319 WATCH BATTERY

Today was a flat day in so many ways. Things weren't working well in work and we're behind schedule. No problem, we'll catch up. But at ten to eleven my watch stopped. Bah.

I stopped into a place on my way home to get a new battery. He split the case and checked the battery, only to find that it was ok. He thought that the problem might be the hand alignment, but during the process one of the numeral battens had come off! The watchmaker was off until the following week, and I left the shop feeling pretty despondent. My watch and I have been through a lot together.

When I got home my bro suggested that I take it to the Phoenix Watch Company in town, and that's what I wanted to do in the first place, but I knew that they'd closed long ago. Well, he thought otherwise and searched the net. Following a quick phone call, sure enough the place was still open and had never been closed. This closure clearly happened in my head.

I trotted straight down there to drop the watch off, and they confirmed that the hand alignment was 'all over the place'.

They stripped the watch, whilst I was there, realigned the hands, refitted the batten and put it all back together. I've been told to try it for 24 hours. If it's still working then it will almost certainly stay working, but as a worst case they'll just fit a whole new movement and that would be less than fifty quid - result!

The best was yet to come - they wouldn't charge me, and refused to take money. Despite explaining the flaw in this business model they were resolute, and instead said I should tell a thousand of my friends that they're still there and still working.

Well that process begins here! The Phoenix Watch Company, on the first floor at 13a/15a Richmond Street just off Whitechapel is very much alive and well.

The work is first rate, and they can handle everything from a simple battery replacement on your Sekonda to a complete tear down, service and rebuild of your Rolex. And they're nice people.

Thanks Phoenix! Call them on 0151 708 6437 and get something mended. Then I'll only have 999 friends to go. :)

...this watch means so much to me because it has been my dependable time keeper for years and served me well while in iraq...it has survived more abuse than any other watch i have ever had...

...one problem that bugs the heck out of me...you can't get the rear cover off with any tools available...even my local battery store that stands by it's "we have a battery for anything" motto couldn't remove the cover, which means i have to send it off for battery & seal replacement ($$$aargh)...

...oh well, i have it back now and the old timex goes back into the drawer...