Replacing Watch Batteries on Timex Expedition and Timex Elevated Classic Watches

I recently revived a couple of my favorite Timex watches.  It was time for long overdue watch battery replacements for my Timex Expedition Vintage Metal watch and my Timex Elevated Classic.  Fortunately, they both used the same battery.

A Timex Expedition Watch with the caseback popped off revealing the battery.

Steps for Replacing a Timex Expedition Watch Battery

The steps in replacing a watch battery for a simple watch like the Timex Expedition are simple and straight forward:

1. Pop the caseback off.
2. Remove the dead battery.
3. Place the new battery in the watch.
4. Check to make sure the second hand is moving.
5. Press the caseback back onto the watch.

Timex Expedition Vintage Metal - A Military-Style Watch

What kind of watch battery does a Timex Expedition Vintage Metal watch use?

The venerable CR-2016 watch battery.  Fortunately, it's a relatively large battery, easy to handle, and commonly found in retail stores or on Amazon.

What kind of watch battery does a Timex Elevated Classic watch use?

Also, the CR-2016 watch battery.

What kind of tools do you need to replace a watch battery?

While replacing watch batteries is relatively easy, it really helps to have some specialized tools.  To pop the caseback off, you need a stout little blade to find an indent and use as a lever to pop it off.  Watch repair kits like this one on Amazon, usually have such a blade to make easy work of the job.

Watch Press Case Setback Tool

Another tool that really helps is a Watch Press Case Setback Tool.  It can be easy to pop off a watch caseback, but pressing it back on again without a tool can be an extreme challenge.  

Drawbacks to Replacing Your Own Watch Battery

The biggest problem I find in replacing a watch battery is that you can scratch up the back of the watch trying to pry off the caseback. You also need a special wrench to remove casebacks on diver-style watches.  It can sometimes be difficult to find the right replacement watch battery. If a watch is expensive, you may want to take the watch to a watch repair shop for professional assistance.

For more details, check out this post on how to replace a watch battery.