Get their back!

Watch case backs are nonetheless extremely vital parts of a watch’s total security against adverse, external factors; yet gets less than their share of the spotlight, keeping aside the highly and very highly decorated ones. The mid to moderate don’t get much attention either until and unless a top brand creates one and puts it up with a celebrity flashing teeth to make it sell. But at the end, it boils down to just three basic types that are also the most common.

There are also watches that open  from the front; these  require removing  crystal to access the  movement. Only to be opened by professional  watchmakers,   repairers and/or jewelers, for opening the case back every time requires gaskets and other related items to be treated or replaced to ensure maximum security against environmental factors. You may not put it right even though you can find them aplenty selling in the market. Unless you are pretty tech and a DIY-type! Still, try to keep your hands off the mechanical and the high-end electronics kind. They are sensitive beyond your wildest thoughts.

We’ll try to cover here the info about what needs to be done lest you run into a situation where you might need to open your watch’s back.

For simple quartz watches, you don’t require a variety of watch tools. The max an average, non-tech guy can do after taking off the back is changing your watch battery. Someone little more tech-savvy might just replace gaskets and remove dust and at extreme cases, completely replace a movement.

A variety of mechanical ways exists to make the job easy and effortless for professionals with training and experience in watch repair and restorations.

The screw-down WaterProof type has notches around the edge-back of the case while the pressure-fit watch back has it entirely plain and smooth save a small dent or notch on the side or between the lugs where a tool can be placed. Often put back with a watch-case press. It’s also possible without one, but you need to wait for till the next installment.

Then there are the 4-screws watch backs. The smooth back is held in place with four screws, one at each corner, bit inward from the edges. This type has a more widespread use – especially in very cheap watches and fitting everything from metal to resin, rubber and plastic cases.As for our next part, we will see how to take these things off, with or without using tools. Till then, hope your batteries don’t run dry.