Apple Series 1 alumium 42mm with an expanded battery

[bad_robot]

Issue - Watch face is pushed out because the battery expands (gas between battery and its plastic cover)
Apple fix - Watch replacement with a Series 1 at a cost approaching 90% of a new Series 3 38mm watch or $349 because the watch is older than 3 years. No repair provided by Apple in aus.
My fix - as face is already displaced, carefully lift it. See internet ifixit site for face removal guide. Pierce puffy plastic covering battery with a pin and deflate the 'balloon', careful not to inhale gas. You can buy a new battery from US or Hong Kong and replace existing crook battery for under $20. Carefully clean inside glass face and area in base of watch where face fits in with alcohol and cotton bud. Replace face. Lay watch down face up and warn glass face with a rag dipped in boiling water, in order to 'reactivate adhesive strip in watch base. Test that adhesive is reactivated and glass face is firmly attached. Or apply a very fine light bead of Sikaflex or silicon sealant around base edge to adhere glass face to watch base.
Total cost- nil if battery is ok or $20 if not.
Check many internet fixit sites to see how to remove and replace battery and face.
Time required to fix - 20 minutes of careful work, do not damage face connector cabling.
Replacement screen is under aud$25 from Hong Kong, ifixit videos shows how to replace all items.

 

[akash.nu]

Just one caveat, if Apple chose to replace it and if the battery bursts into flame then Apple has to cover your damage plus the potential burn on the employee.

Vs. You burn yourself and not being able to blame anyone else other than yourself.

 

[bad_robot]

Just one caveat, if Apple chose to replace it and if the battery bursts into flame then Apple has to cover your damage plus the potential burn on the employee.

Vs. You burn yourself and not being able to blame anyone else other than yourself.

Never seen a post of an apple series 1 actually catching fire even on this site. However, I found the following that suggests any apple watch can explode. Apple dont seem to want to recognize a battery problem and that is what i determined when I took my series 1 in to an apple 'genius' to get the battery replaced They do not cover any damage let alone a battery itself after 3 years. Seems to be a user whacking issue. My watch is now working ok on a full charge and has not burst into flame, yet.

"There have also been reports of Apple Watches of all models exploding or bursting on users’ wrists. Threads on Apple’s support site suggest that in some cases users are being blamed for the issue, with Apple support staff suggesting the wearers whacked their watches on something without noticing and damaged the devices."

 

[AppleHaterLover]

Apple Watches are disposable items. Since yours is over 3 years old, I guess it’s a S0 watch - which is worth next to zero and pretty useless nowadays anyway. I know mine is and I’m very close to throwing it into the garbage bin.

This is just stuff that happens. Get an S4.

 

[Painter2002]

Never seen a post of an apple series 1 actually catching fire even on this site.

We also don’t typically see posts about users poking an expanded battery either.

Seriously though, do NOT poke or otherwise try to puncture the battery. You don’t know what chemical mixture is causing the expansion and disrupting the battery could cause serious chemical burn and fire risks. Never ever poke or intentionally destruct a battery...

My suggestion would be to just properly dispose of this watch and upgrade too a series 3 or 4 watch. At this point the series 1 is becoming aged anyways and certainly not worth $350 for a replacement unit.

 

[44267547]

Since yours is over 3 years old, I guess it’s a S0 watch

OP mentioned twice in two separate posts it’s a ‘Series 1’.

 

[AppleHaterLover]

OP mentioned twice in two separate posts it’s a ‘Series 1’.

A 3 year old watch cannot be a Series 1.

 

[willmtaylor]

Issue - Watch face is pushed out because the battery expands (gas between battery and its plastic cover)
Apple fix - Watch replacement with a Series 1 at a cost approaching 90% of a new Series 3 38mm watch or $349 because the watch is older than 3 years. No repair provided by Apple in aus.
My fix - as face is already displaced, carefully lift it. See internet ifixit site for face removal guide. Pierce puffy plastic covering battery with a pin and deflate the 'balloon', careful not to inhale gas. You can buy a new battery from US or Hong Kong and replace existing crook battery for under $20. Carefully clean inside glass face and area in base of watch where face fits in with alcohol and cotton bud. Replace face. Lay watch down face up and warn glass face with a rag dipped in boiling water, in order to 'reactivate adhesive strip in watch base. Test that adhesive is reactivated and glass face is firmly attached. Or apply a very fine light bead of Sikaflex or silicon sealant around base edge to adhere glass face to watch base.
Total cost- nil if battery is ok or $20 if not.
Check many internet fixit sites to see how to remove and replace battery and face.
Time required to fix - 20 minutes of careful work, do not damage face connector cabling.
Replacement screen is under aud$25 from Hong Kong, ifixit videos shows how to replace all items.

Terribly dangerous advice.

 

[bad_robot]

Ran the watch for some months until I worked out how to buy a new battery on ebay. Fortunately, the watch did not explode or catch fire. I did my own repair and now my watch works perfectly - a huge surprise to me given the number of recommendations to get apple to do the repair. Problem is apple aus do not replace screens or batteries so if you lose a battery or damage a screen, you either buy a new watch and sell the watch on ebay for parts or buy the parts and do it yourself. And it is not at all difficult. Cost me just $62aus.