Omega Quartz Battery Replacement
Discussion
Omaruk said:
My GF has an Omega Quartz that needs a battery replacement. She is London based and does not want to send it off to Omega for weeks.
Please can you recommend a reputable watch service place that can do the change while you wait or next day in London please. Thanks in advance
Any jeweller should be able to do this, there's nothing to it, as I found out. I have an Omega Seamaster Quartz, and have paid a small fortune to have a battery replaced before, then whilst working in Oman, the battery died on me again. I went to a small jeweller in the shopping mall and asked if he could recommend someone to replace trhe battery. He offered, for the equivalent of £6! I asked about the integrity of the water seal, pressure testing etc (that I'd probably been scared into!), and he explained that they aren't pressure sealed and it's merely an 'O' ring on the case/back, seemed like a nice honest guy, so I gave it a go. The following week whilst part way through my PADI course the watch was at 10M, and has been deeper many times since, with no isses. I doubt I got lucky!?!?Please can you recommend a reputable watch service place that can do the change while you wait or next day in London please. Thanks in advance
rash_decision said:
I asked about the integrity of the water seal, pressure testing etc (that I'd probably been scared into!), and he explained that they aren't pressure sealed and it's merely an 'O' ring on the case/back, seemed like a nice honest guy, so I gave it a go. The following week whilst part way through my PADI course the watch was at 10M, and has been deeper many times since, with no isses. I doubt I got lucky!?!?
Not exactly lucky, but there is a slight risk having a battery changed without a pressure test.The back seal, as he said, is a simple O ring but you can't see when fitting the back if it's staying in its groove. If fitted carefully it will 999 times out of 1000, but that's no comfort if your £££ worth of watch is the 1000th!
There's also the matter of crown and glass seals. These aren't disturbed when fitting a battery but the crown seal is by far the most likely to fail, because it's the one that gets the most wear (every time you change the time, set the date or, on a mechanical, hand wind it). A pressure test will show up a leaking crown or glass, often before it becomes a problem in normal use.
That's why no repairer in their right mind will guarantee a watch water resistant without pressure testing it - for all they know it could have been peeing water in through the crown before they even touched it.
That said, some of the prices charged for testing are a little absurd. There's the cost of the kit to allow for, of course, and the knowledge of what you're doing but it takes no more than 1/2 hour or so to actually run a test, and you can be doing something else for most of that time anyway!
It tends to vary depending on what can be got away with in the area. Also, a lot of jewellers farm anything water resistant out and add on a margin
We do them at a flat £10 regardless of watch brand (assuming no original parts like crowns are needed) because my view is that it's no more workbto do, say, an Omega than it is to to a £50 surf watch. In fact,bthe better watches tend to fit together better so, if anything, are easier to do!
I also make a point of beating the crap out of Timpsons, who are about the only competition here
We do them at a flat £10 regardless of watch brand (assuming no original parts like crowns are needed) because my view is that it's no more workbto do, say, an Omega than it is to to a £50 surf watch. In fact,bthe better watches tend to fit together better so, if anything, are easier to do!
I also make a point of beating the crap out of Timpsons, who are about the only competition here
You're welcome Omaruk 
If you get really stuck locally we do accept postal jobs - there are a few on here have used us - and would normally have a battery change like this back with you in 2 days (same day dispatch by secial delivery at this end) rather than the several weeks that ADs seem to take. Total with postage is £20 assuming you don't send the box as well (boxes push postal prices up!)
If you get really stuck locally we do accept postal jobs - there are a few on here have used us - and would normally have a battery change like this back with you in 2 days (same day dispatch by secial delivery at this end) rather than the several weeks that ADs seem to take. Total with postage is £20 assuming you don't send the box as well (boxes push postal prices up!)
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