How to disassemble a wristwatch?

With the development of digital technologies, more and more consumers prefer "smart" wearable technology, namely smartwatches, sometimes forgetting about wristwatches. Expanded functionality, the ability to answer a call, tracking physical activity and body indicators - all this has popularized "smart technology" among geeks. But the frequent lagging behind in the mechanics and the need to replace the quartz battery force the watch owners to either solve the problem on their own, or contact the watchmakers. As a result, true admirers of "watchmaking", aesthetes of "mechanics and quartz" often ask themselves how to disassemble a wristwatch.

Wristwatches, whether mechanical or quartz, need service. So, dust and dirt, clogged in the gears of the mechanism, lead to the fact that the mechanical watch over time begins to lag behind, and often stops moving altogether. Quartz watches, in turn, require replacement of the rechargeable battery at least once every 2-3 years. As a rule, the battery life of a watch depends on the electronic mechanism and the quality of the battery itself.

Perhaps the first problem a consumer may face when trying to disassemble a watch is the lack of the necessary watch tools. But here the usual improvised means come to the rescue - a sharp knife, a screwdriver, an awl with a blunt point, a couple of Petri dishes or ordinary porcelain saucers.

How to disassemble a quartz wrist watch?

Quartz watches are divided into several types:

  • analog watches with a pointer mechanism, powered by a battery;
  • electronic clock with digital time indication, also powered by a small battery;
  • Self-winding quartz watches are a hybrid of quartz and mechanics.

Anyway, in order to disassemble the above watch, you need to remove the back cover, which, depending on the type of closure, in turn is divided into several types:

  • screw cap - has a thread on the cap or a screw ring by means of which the cap is screwed into the watch case. To remove it, you need to insert tweezers or a special tool into the grooves and unscrew the cover counterclockwise;
  • a flip cover with a small flattened, into which a sharp object is inserted and pushed off with little effort;
  • Screw cap - requires a screwdriver to open.

After removing the cover from the quartz watch, carefully remove the rechargeable battery and replace it with a new one. It is not recommended to disassemble the electronic mechanism, since it is rather difficult, and sometimes impossible, to assemble it at home.

How to disassemble a mechanical wristwatch?

With mechanics, everything is much more complicated, because the clockwork consists of many parts. Having unscrewed the back cover of the watch, you need to immediately release the mainspring, and then disconnect the winding shaft. After that, the hands, watch dial, balance and wheels of the mechanism are removed. At the end of the disassembly of the watch, all parts are put into a Petri dish and washed with gasoline. After the parts have dried, all the components of the movement are reassembled in the reverse order.

The main problem with mechanical watches is their diversity, and therefore the disassembly of some watches may differ from others. Before you start disassembling the mechanics, it is recommended to watch the video on the Internet, since there have been more and more of them lately.

And remember, if you are not confident in your abilities, you should not even start, since there are many nuances to consider when working with a watch.

An example of the disassembly of a mechanical watch "Slava" is presented in the following video:

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