A Good Time to be Self-Reliant

 

I am a bargain shopper and I am reasonably handy with tools for both large- and small-scale projects. As a result, I'm seldom deterred from acquiring second-hand items that can be easily repaired, if the price is right. The important thing is to be cognizant of what is—and is not—within the realm of my technical expertise, including my ability to learn new skills or apply existing ones to a new challenge. 

Case in point—I recently won an auction on Shopgoodwill.com for three men’s watches, a Pulsar, a Fossil and a Timex. It turned out they all needed batteries and to have links removed from their bracelets to accommodate my smaller than average wrist. So far, I have the Timex and the Pulsar running. It has also prompted me to acquire some basic watch repair tools so I can adjust bracelets and change my own batteries going forward. After all, any task worth doing is worth acquiring the proper tools.

The Timex, black chrome with an Indiglo dial, was the easiest to work on. I was able to pop the back cover off with a pocket knife and discovered I had the correct battery on hand. I was also able to remove a few links from the expansion bracelet using a jeweler’s screwdriver and needle nose pliers. It had been about 20 years since I’d done particular operation and I had forgotten just how much of a pain it is to work on. I’m not sure if I want to undertake that again in the foreseeable future. The watch shows a bit more wear than the other two and the calendar doesn’t move. Having done everything to this watch necessary to make it minimally serviceable, I feel a good sense of satisfaction. I also recognize my technical limitations and I am thus content to live with the calendar permanently displaying the 27^th.

The Pulsar and the Fossil, both full stainless steel with latching bracelets, also require a case opening tool to access the battery, along with a pin removal tool to allow me to take links out of their bracelets. I found these tools are fairly inexpensive and have ordered them for about what it would cost to have a battery professionally installed. Nonetheless, impatience got the better of me so I took both watches to Batteries Plus, where I was told they were “not allowed” to work on the Fossil but they could install a battery in the Pulsar. They had given me a similar song and dance about an Armitron watch that I own, even though they had replaced its battery in the past. I’m not sure what to make of their reluctance regarding certain brands but I shall be taking that function into my own hands, going forward.

Both of these watches are slightly too large for my wrist, which leads me to believe links have already been removed and the similarity in their respective sizing suggests they may have previously been owned by the same person. I was able to tighten the Pulsar’s bracelet a bit at the clasp but I will also need remove at least one link for proper fitment. The Fossil has no adjustment at the clasp and thus will also need a link or two removed; that is, if I decide to keep it.

The Pulsar was the watch that initially attracted me to bid on this lot and is thus a keeper, while the Timex continues to grow on me, despite the non-functioning calendar, mainly because I like the Indiglo display. Of the three, the Fossil is my least favorite—it’s design leans more toward fashion than function, which just isn’t me. It has no calendar and no numbers or minute markers on the face. While attractive in a minimalist sort of way, it makes timekeeping approximate at best. It might be okay for dressy occasions but definitely not for daily wear. Once I put a battery in it, I’ll wear it for a day or two without adjusting the bracelet before deciding whether to put it up on eBay. The popularity of Fossil watches may make it fairly easy to sell and perhaps for enough to pay for the other two.

While I have grown accustomed over the years to paying to have the batteries replaced in my watches, acquiring the tools to do so myself will result in considerable savings; in fact, the tools will easily pay for themselves on their first or second use, considering that a five-pack of watch batteries typically costs $3-$4, while having a single battery professionally installed costs about $12. That’s a hefty markup. Beyond the monetary savings, self-reliance is an important consideration. I derive pleasure and satisfaction from being able to fix things myself instead of having to pay others to do them for me. For me, the ability to repair things is empowering