Watch batteries are very important in today’s quartz movements. If you wear a quartz movement on your wrist, you probably want to know how much a watch battery costs. As these watches typically need a replacement battery every year or so, we will answer your question; how much does a watch battery cost.
The cost of a watch battery is between $1 to $7 dollars. How much a watch battery costs depends on the watch’s needs, chosen by the manufacturer. If you want the battery to be replaced for you, it starts from about $10 for a simple watch. But this can go up to $100 for a more expensive service.
If you want to pay for a replacement, the cost comes out a bit more than when you do it yourself, that’s why it’s good to know the differences.
Cost of a watch battery
Let’s first answer the question that you probably came for. The cost of a watch battery is a lot different from the cost of a watch battery replacement from someone else. Just a simple battery can be bought at your local goods store for as little as $1 to $7 dollars. Buying these watch batteries does require you to replace them yourself though.
We divide the batteries into two types; Primary, which is the non-rechargeable one. Secondary, these are the rechargeable batteries. All battery types fall into these two types. There are a lot of batteries on the market today. When you look at the different categories, they can be divided into hundreds or even thousands of sizes and types. Therefore, it’s always recommended to look at your manufacturer’s recommendations.
There are several types of batteries available. Some of the best-known battery types that are frequently used in watches are; Alkaline, silver oxide, and lithium batteries. We recommend you go on the lookout for the silver oxide variant. Due to the small size requirements, you can get a great battery for a relatively low cost.
Let’s clarify the cost and specifications of the different watch battery types (Alkaline, silver-oxide, lithium) This way, you can consider price-quality ratio:
| Battery type: | Cost: | Specifications: | |
| Alkaline | Moderate | long-term power, lose strength when used, leak problems | |
| Silver-oxide | Highest | Lasts very long, is more expensive, no flammability | |
| Lithium | High | Could have flammability, strong energy surge |
How Much Does a Watch Battery Replacement Cost
The battery cost for your new replacement is worth more when you want to let someone do it for you. It is very common to give your watch to a specialist to get your watch battery replaced. Although this might be a lot more convenient, it does add some cost to your final price tag. The cost of a watch battery and letting it be replaced by someone else is often confused.
The cost of replacing a watch battery depends on the type of watch, the brand, and the model. Usually, the price of a non-waterproof watch service is between $6 – $16 dollars. If you have a waterproof watch, prices can range from $50 – $100 dollars for a watch battery replacement.
For some high-end watches, it is very normal that they need a service for a watch to be replaced. Because of the use of special tools for those watches to open the case and things like that. Although normal watch batteries don’t cost anything more than a few cents in a store, it’s very hard to replace them yourself. These are usually found in higher-end watches.
If you have a lower-end watch, we could advise you to try and learn to replace your watch battery. This is completely dependent on the watch replacement cost. This is also a decision you can make for yourself. It may cost as much as $40 to have your watch battery replaced. But if it only saves a few bucks doing the dirty work yourself, it might not be worth it.
Changing your watch battery by yourself
And for that, this part comes in. If you have done your research about your own battery replacement cost, you might have considered that you want to change your watch’s battery yourself. This can actually be quite a money saver. We made a little step-by-step guide on how to change your watch’s battery properly.
1. Consider if your watch is capable ($0)
The first thing you should do if you want to replace your watch’s battery is to consider if your watch is even capable of self-replacement. This is due to what we explained in the text above. Some high-end watches might require special gear and tools to be opened up. If yours doesn’t you can move on to step 2.
2. Find required battery ($2)
If you want to start replacing your watch battery, you first need to know the type of battery you need to use. There are a lot of types around, and therefore, every good watch has battery advice. You can look in your owner’s manual for the specific model and watch battery size. If you can’t find this, the number is usually on the back of the battery as well. The best thing you can do is to just buy the same battery as the one that is already in the back of the watch.
3. Find your tools ($10)
The next thing you should do is to find the tools you’re going to need for the replacement. These tools are usually a one-time investment, as you need to use them about once a year. The best thing you can do is buy a set with a lot of different screwdriver heads, but you can also use these, depending on your own watch:
- Philips screwdriver (cross-shaped)
- Flat-head screwdriver (wedge-shaped)
- Plier
These will allow you to open up the case, but you will need some more tools for the replacement:
- Cloth or towel for grip
4. Put the watch on it’s back
Start the replacement by flipping your watch over on its back. This is because you need to open your watch, as the watch’s battery is placed in the back of your watch.
5. Open the case
The best way to open up your case is to identify the little gap that you can find on the back. Usually, in most watches, there is this little gap that your Flat-head screwdriver can get under. This is different from the rest because the manufacturer left a little space to open it up. Put your Flat-head screwdriver under the gap and use it as a lever to open up the case.
Some watches have openings on top of them, this is where the plier comes in. Open up the plier, and put either side inside of the openings, pull tight, then turn, and pull the protection towards you, to open up the case.
The last type could be the one that has screws. This one needs to be opened up by turning the screws and opening the case that way.
6. Gently remove/replace the battery
Now you should be able to identify the battery. The next step is to remove and replace the battery within your watch. Note that it is important to always do this gently as there are sensitive and important parts in this part of the watch.
Use your Flat-head screwdriver (wedge-shaped), to gently pick out the old battery, it should be quite loose. Finally, put in the new battery the same way you pulled out the old battery. Now, you can put back the cab on top of the case to close your watch again.
All in all, this process is probably a lot cheaper than letting people do this for you. When you combine all the cost and count it up, we come to a grand total of $2 to $7 dollars a year to replace your watch’s battery on your own. With a one-time investment of $10 dollars for your required tools.
When should you buy a new watch battery
Replacing a watch battery yourself could save you quite some money every year. The last thing you need to know if you have a quartz movement is when you should buy a new watch battery, as this could vary from watch to watch, and battery to battery.
When using the watch you can just let your watch run until shows signs of the battery running low. These could be obvious like the watch just stops. But it could also be less typical like the second hand is frozen. This could also be a sign of your watch needing a battery replacement.
As a general rule, replacement batteries in watches last about one to two years. Therefore, replace your watch’s batteries every year to always stay safe.
If your watch shows signs of not working properly, it’s probably best to check out the battery for the piece. But if you want to prevent your watch from stopping out of nowhere, it’s convenient to replace the battery every year, on a specific date every year. Buying a pack of batteries once, should not cost you a lot, and these won’t expire anytime soon (as long as you use them within 10 years). So, you can just keep them in a pack for years to come.
Final words
So in conclusion, letting a watch be replaced by someone is a little more expensive than doing it yourself. For most watches, a watch service replacement should cost you about $10 to $50 dollars depending on the watch, the battery, and the specifications of the watch.
In this article, we also calculated how much it should cost to replace your watch battery yourself. Which might save you quite a bit of money every year. This way, you only need to buy a battery and you can use your own tools to open up the case and replace your watch. Learning this process could be quite valuable and isn’t very hard.
We recommend you calculate how much a replacement costs every year for your watch and your personal needs. If you can drastically reduce the cost by doing the process yourself, it’s valuable to try our guide. For more information about watch batteries, you can check out our site, or click this link.
