New watch or new battery?

Question

I accidentally jumped into the pool with my cheap plastic watch. It was working fine for a little while then it stopped. Could I just get a new battery for it or is it hopeless? I would just have to get a new watch?

Answer 1

If it's a really cheap digital watch, it is probably cheaper to buy a new watch than replace the battery.

When water gets inside an electrical device, it can create a short circuit. This short circuit can damage the electronics beyond reasonable repair costs. If, as you say, the watch was "cheap", then forget trying to get it fixed.

For "knockaround" use, I buy $1 digital watches at the dollar stores. They come with the battery (that would cost you more than $1 to replace). When the watch finally goes bad (dead battery, about 9 months) I toss the watch and get a new one. And, YES, I recycle to old battery.