Watch Workshop: Easy Fixes for A Casio MRW-210H Watch

The Casio MRW-210 is a great casual diver-style watch with a large readable dial and a resin case and strap. I originally reviewed it here in this post. The resin watch strap deteriorated over the last 9 years and eventually became unusable and the watch battery died. However, the case seemed to have plenty of life left and the other two issues are easily fixed. Here is a photo of the watch way back in the day when it was just a smoldering hotspot in my wallet.

Casio MRW-210H Analog Watch

The nearest available Casio model on Amazon is the Casio MRW-200H Analog Watch available here via my Amazon affiliate link.

Replacing the Battery in a Casio MRW-210H Watch

The caseback came off easily with the removal of four small screws. The replacement battery number is 399 (SR927W or SR927SW).  You can find it on our watch battery page.

Casio MRW-210H Watch Movement & Renata watch battery

On a cautionary note, every battery compartment seems to have a few metal bits designed to hold the battery in position and close the circuit so that power flows from the battery to the watch. I try not to bend any of the fiddly bits too much.

Casio MRW-210H Watch Movement

Replacing the Watch Strap on a Casio MRW-210H Watch

Since the old strap was gone, I ordered an inexpensive new one as a replacement.  It's a cobee silicone watch band and it's available on Amazon for a less than $10. It is a silicone strap with plenty of adjustments and quick release spring bars to make installation easy and strap swaps a cinch. I bought the 20mm wide strap and it fit perfectly.

Cobee Silicone Watch Strap (Amazon photo)

If you'd like to take a look at this Cobee watch strap, use my Amazon affiliate link here.

Watch Project: Reviving A Steve Harvey Wristwatch

Steve Harvey is well known for collecting high end wristwatches. Steve Harvey has been spotted wearing very expensive Patek Philippe and Richard Mille watches. It's less well known that he also put his own name to a line of affordable wristwatches. While I haven't seen any in discount stores or online on Amazon, I recently came across one in a local thrift store and bought it.  At only $6.95, it was a steal!  While this watch is well weathered, it does have an interesting case shape and a nice design.

A Steve Harvey Celebrity Edition Wristwatch

How to Replace A Watch Battery

This Steve Harvey watch takes a common SR626SW watch battery.  It was easy to pop the back off, replace the battery, and press the caseback right back into place.  I didn't even have to use my caseback press. After I got the casebackoff, I simply removed the white plastic protector (shown below) that holds the movement and dial in place.  To replace the battery, I simply popped out the old one and replaced it with a new one.  Then I placed the white plastic piece and put the caseback back on the watch and pressed down on it hard.  It popped back into place with no fuss and no muss.

The inside of a Steve Harvey Watch

The movement is a common PC21J Quartz Watch movement that is available on Aliexpress for under $2 or on Amazon in a 5-pack as shown here.  It certainly makes one pause when you realize how inexpensive quartz watch movements can be. I have to wonder if the $10.96 that Walmart charges for a George brand quartz watch is completely appropriate for most quartz watches. However, I digress.  Note the little clip at the 7 o'clock position on the watch battery.  You don't want to bend or damage that when you take the battery out or put a new one in.

A PC21J Quartz Watch Movement

Now, the watch runs like a champ. I would like to clean up the case a little better.  For example, I'd like to remove the brown smudge on the case at the 11 o'clock position.  I'm not sure if it is oxidation or a tobacco stain.  It didn't come off when I used cleaning wipes.

The Steve Harvey Celebrity Edition Thrift Store Watch Running and Wearing Well

Overall, I'm pleased with this thrift store find. Men's watches seem rare in thrift stores nowadays since many organizations and donors just go directly online to auction sites with them.  Finding one is like finding a treasure. I like this one and I'm sure I'll wear it on a regular basis.

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.

How to Replace A Watch Battery

Replacing watch batteries is a common problem faced by every owner of battery-powered quartz watches.  Often watches just languish for months or years for want of a new battery.  Many old watches just get discarded.  Some like these two Hello Kitty watches make it to thrift stores for resale.  My wife likes Hello Kitty stuff and bought these two with dead batteries.

The type of battery required is printed on the back of the case.  In this case, I was looking for a 377 type watch battery for both watches.  They came in a two pack from the drug store for about $7 or $8.

I am fortunate to have a case of dedicated watch tools and I also have a new caseback press.  I've had my kit for awhile.  But there are many like it available on Amazon.

For this project, the small blade proved most helpful for prying up the casebacks so that I could replace the batteries.  Some watches--particularly manly macho waterproof watches--have indents around the back because they are made to screw off using a watch case removal tool that works like a wrench.

Once the case back is off you can usually see the watch battery in the back of the mechanism.  If you look carefully with a magnifier, you may notice that crosses onto the back of the battery.  When you pry out the battery, be careful not to bend that out of shape.  It's a little flexible to enable you to get at the battery out, but it's necessary to get electricity out of the battery.

Next slip the new battery in where the old battery was.  Place the watch caseback on the back of the watch.  Be careful that any indent on the caseback lines up with the winding (setting) stem that comes from crown on the case so that you don't bend that stem.  Then you press the caseback down onto the case.  Sometimes that can be difficult to do by hand.  That's why it is useful to have a watch caseback press like the one pictured below.

There are discs for the press that match different watch sizes.  You'll want to pick the size that matches your watch and place that on the upper piston that gets pressed down on your watch.
Then, you put your watch and carefully lined up caseback on the press and gently press down.  It should snap right into place.  Be careful about putting too much weight on it or you could damage the watch crystal.  It didn't take much force at all using the press.  If it doesn't work, don't force it.  Check to see that the caseback is lined up and that the disc matches your watch size appropriately.

I was able to get both watches back running in just a few minutes.  Please note that I am just an amateur watch collector on the internet.  If you have very valuable or heirloom quality watches, you should probably take your watch to a jewelry store for a watch battery replacement.

To see how to replace a watch battery on a Timex Expedition or Elevated Classic, check out this post.

Replacing a Watch Battery on a Timex Weekender

or . . . Reviving a Zombie Watch

The leaves are beginning to turn, darkness is falling upon the land at an ever earlier hour, and the wind howls through the trees.  Once again, it's fall and Halloween approaches.  The line between the living and the dead will soon be wafer thin.  It's a good time to open the crypt of dead wristwatches and dig up an old favorite.  Behold, here is my trusty old Timex Weekender with Tachymeter markings.  It's an old favorite, but it has lain dead in my watch box for several months.

Timex Weekender Tachymeter Watch

 The Guts of a Timex Weekender!

To revive a Timex Weekender, all you need is a new watch battery.  The case back calls for a CR-2016 battery to serve as the heart and soul of the timepiece.  Perhaps it's not surprising that it has such a commonplace battery to keep the ticker running?  If you'd like to rip the heart out of each of your dead watches, you can buy a bulk pack of batteries on Amazon.

To perform the actual operation, all you need is a small little screwdriver to pop the back right off.  You just have to probe the back of the watch and find a vulnerability.

 Then, you can insert your blade and pry to show everyone the insides of your Timex Weekender!

Then, you just carefully remove the old watch battery and replace with your new one.  Be careful to notice the various metal contacts around the edge of the battery compartment.  Then gently insert your replacement battery.  Once your "procedure" is completed, press the caseback back into place.  Your watch will live on for a few more years again.  Then it will die and you can revive it once more!