A watch needs to keep time accurate so you can stay on schedule. If your watch seems to slow down or stop, it might need a battery change. Changing the battery is easy, and once you know how, it’s simple every time you want to change the battery in your watch. Follow these steps to check, change, and set your watch’s time again:
Check for the Problem
If your watch isn’t keeping accurate time, it might be because of the battery. Before you replace the battery, make sure you check the following:
- Is your watch keeping time correctly? If not, it might be the battery that is causing the problem.
- Is the battery the correct type?
- Is the battery charged? If your watch is keeping time correctly, it is not the battery. You can check the timing by timing yourself. Try timing yourself for a minute or two to see if the watch is off by a few seconds. If so, the battery may be the problem.
Change the Battery
You can change the battery in your watch in about five minutes. If you’ve tried the above troubleshooting steps, but the battery is still wrong, changing the battery might be the solution you’re looking for. Before you begin, make sure you’ve read the watch owner’s manual to learn how to change the battery yourself. Depending on your watch model, the battery might be located inside the watch or the battery compartment. Write down what you do so that you don’t make a mistake. If you make a mistake, you can easily put your watch back the way it was and keep your schedule.
- If your watch has a battery compartment, open the case and find the battery. Write down where it is so you can put everything back together correctly.
- If your watch has a battery inside the watch, you will need to take the watch off your wrist and set it somewhere to access the battery.
Set the Time Once You’ve Changed the Battery
Once you change the battery in your watch, write down the current time and wait about five minutes. You will then want to set the time to the correct time.
- If you’re setting the time to the current time, write down the new time you want to set.
- If you’re changing the time on an upcoming date, write down the time you want to set on the date.
- Turn the watch over and position the hands correctly so that the arrow is pointing at the correct time. Make sure the correct hand is on top and the second hand is pointing at noon.
- Write down the new time and date.
Reset Your Watch
There may be some situations where you need to reset your watch. A reset is cleaning the watch so it runs at the correct time.
- If the battery has been changed, but you still have a problem, reset the watch.
- If your watch isn’t keeping accurate time, resetting the watch will help reset it.
- If your watch is just old and worn, but it still works as a watch, you might want to reset it so it runs at the correct time again.
Troubleshooting Steps
If none of these steps works, try the troubleshooting steps below.
- Is your watch plugged in? If you aren’t sure, just try it again to make sure.
- Is the battery the correct type?
- Is the battery charged?
- Is your watch’s time set correctly?
- Does your watch have a built-in clock that you can adjust? If so, does it need adjusting?
- Is there a problem with the electricity in your house?
- Is there something nearby that is using electricity, such as a traffic light?
- Is there something blocking the electricity?
- Is there dust or hair on the watch?
- Does the watch have an activity level that causes it to run more often?
- Does the watch have a button on it that needs to be pressed?
- Does the watch have a vibration that needs to be on?
- Does the watch have an alarm that needs to be set?
- Is there something on the watch that needs to be cleaned?
- Is there an object that is being held against the watch?
- Does your watch have sweat on it?
- Is there a piece of paper that is wrapped around the watch?
- Is there something blocking the watch’s face?
- Is there dirt under the watch’s face?
- Is there something on the face of the watch?
- Is there something on the gear that is connected to the gear?
- Does the watch have a loose part that needs to be secured?
- Is there something on the gear that needs to be secured?
- Is there something on the watch’s gear that needs to be secured?
- Does your watch have a strap that needs to be replaced?
- Does the strap need to be tightened?
- Does the strap need to be loosened?
- Is there a small part that is rubbing against something?
- Does your watch have a worn band?
- Does the band need to be replaced?
- Is the band stretched tight?
- Is the band stretched too far?
- Is the band too loose?
- Is there a part of the band that needs to be secured?
- Is there a part of the watch’s gear that needs to be secured?
- Does your watch have a part that needs to be lubricated?
- Is there something that needs to be lubricated?
