Photos from the inside of Apple Watches

[PugMaster]

Hey folks,

just a little fun pic on the side... I repair Apple Watches as a hobby, not for dollars but just because I like to tinker with small tech. Sometimes I come across watches that malfunction after using them in wet environments. This happens when the glue, which seems to be bonded with heat and some light pressure, does not bond correctly (it is rare but it happens). On the pic you see the glue strip that glues the display to the case and should make it water resistant - not waterproof, by the way. Most of the time, the adhesive strip which is very thin gets destroyed when opening the watch. But in this case, I was able to get the glue strip off in almost one piece, perfect to parade it around
The adhesive is on top of the force touch sensor which also acts as a rubber gasket for sealing the watch off, but the adhesive itself is clearly really fragile and unimpressive.
Now, hot water, saunas, pools, jacuzzis etc. are really not good for your watch because the temperatures will soften the adhesive and the seal will be gone - this can also happen just as the watch ages.

So please keep this super tiny piece of adhesive in mind when using your watch in pools, showers etc... the temperature is the thing that weakens that seal the most. Also, if you notice your watch gets hot on the charger, have your battery replaced before the seal is weak enough to pop the display off or water entering the watch. Sometimes when batteries age, they swell and heat up when charging, causing the display to either break out (adhesive is good and strong) or just pop off. Now you know why

Personally, I use T-7000 to re-seal, which is waterproof, flexible, dries quickly and needs much higher temperatures to weaken. I don't trust these tiny pieces of glue. Just thought you may find this entertaining or mildly interesting.

 

[iamasmith]

Yeah, good advice there and Apple pretty much says the same about any exposure over time will weaken the seals.

I use my Apple Watches a lot at the pool but only shower quickly at the pool with them and never sauna or shower with them at home. Normally they just get rinsed in cold fresh water and then I use the water eject, which I do after every run and after every swim

 

[jpn]

Hey folks,

just a little fun pic on the side... I repair Apple Watches as a hobby, not for dollars but just because I like to tinker with small tech. Sometimes I come across watches that malfunction after using them in wet environments. This happens when the glue, which seems to be bonded with heat and some light pressure, does not bond correctly (it is rare but it happens). On the pic you see the glue strip that glues the display to the case and should make it water resistant - not waterproof, by the way. Most of the time, the adhesive strip which is very thin gets destroyed when opening the watch. But in this case, I was able to get the glue strip off in almost one piece, perfect to parade it around
The adhesive is on top of the force touch sensor which also acts as a rubber gasket for sealing the watch off, but the adhesive itself is clearly really fragile and unimpressive.
Now, hot water, saunas, pools, jacuzzis etc. are really not good for your watch because the temperatures will soften the adhesive and the seal will be gone - this can also happen just as the watch ages.

So please keep this super tiny piece of adhesive in mind when using your watch in pools, showers etc... the temperature is the thing that weakens that seal the most. Also, if you notice your watch gets hot on the charger, have your battery replaced before the seal is weak enough to pop the display off or water entering the watch. Sometimes when batteries age, they swell and heat up when charging, causing the display to either break out (adhesive is good and strong) or just pop off. Now you know why

Personally, I use T-7000 to re-seal, which is waterproof, flexible, dries quickly and needs much higher temperatures to weaken. I don't trust these tiny pieces of glue. Just thought you may find this entertaining or mildly interesting.

View attachment 883791

great report. thanks.
very interesting. and explains why using it in the (hot) shower everyday may in fact be not so great afterall, but, at the same time, helps to understand why wearing it while hiking and being caught in rain might not be so bad.
that picture shows how delicate that seal actually is.
thanks again.

 

[PugMaster]

Here you can see a brand new S4 force touch sensor with the adhesive already applied on top and bottom. You can see how thin this is, even with the protective stickers still applied.
This thing is the only seal/water barrier the watch has around the display. There is another gasket around the speaker but basically, for the screen, this is it.

 

[PugMaster]

Here are some photos from a S3 Stainless Steel where the battery started to swell and cleanly broke off the display (the adhesive was quite strong here ). Very important info regarding to this: This is not user fault. It happens with faulty batteries and Apple most probably will cover this damage even if the watch is out of warranty! So if you notice your display broke without visible impact or you see faint cracks running around the sides of the display, take the watch to Apple, they will most probably replace it. Do not try to glue it back on!

