letsavagoo 963 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 Went in town yesterday and had 2 Watch batteries fitted at that mobile kiosk on Clinton Street. £30. Absolutely gob smacked. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stuart.C 491 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 Were they gold plated batteries? Usually a few pounds fitted on the markets. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 Could you have opened the watch yourself ? Last time I needed a new watch battery I took the back off the watch and got a battery off Ebay. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 Sometimes you need a back removal tool to unscrew it which I have. Also you may need to replace the rubber seals which I also have. Then you need batteries which I have. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,419 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 And sometimes you need a press for non screw-backs, and the grease for the seals, and a demagnetiser for old style movements, plus hundreds of batteries, all of which I have. Can't pressures test them though... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 5,151 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 Surely it all depends on what sort of watch you possess. Some of mine, when the battery fails I just get another watch. Never bought an expensive watch, can't see the point as I'm always breaking them any road. Sometimes, I even lose 'em. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 963 Posted October 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 What annoyed me was one watch was a decent but not outstanding Skagen. Charge £10. The other was an expensive Tag Heuer which they charged £20. Same battery, nothing special. The Skagen was a bugger to do, very tight press on back and took ages. The Tag unscrewed easily and took a minute. No seals checked or replaced despite it being a 200 meter waterproof watch. I messaged the company and got a reply that if it were damaged it would be their responsibility and be expensive to repair and if the battery leaked and damaged it etc etc. I could smell BS. It’s like the garage charging £1.50 a litre for petrol in a cheap Fiat and £3.00 a litre for a Merc. I can kind of see the argument but it doesn’t sit well with me. Yes I could have done it no doubt and if I’d realised the cost I would have done. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,307 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 You look too prosperous, Letsavagoo. Next time, tie some string round your trousers and wear odd socks and shoes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 Believe it or not I do have a demagnetiser. It was my father’s. He made it himself. He was an aircraft instrument technician during the war and postwar he repaired watches as a moneymaking sideline. As a child I carefully observed him dismantling and fixing watches and learnt all about the movements. I do have a couple of decent mechanical watches but they are low tech now. I much prefer my Apple smartwatch which does everything apart from making the coffee and sweeping the floor! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,419 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 A neighbour brought a Tag for a battery after being quoted £160 for a service, battery and pressure test. The battery was a common or garden variety but the back proved impossible without a huge amount of effort, Rather than risk damaging it I said no. It finished up at a specialist, a previous battery replacer had cross threaded it and managed to somehow forced it. Glad she was with me when a I tried, the repair bill was huge. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 963 Posted October 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 4 hours ago, Jill Sparrow said: You look too prosperous, Letsavagoo. Next time, tie some string round your trousers and wear odd socks and shoes. Socks! Can’t afford them but it’s Christmas soon and I live in hope. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,307 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 Many years ago, the head of an army surplus business which shall remain nameless, was a client of a firm of solicitors I worked for in Nottingham. Everyone thought he was a tramp, down on his luck, given his mode of dress, if you can call it that. I've seen scarecrows more sartorially attired than he. Far from the case. He was worth many millions. Just didn't spend it on clothes... including socks. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,419 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 Sounds like same one a relative bought a Volvo estate from. The engine had never been serviced and could hardly bee seen for all the grime, he simply kept topping up the oil and water. It still ran smoothly and went for a good few years. He lived in the Holme Pierrepont area. Big house with a massive showman's caravan in his garden, said it was a budgie cage and to prove it showed me the single blue budgie that lived there. His wife, nice lady, looked and acted like a Gypsy fortune teller. Both eccentric yet rich as Croesus. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob.L 1,090 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 8 hours ago, philmayfield said: I do have a couple of decent mechanical watches but they are low tech now. I much prefer my Apple smartwatch which does everything apart from making the coffee and sweeping the floor! Know what you mean. My Apple watch has become indispensable - it even does an ECG and can tell me when I’m having an atrial fibrillation episode, or if I’ve fallen over. Although to get back to the gist of the thread, the best price I’ve found for a replacement battery for mine is £59, while Apple quote £95. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,510 Posted October 28, 2023 Report Share Posted October 28, 2023 13 hours ago, Rob.L said: Know what you mean. My Apple watch has become indispensable - it even does an ECG and can tell me when I’m having an atrial fibrillation episode, or if I’ve fallen over. Although to get back to the gist of the thread, the best price I’ve found for a replacement battery for mine is £59, while Apple quote £95. That’s given me an idea for my husband’s ‘big’ birthday present next week, seeing as he has Atrial Fibrillation which resulted in a mini stroke 3 months ago, his memory still isn’t great as a result …… so be wary @Rob.L I’ve had a Patek Philippe watch for many years, battery operated unfortunately, and the first couple of times it needed a new battery I took it to Berry’s in Nottingham, the only local authorised retailer in town. They sent it away to Switzerland (so they said), it was gone for several weeks and the bill was over £300. The next time I took it to the pop-up place on Clinton Street that Letsavagoo has used, for a new battery plus a service, the guy had it for 24 hours and the total charge was £90! I think the chap who was there at that time has moved to a place on one of ‘the Walks’, Trinity Walk, Kings Walk? Not needed to find him though as the battery he installed seems to be going on forever. