watch woes and suggested (new) one?

It is possible that the battery cover is no longer applying the necessary pressure to keep the battery in contact with the circuit.
Since applying finger pressure to the battery helped it to work perhaps a little paper or plastic shim between the battery and the battery cover might help to push it down hard enough to make it work.

I have used this method before on other battery-powered equipment, but not watches.
I suspect that it would work if the battery just needs more pressure to hold it in place.

I've had an Ironman die in a similar manner – the screen became unreliable… I would expect it is dead.

Depending on what you want/need in a watch I will put in a plug for the Casio solar atomic tough watches – I have the Casio Mudman and it is bombproof. Plus it runs on solar power and sets to the atomic clock every night. Really an outstanding product.

Having said that – I find the Casio gshocks to be more durable but on whole have fewer features in the base watches than Ironmen. I have an ironman as well that I wear to the gym but when I'm camping it is always the Mudman.

It looks like this more or less replaced the mudman

http://www.casio.com/products/Watches/G-Shock/GW2310FB-1/

Leslie- just throw down $400 for a new Garmin Fenix and when you find it's too big for your wrist, sell it to me for $300 :)

I had a Timex Ironman (one of the original ones) that lasted 15 years, quite a watch indeed.

Mike

I think the shimming won't really cost you anything and that you should try it. If the watch uses the rear of the case for a contact, just use aluminum foil for the shim (or a strip of copper from an old slot car pickup).

If that doesn't work, I suggest you look at the G-Shock watches, as mentioned above. I also use one, a "solar atomic" (this means it's solar-powered and calibrates off the atomic clock) that's well over ten years old. Mine has been beaten, submerged, bashed, painted, scrubbed, seared in heat and otherwise disrespected over the years and it not only keeps perfect time (thanks to nukular bombs, man) but never requires any maintenance. It replaced a G-Shock that survived even more, but which got a ratty strap and I tired of replacing batteries in every five years… It's light, too.

There are three good places to buy G-Shock solar atomics: Costco, Walmart and eBay. Note that there are also non-solar and non-atomic G Shocks out there, some of which are pretty cool, just without what many of us consider the two best features.

thanks kids.
per suggestions, i will try shimming it and see what comes of it.
i suspect i might have gotten some H20 in the circuit (from paddling this summer).
urgh :(
so these atomic (bombs) (lol!) that many here speak of…
how do they fare in wet conditions (i live in the northeast)?
and, what am i looking at for coin?
i want something simple…
my running days are over. :)
and i'm in GRAD skool.
enuf said.
can i find them on e-bay for super cheap?
thanks.
lt

just get a cheap $20 casio digital watch. retro is in. for the price of a fancy gshock (which i actually do want), you could buy cheap watches 20 times.

+1 to the $20 casio. Even better when you can get the $20 Casio for $13.97:
Casio digital on Amazon

I have that one and it works great for me.

You don't have to get the solar atomic feature but it sure is nice. They run around $100 ish on the bay, but Walmart carries (or at least did) carry one or two of them for around $80.

Still, a basic g shock will run you around $60 – not much more than the Ironman and they truly are darn near impossible to kill. True 200m water resistance in almost all models.

As mentioned – however – there are cheaper options available.

I take it the Fenix is out? :)

Costco sells Casio G-Shock "solar atomic" watches in-store only, for under $70. My local store had one in the case the last time I was there and it's a very safe bet they'll have a run with them before the holidays. The Costco price will be about one-half MSRP, fyi….tcb, pdq, a-ok :)

A quick survey of eBay ("casio g shock solar atomic") and then limited to only Buy-Now options, results in ten watches for under $80, shipped. Buy-Now tends to inflate prices over the "score deals", but it can be a decent way to check market rates if you're careful. Without the BIN restriction on results, there are 22 results under $80 and if you drop the atomic (keeping the excellent solar), there are about 55 watches that result.

The thing with the "tough solars" is that they can be dived with, beaten on, frozen, cooked and battered, but they hold up and never require a battery. Technically (since there are those who would so much enjoy being contrarian), they can require a new capacitor, but those are about $10 and of all the people I know with these, nobody's ever needed to do this. Anyway, it's a watch that remains on for MONTHS in no light and reaches full charge with even a little ambient light. Without the "atomic" feature, these watches stay pretty accurate (my Casio ProTrek is solar but not atomic), but the auto-synchro is pretty darn cool.

On that note, here's a Pro Trek Tough Solar, for $32, shipped: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Casio-Protrek-Mens-Solar-Digital-Alarm-Chronograph-Blue-Watch-Prs201b-2V-New-/310455684037?pt=Wristwatches&hash=item484899cbc5

Deals can be had.

Hi Leslie

OK, so when you pressed the battery in properly the watch functioned normally. Therefore the watch itself is quite OK and does not need replacing (yet).

