Cautions about Worn Out Batteries in Clocks and Watches
28 February 2018Back in the old days, watches were often self-winding or mechanical in nature, basically, they had to be rewound with a special ‘winding key’ at the end of every day to maintain their function. These are still popular timepieces to this day, although they have slowly been replaced by quartz watches and digital watches that are powered by tiny batteries called ‘cells’.
While these are less of a hassle than self-winding and mechanical watches, they can also be somewhat problematic when their batteries run out. One may be tempted to wait for a while before watch batteries are replaced, which can take a long time, but there are dangers to just leaving an empty battery disc inside a watch or a clock.
Here are four reasons why you should always replace your watch or clock battery each time it runs out:
- Protecting the movement – leaving a battery for too long in a watch or clock can be disastrous for the movement, since de-powered batteries have a slight chance of leaking or breaking down. Batteries used in quartz watches are often made with silver oxide, and the electrolytes inside the cells or batteries can be highly corrosive. Left inside a watch, it can cause severe and often irreparable damage to the movement.
- Preserving the anodes and cathodes – leaving a battery inside a clock or watch can ruin the cathodes and anodes of the piece. While this can be readily fixed, it is a problem that can be easily avoided. Ruined anodes and cathodes interfere with the proper functioning of a battery, and may even result in your timepiece being ruined if left unattended or unnoticed.
- Prevent accident or injury – if batteries are corrosive enough to dissolve watch movements, a leaking battery is most definitely something you don’t want your skin exposed to by accident.
- Extend the lifespan of your timepiece – if you want to ensure that your timepiece lasts for a lifetime, always be responsible enough to replace batteries as they wear out. Not only will the overall function of your timepiece remain impeccable, you’ll also prevent any possible harm to yourself or your timepiece.
For more information on how to take care of clocks and timepieces, please visit Ken Ross Jewellers – sellers of quality watch brands, such as Lorus, Seiko, Cover Switzerland, Adina, and Michel Herbelin. Ken Ross Jewellers also offers watch repairs services and manufactures and sells high-quality jewellery.
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