on, the watch is going to be just fine!

 

All the more reason then why I was a bit surprised when HL Brown's phoned me up to say it's going to be £550.  The battery replacement was about £150 apparently, but the rest of the things that needed doing to it - (new buttons on the outside, full-service and a new strap) bumped the price right up.

 

The Breitling is my favourite watch and I wear it all the time.  But I do have another (well 2 actually) watch that I alternate with, and that's a Tag Heuer.  So whilst the Breitling was away I was wearing the Tag for work.   This is a kinetic watch.  So it doesn't have a battery.  But it was losing time - something you don't expect of an expensive watch.  So, when the Breitling came back the Tag went in for service as well.  As I said, £650 for that one!  

 

My other watch is a Raymond Weil.  I had the battery replaced in that about 2 years ago - it cost about £120.  But it didn't need any other stuff doing to it.  So when I hear these tales of battery repairs costing £4 or £7 I think that's cheap!  

 

I do like a good quality watch.  I don't wear any jewellery, (or have tattoo's or piercings for that matter).  I think good shoes (I usually wear Church's) and a good watch make a positive statement about a person.  But I didn't realise when I was buying said watches that the cost of keeping them running is in a totally different league to owning a cheaper watch.  

 

 

 

 

I wear a 1980's Casio AE-1200WH.

 

Great old LCD and has served me well to this day...Folks ask me whats that on your wrist?..

 

We have a good convo..

 

Unlike wearing the Brietling.. When no one asks you anything. !

 

I loved what you said a bout shoes though...

 

BUT...Did you ever see that Film..." Shawshank Redemption"..;)

 

'No one looks at folks shoes'....