ok, so you’ve read how i was raving about my new watch. well, apparently, i’ve been neglecting it by not letting its battery charge under the sun. i was more concerned how to keep my other watch running continuously (and because A gave it to me). so now, even if it’s solar-charged, it won’t hold enough juice to operate normally. 😦
i left it by the window for a weekend to hopefully charge. unfortunately, it still kept blinking its lights and kept shutting down. i finally gave up and thought of bringing it to a service center.
i’m not really that obsessed about the watch but i just didn’t like having it not functioning properly.
once you get off the LRT train station in cubao, a row of stores, including John Irving Watch and Jewelry Service Center would immediately greet you. i asked how much a battery replacement would cost for my watch and quoted me P500, with a 2-year warranty. (FYI: officially, only Time Depot is authorized to service Casio G-Shocks. however, i wasn’t that OC and i didn’t think i have the budget for it). “Jay” said I had to leave it, though for them to “observe” if its battery indeed needed replacing. slightly pressed for time, i semi-reluctantly left it with them and they told me to come get it the next day around lunch time.
today, i came back for it and they were still working at it, making the “auto-light” work. they said that it was the only problem left to troubleshoot. while looking the work area, seeing opened battery packs and scattered screws, i tried to piece together what was happening. and it only affirmed what i was afraid of: they had no clue how to the watch works.
when i told them it was ok if the “auto-light” doesn’t work, they handed me my watch back and since they said they replaced the battery with a 2-year warranty, i asked for my original battery. they gave me a Maxell CR1616 3V battery. at this point, it was clear to me that they were not experienced and knowledgeable in what they were doing.
- Solar watches from Casio use CTL1616, NOT CR1616. One is a rechargeable battery, the other one is a disposable/regular battery. also, rechargeable batteries are usually lower in voltage compared to regular batteries. AFAIK, CTL1616s are <3V.
- suppose the original seller did have a CR1616 inside the watch, if the shop was knowledgeable enough, they should’ve told me that 1. the battery wasn’t original, and 2. they should’ve replaced it with the correct battery.
- “fixing” the “auto-light” was a hilarious thing to watch: the technician was absolutely clueless how it worked on my watch. the requirements according to the manual for it to activate are: 1. angle change of about 40 degrees from horizontal (not just flicking it like a mercury thermometer) and 2. dark environment/low ambient light. the technician was fixing something that didn’t need fixing because he was ignorant how it worked! *deep sigh*
the question now is: will this “repair” last? i’m hopeful that i didn’t spend P500 on ignorant technicians and a P70 battery i can’t use. i hope they cleaned it inside, though. even with a 2-year warranty, seeing how bad they were at handling my watch, i’m not sure i’ll be back for any service or repairs with them. probably next time, Time Depot will need a visit from me.
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John Irving Watch & Jewelry Service Center
3/F Gateway Tower Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City
Smart: 09217415269; Globe: 09162878990
at wit's end 