You got some water in it at one stage? Most likely the battery contacts are slightly corroded or dirty. Clean them with plain white paper. Maybe bend the spring contacts out a whisker (not too much) to get better pressure. Put a faint touch of silicone grease on the contacts to protect them. If there is an O-ring seal, put some Si grease on that too. Reassemble and try. If that works, great.

Cheers

total radness! that i asked for input, and i got all that, and more!
i do so appreciate the beta, the suggestions, the shopping for me, the jerry rigging 101…
roger, i'll follow your instructions
watch me now…!
thanks again kids.

if you think about invenrse display, it's harder to read, but cool none the less.

I have one reverse display – although ironically in my case it is a Timex Ironman shock resistant model (their real g shock competitor with 200m water resistance etc…) and I agree that they are both cool – and more difficult to read!

Either bright light or backlit in darkness they are fine, but in dim to moderate light they can be a bit tricky.

And I do like the efforts to keep it alive. Not because you wouldn't be happy with a new solar atomic g shock (I promise you – you would) … but because I in general principle like trying to fix stuff rather than throwing it away. I do a lousy job of it at times – given a recent spree of a new stove system – pot – down bag and wind shirt (albeit all of them somewhat necessary and several items bought used) – but like the notion of not just consuming more… it can be challenging if you've bought stuff in the past like I have that, after learning more, is less than ideal (like pre finding BPL) but the older stuff still gets used, just maybe not packed.

Heck it was this site – a post by Roger specifically – that had me hit "remove" on that titanium whistle I'd put in the countycomm basket – when I already have two fox40 whistles. I looked cool but really – how many whistles do you need?

phillip~
TOTALLY with you, 125%!
it's really a rare thing for me to purchase new!
i really try hard to keep landfills minimally filled.
hence my addiction to ebay :)
lt

You can buy a lifetime of $60 watches, or you can buy a decent watch.
I don't wear any other bling, but i like a nice watch. My Tag cost me around $3,000 a good few years ago, but it will outlive me, and probably my son when he inherits it. He wants it now.:-)
No landfill.

so my first watch i bought in high school (when you could actually pay no more than $30, and it was quality, USA made, the whole nine…) it lasted 10 years before i left it at the crags, to never see it again. it was a timex ironman (before they got chinsy). the one that i presently have i traded for with a friend. it was less technical, but did the job, timex ironman as well, watered-down version of the first, likely retailed for $25. it's previous owner had it 5 years, and i owned it for seven.
do the math: $30 for 17 years and then some…
i'm ALL for quality, and i agree in full, yes, longevity keeps landfills minimized, but too, i suspect there to be a ridiculous inflation for anything technical these days; watches included.
when all i want is to tell time, and possibly keep track of the date every now and again, then that's when i visit my trusty e-bay and fnd the same exact watch for $5 including shipping. likely it'll last me another decade, if not longer.
not to in any way undermine your valued thoughts mike, but remember too, the more features, the higher the price, the more likely to go wrong.
it's all what you want i suppose, but i like simplicity, and seems the one way to find that these days is to reel the clock backwards.
lt

roger~
per your suggestion, i tried cleaning the connections on my watch.
i used some dielectric tune-up grease (a friends' suggestion) and yet the problem remains.
my watch tells time perfectly with the old battery, but ONLY when the back plate ISN'T secured. seemingly the minute i out the plate on, all goes blank.
urgh.
so anywho, i aprreciate your suggestions
can't say i didn't try!
onward and upward!
lt

Hi Leslie

> my watch tells time perfectly with the old battery,
So the electronics in the watch are working perfectly when power is applied.

> the minute i put the plate on, all goes blank.
So when the back plate goes on the battery ceases to make electrical contact with the watch. How very odd. I wonder why.
I am quite sure it is a problem with the contacts somehow (that's the only answer which makes sense to me), but without a good photo it is very hard to guess what is wrong.

Cheers

I had a similar experience with the Ironman sprint, only it happened after I wore the watch in the shower a few times. Since I was traveling, I just had to ditch it and buy a new watch. I went back to the tried and true original style Ironman Triathlon.

I have owned several of these and they last a long, long time. That said, when the batttery goes, I have learned not to replace it myself because I never got it to seal properly again. I suspect this may be what is happening to you. I now take my Ironman watches to a jeweler when the battery needs replaced. I'm not sure what the magic is, but they can do it properly and I can't.

Give it a try, it's cheaper than buying a new watch. If I buy the battery from the jeweler, they install it for free.

a used Casio pathfinder? Baro/Altim/Compass/Sunrise/Sunset/ world time/solar charging/shock and water proof.

Whatever you get – get a solar charging piece. Many watches die during battery swaps or from a bad seal after a battery swap. That's how my first Pathfinder died because it didn't have solar charging so needed to replace battery every 3-4 years.

They are not ultralight when compared to other watches, but a quality one will last a very long time.

I got a $90 Ciziten EchoDrive and a $200 pathfinder that i alternate when i go do sports (swimming surfing, hiking, etc). They have been sand, water, cold, heat…and just keep on going.