There comes a time in the life of every watch when the battery needs to be changed, and if that happens to occur and you can’t take it to a watchmaker, then finding a way to get a new battery in can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to open the back of a watch.
There are some easy ways to open the back of a watch if you don’t have the proper tools handy. Depending on the type of watch and back you are trying to open, a fingernail, a thin knife or razor blade, a sticky rubber ball, or even a pair of scissors to get the backoff.
So, let’s get into the types of watch backs you may need to open and how to open the back of those watches using freely available implements and ingenious ideas that would make MacGyver proud!
The Easy Way To Open A Watch Back Depends On The Type Of Watch You Have
When you are looking to open a watch back easily, the idea is to be able to open it without damaging it and then be able to replace it so the watch is still working. If the plan is to open the watch with little or no regard as to whether it works again afterward, then there are no limits on what you can do to open it.
A four-pound hammer, crowbar, or even light explosives would all work to get the back of a watch off, but this is neither easy, safe, nor conducive to having your watch operational afterward.
There are three basic types of watch backs that you could face, and each has its removal method: the screw type, the snap-back type, and the back plate that is held on using small screws. Each type of back would normally require tools designed to remove them, but when you need to get the back off, here are the ways you can take the easy way to open the back of a watch.
The ‘Screw’ Type Watch Back Two Ways To Easily Remove It
These watch backs are easily identified by the small indents placed at intervals on the back of the watch. To remove the watch back, you would normally use a watch case holder and a watch case wrench.
But those tools are normally the reserve of the dealer or watchmaker, and they would place the watch in the case holder and then use the watch wrench to turn the back of the watch, but since you don’t have one, here is an easy way to open the back of a screw type watch.
There are two ways to remove the back of a screw-back watch, one uses a rubber ball, and the other uses scissors.
Method 1: Using A Rubber Ball To Open The Watch Back
You would need to get a soft, pliable rubber ball – you read right, a rubber ball. A stress ball is a good example as that is the right texture, while you should avoid hard rubber as this material would not have enough grip and flexibility to do the job.
The rubber surface and the material’s flexibility can create enough traction when pressed against the watch to grip, and the flexibility of the rubber allows enough pressure and torque to be applied to unscrew the watch back.
Here’s how you do it:
- Step 1: Place the watch with the face down on a hard surface and one that won’t scratch the watch face, so wood or plastic, but avoid a metal surface and use a towel to protect the watch during removal.
- Step 2: Jam the rubber ball onto the back of the watch and apply strong pressure in increments to get the ball to grip, and then rotate the ball counterclockwise to unscrew the back.
- Step 3: To keep the ball’s grip on the back, use firm, fast movements, and the watch back will loosen. To replace the watch back, use the same process, but turn the ball clockwise.
Take a tennis ball and reverse-wrap it with duct tape. Duct tape has very strong adhesion on the sticky side, giving you enough grip on the watch back to open it. The tennis ball also provides a good grip for your hand. You can use this alternative if you can’t find a rubber ball.
Method 2: Use Scissors To Open The Screw Type Watch Back
This is another way you can open a watch that has the screw type back, and this is how you do it:
- Step 1: Place the watch facing down on a solid surface and use a towel to prevent scratching.
- Step 2: Place the end of the scissor blades into the slots of the watch back and then turn the scissors counterclockwise to unscrew the back.
- Step 3: Once the back is loose, you can remove it with your hands by lifting it off.
- Step 4: To replace the watch back, use the same method but turn the scissors clockwise to secure it back on the watch.
Be careful when using scissors, and ensure you are not pushing the scissor blades toward you, as you could cut yourself if the blades slip out of the indents on the watch.
Suppose neither of those works or perhaps the indents are too small for scissors. In that case, you can use a precision screwdriver to remove the back by placing the head of the screwdriver into the indents and slowly applying pressure to rotate the back counterclockwise to remove it and clockwise to replace it.
The Easy Way To Remove A Snap-Back Watch Back
The snap-back watch back is usually found on cheaper watches, and removing this can be done easily using your thumb or fingernail or a razor blade or thin knife blade like those found on pocket knives.
