Quartz watches are wonderfully reliable — right up until the battery starts to go. Catch the signs early and you’ll avoid the bigger problem a dead battery can cause. Here’s what we tell customers at our Bakersfield shop.
1. The second hand jumps in intervals
Many quartz watches have a built-in low-battery warning: the second hand starts moving in two- to five-second jumps instead of once per second. That’s your cue to replace the battery soon.
2. The watch runs slow or stops intermittently
Losing minutes per day, or stopping overnight and restarting when you shake it, usually means the battery can no longer deliver steady power.
3. The date stops changing
Calendar functions draw extra power at midnight. A weak battery often fails that heavier task first.
4. Digital displays fade or flicker
On digital watches, a dim or ghosting display is the equivalent of the skipping second hand — the battery is on its way out.
5. It’s simply been 2–3 years
Most watch batteries last one to three years. If you can’t remember the last change, you’re probably due.
Why not just leave a dead battery in?
This is the part most people don’t know: old batteries can leak, and battery leakage corrodes the movement — turning a $15 fix into a repair that can cost more than the watch. If a watch has stopped, get the battery out sooner rather than later, even if you won’t wear it for a while.
Why replacement technique matters
Case backs scratch easily with the wrong tools, gaskets tear when pinched, and water resistance disappears with a careless reseal. At Lucky’s, batteries are replaced with proper case tools, the gasket is checked, and the watch is tested before it goes back on your wrist — usually while you wait.
Stop by 5009 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield — no appointment needed.