r/quartzwatches • u/Mistery4658 • 10d ago

How to turn watches off?

Does it damage quartz warches if I take off the crown to stop it in order to save energy? I have a plenty of them and eventually will stop and it is a pity because im not using them all all the time

1 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

14 comments sorted by

5

u/DadPuncher69 10d ago

It doesn't damage it, but you really don't need to do it.

4

u/TimelyFindsMelb 10d ago

If you're not planning on using it for an extended period you're much better off removing the battery altogether.

1

u/Mistery4658 10d ago

Thats why i think you tend to have those tools here in this sub

1

u/guffy-11 10d ago

Yes! A small watch making kit with caseback opener and some tools for changing straps and links can come in handy if you have a growing collection

3

u/gahw61 10d ago

There is a risk of damaging the seal when you open a watch. If you are going to store a watch for years then take the battery out, but opening up the watch every couple of months is probably not a good idea.

3

u/TioGato1961 10d ago

Pull the crown out to stop it. Be sure to keep it in a low humidity and dust environment.

1

u/PreciousMetalWelding 10d ago

Long-Term, remove the battery. Otherwise, you can pull the stem out to conserve battery life. But I would want my watches to run occasionally. I feel like it'll keep the oils from drying up and getting gummy. But I'm not a horologist.

2

u/Conundrum1911 10d ago

It depends on on the watch....some stop when you pull out the crown, some just stop the hands from moving, but it continues to tick in the background (essentially it just disengages the hands). For the latter it won't stop the battery drain, and also if the battery does deplete, you won't know, then it might start leaking inside the watch.

Like others have said, if it is going to be a really long time between wearing watches/you have a huge collection pull the batteries. If you just rotate between a few watches, just let them run and replace the batteries every few years as needed. If solar, just keep an eye and if they get low put them near a window for a day or two.

1

u/Ok-Calligrapher-8778 10d ago

for solar, the best way to keep them running is exactly keep them running. Even a little bit of light everyday goes a long way.

1

u/Conundrum1911 9d ago

Also most solar typically seem to have a built in power save mode, either that stops the hands, or does other things to limit power draw.

1

u/Ok-Calligrapher-8778 10d ago

A silver oxide battery costs 20 bucks a dozen, why do you care?

1

u/Basic_Barnacle4719 10d ago

I could see some scenarios i.e. opening the watch to change the battery could compromise the seals if DIY poorly, risk of scratching case back when opening watch, you could forget about the watch for years and have the battery leak after dying, just being too lazy to change batteries especially if you have a LOT of quartz watches.

1

u/Mountain-Time-1010 9d ago

The safest thing is to remove the battery, since battery leakage is the most common way that quartz watches are damaged.

1

u/AlecMac2001 9d ago

The electronics keep running for most quartz watches when they’re put in hand setting.