Here is how you use this method to remove your snap-back watch using your fingernail or thin blade:
- Step 1: Turn your watch face down in your hand and locate the watch’s hinge. This will be a small indent on the watch back, where you will insert your fingernail or blade to lift it off. Keep the watch in your hand to grip it while removing the back.
- Step 2: Insert your thumbnail into the indent and apply upward pressure to release the watch back from the watch body. If your nail isn’t strong enough or the watch back is on too tight, use a razor blade or knife blade to lift it off.
- Step 3 – To replace the watch back, align it on the watch case and press firmly until it clicks back into place.
If there is no hinge on the watch, you will see a small gap between the watch back and the casing, slip the knife or your nail into the gap and lift the back off.
Be careful if you use a knife or razor blade, and make sure you point the blade away from your body and hands when lifting the back off using this method.
How To Remove The Small Screws From A Watch Back
With watches like Casio’s G-Shock, you may find that the back of those watches is fastened using small screws, and if you don’t happen to have a precision screwdriver handy, you can use some other common tools to get the backoff.
Before you start, see what size screw heads you are dealing with. Some could be a bit bigger than others, and some are smaller. Next, look around your home and see if you have a small pair of scissors or a tweezer set that could work.
Tweezer blades are flat and thin and are ideal to substitute for the flat edge of a precision screwdriver.
As an easy way to remove the back of a watch that has screws, here’s what you do:
- Step 1: Place the watch on a hard surface with the face. Wood or plastic is better; for added protection, use a towel to prevent scratching the watch’s face.
- Take your scissors or tweezer blade and insert it into the slot of the first screw. Most watches have four screws, so you will repeat this with each one until the back is loose.
- Applying gradual pressure, turn the screw counterclockwise to loosen it.
- You can either loosen each screw and remove it completely, or you can loosen each one and when all four are loose, use the tweezers or scissors to unscrew them and remove them.
- Remember to apply force gradually, so you don’t strip the screw, and to do the same when replacing them.
A handy tip here is to magnetize the end of the implement you are using so that the screws coming out will stick to the steel, and you can put them down without losing or dropping them. You can use a magnet by stroking the steel end in one direction to create a light magnetic field.
If the screws are tight, you can add a little superglue to the end of the implement or the screw, and then, as it sets, apply the blade to the insert and unscrew the back.
Handy Tips To Easily Open The Back Of A Watch
Aside from being careful when using sharp edges like razor blades or scissors, there are a few other ways to make your life a little easier when removing the back of a watch without the proper tools.
Firstly, removing the strap would be a good idea to give yourself a better grip on the watch casing. You may think holding onto the strap for grip will help, but you could tear or damage the strap in the process- so rather remove it.
If you are going to use pliers or a wrench to grip the watch, make sure you place some toweling or padding between the jaws of the wrench or pliers and the watch casing, as this will prevent scratching the case.
Always apply gradual pressure when leveraging the back off as you want to be sure it doesn’t fly off and reduce the risk of coming into contact with the watch’s delicate inner mechanism. And further to this point, keep any tools or your hands away from the mechanism.
Another reason to do this is that if you grip the back too hard, you can bend or distort the watch back, and then it won’t fit back onto the case, and you would need to see if you could replace it, but in most cases, the watch becomes useless, and you’d have to throw it away.
Batteries are generally easy to access and can be removed and replaced without digging through the mechanism. If you are replacing the battery, once you have the backoff, the battery can be lifted out and then replaced.
If you are holding the watch in your hand and using sharp implements, add some protection by using non-slip gloves or another material that offers traction and reduces the risk of puncturing your hand while working.
Keep the screws, the back, and any components that come off the watch in a clean space so you can find them again easily and they don’t get dust or dirt on them.
Where possible, don’t remove the waterproof gasket from the watch case as these are placed there and sealed or glued in, so the watch maintains its waterproof status. If you damage the gasket, this would compromise the waterproofing of the case and could lead to water leaking into the mechanism and damaging the watch.
Conclusion
There are easy ways to open the back of a watch, and now you have several ways to do this even if you don’t have watchmaker’s tools. Check what type of watch back you have to deal with and then apply one of these methods.
Wherever possible, rather take the watch to the dealer or jeweler as they have the proper tools to take the watch back off and replace it with no risk to the watch, but if you have to ‘Macguyver it’ for any reason, you now have some smart ways to do that!