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted October 29, 2023 Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 I presume he has an iPhone to use with an Apple Watch. It is possible to get a stand alone one with its own SD card though. The latest version 9 has just been released. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Hey Arnold 88 Posted October 29, 2023 Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 21 hours ago, Beekay said: Surely it all depends on what sort of watch you possess. Some of mine, when the battery fails I just get another watch. Never bought an expensive watch, can't see the point as I'm always breaking them any road. Sometimes, I even lose 'em. Many years ago I did a job for a retired jeweller in Derby and the conversation got around to watches. I asked him, in his opinion, what was the best watch in the world. After a moments thought he looked at me and said "99p digital watch from Allenton Market, when the battery's gone chuck it away and buy another" I was a bit taken aback a this and said that I expected him to say Rolex or some such. He replied that I'd asked what the best watch was, not the finest and the 99p watch told the time just as well!! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted October 29, 2023 Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 That’s so true. You may feel good wearing an Omega or a Rolex but unless those you’re with are watch enthusiasts nobody will notice it. However now we have smart watches they do so much more than tell you the time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,467 Posted October 29, 2023 Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 Up until earlier this year I'd not bothered with a watch for several years. My last one had various problems so I binned it; I'd always told myself I couldn't live without a watch but over the following months I learned to do that....and it was nowhere near as difficult as I'd thought. I ended up getting a Casio analogue watch for £17.95 from these people. https://www.watchnation.com/product-category/mens-watches/ and I'm perfectly happy with it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted October 29, 2023 Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 My father, who repaired watches postwar, never wore a watch but could always tell the time within five minutes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 963 Posted October 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 9 hours ago, LizzieM said: I think the chap who was there at that time has moved to a place on one of ‘the Walks’, Trinity Walk, Kings Walk? The Clinton Street ‘Battery Man’ trailer used to be a chap who set it up after he retired or got made redundant. He ran it for a while then employed a friend of mine to run it for him. There was an agreement that when he, the owner that is, came to sell it, first refusal would go to the chap running it for him. However for whatever reason it was sold to the current owner who also now has the watch repair company on Trinity Walk. They are both the same owner. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DJ360 6,730 Posted October 29, 2023 Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 As with anything..there are batteries and batteries. My 'posh' watch is a Rado Ceramica which cost well over £1k. It's a joy to wear and I love the looks. I really don't get the whole obsession with Rolex's. Clearly very fine watches, but overhyped in my view... So anyway my Rado ran happily for about 4 years on its original battery and because I wanted it re-sealing and pressure testing, I took it to Goldsmiths. Their service turned out to be borderline criminal and they will never have my business ever again. The Rado stopped a couple of days ago and I'm considering online services offered by various companies. They collect, fix and return your watch via secure courier and I have a couple of recommendations from lads on another forum who are seriously into watches and know their stuff. I'm not taking the Rado to the market. On the other hand..my 80 quid 'daily' Skagen will be getting a market battery. As above, it's a pig to reseat the back, but the bloke in market manages it. Thing is I suspect it's faulty, because it has a habit of stopping, even with a recent battery change. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,140 Posted October 29, 2023 Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 Some months ago I took my Omega Speedmaster out of my desk drawer. I hadn’t worn it for ages. It didn’t work when wound so I arranged a specialist service which would cost around £500+. They sent me special packaging to send it to them foc. One morning I gave it a shake and it sprang into life. I wound it and let it run down daily for over a week. It’s now working and keeping perfect time so I’m not sending it away now. Apparently they recommend to have such watches serviced every few years. I’ll only wear it on state occasions and I don’t get invited to many of those now! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,510 Posted October 29, 2023 Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 I have a Rolex that was relegated to a ‘play watch’ when I got the Patek, but I only wear either these days if I get poshed up. I always have my phone with me and can see the time on that far easier than on my watch. My husband had 3 Rolex watches once up a time. He gave one to our son and last year sold another to Goldsmiths because he probably only wore it once or twice a year so it was in the safe all the time. The proceeds paid for 9 double-glazed windows and a wood-burning stove, with some to spare. The one remaining goes onto his wrist as soon as he gets out of bed, he doesn’t worry about scratching it or getting it dirty, he wears it all day every day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
letsavagoo 963 Posted October 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2023 I do like and enjoy wearing a decent watch. I’ve just sold my Oris which offer excellent value for money. Good Swiss automatic movements easily the match of far more expensive offerings. I’d had it about 20 years and only wore it probably a dozen times so it’s gone. Bit too chunky and heavy for me. I have an Omega which my dad bought in 1947 from someone he knew who’d been in the RAF, a military style black face simple manual wind. I do have it serviced every 5 years or so and it keeps excellent time. I’ve no idea of it’s value but I wouldn’t think it is terribly valuable but I wouldn’t part with it at any price. The only other watch I have is a military issued sbs dive watch which is quartz. I wear one or the other daily and feel lost if I don’t have my watch on. As a time keeper a cheapo Casio or similar digital will be a better bet then £10,000 + Rolex. Skagen are notorious for the backs being tight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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