What you see here is the outer rim of the glass display that stayed glued on the watch, with the inner part of the display broken out, together with the swollen battery.

The remaining inner part of the display:

New battery installed, you can see the taptic engine here sitting above it.

This guy died after the previous owner tried to fix it because he didn't know the battery was faulty and the display is broken, not just loose. So I got it for cheaps and got it working again. I now need to refurbish the display so I can reseal it, but this step is very tough and I'll do it in my vacation when I'm having enough time.

 

[techno-Zen]

I don't know if my time is worth doing all of this but thx for the pics!

 

[PugMaster]

You don't have to, of course. I just wanted to show that these watches are repairable. And also make aware of the issues with the seal/glue, because these are pretty common. If you don't have Apple Care and smash your watch, it's really worth considering getting it repaired 3rd party instead of tossing it (poor watch, poor environment...)

 

[PugMaster]

A few more pictures for your infotainment....

This is how the display looks when its layers are separated.

This is the glass cover. It's glued onto the AMOLED panel with optical clear adhesive. It's real glass and it likes to break. The sapphire glass is a special kind of thing, it's more scratch resistant but it shatters quite easily. There are currently no sapphire glass replacement covers available, so if you break the display and decide to repair it yourself/have it repaired 3rd party, you'll have to embrace the "ordinary glass", unless you replace the full display assembly, but this will cost ya $$$$. Pro tip: Get a screen protector for your new glass cover.

This is the display itself. Note how thin and delicate it is.

Separating the display glass / touch digitizer from the AMOLED panel is hard. It looks easy on YouTube but trust me, it is like carving an eggshell. If mistakes are made while doing this, the panel is most probably done. Replacement displays (full assembly) vary between 60 Euros for S0/S1 and 250-300 Euros for S4/S5.

The replacement glass cover is around 10 bucks. If touch functionality is broken, too, you need to replace the glass cover and the digitizer. This part is around 40 bucks.

Why I show you this? Because this thing is a little master piece of technology
The Apple Watch is tiny, but it packs some powerful components. Even though Apple tries to prevent it, these little buggers can be repaired, some stuff is actually pretty easy to do. Many things are replaceable and can be fixed for much less bucks than Apple quotes. If your watch breaks, do some research about good 3rd party repairs.

 

[44267547]

If your watch breaks, do some research about good 3rd party repairs.

Actually, quite the opposite, the majority of third party stores don’t repair the watch for various reasons. Some third party stores can replace the battery, but they don’t have access to Apple’s OEM parts, specifically the OLED Panel/seal-kit/ect. [Any third party parts I would question the quality compared to OEM.]

In addition, The issue a lot third party repair stores find when attempting to repair/replace the battery, they damage the display ribbon connectors or something goes wrong with the force touch module during the replacement, which is what happens, being they’re not trained on Watch repairs.

 

[PugMaster]

Like I said, do some research. Yes, Apple prevents access to OEM parts, but still there are parts available that work without any problems. They may even be OEM, because it all comes from China and are not produced under the Apple brand name.
Things like the force touch sensor/seal are widely available, cost is 5 to 20 bucks, depending on seller. And about training... obviously, you need to train yourself. Apple doesn’t want the watch repaired, they only replace it, which is shameful.

 

[mk313]

Thanks for the pics. Interesting thread

 

[Strangedream]

Would be interesting if Apple offered a see-through case option, just like those old GameBoy Color had. Cool thread nonetheless.

 

[Duncan68]

Would be interesting if Apple offered a see-through case option, just like those old GameBoy Color had. Cool thread nonetheless.

 

[Strangedream]

Maybe we'll get there with Apple Watch Series 471

 

[PugMaster]

That wouldn't be too interesting on the Apple watch ;-)

The display covers the taptic engine and the battery. Right below is the logic board which fills almost the complete space. And right below this is the bottom assembly with the heart rate sensor and a big antenna. The view from top OR bottom would be blocked by the logic board, BUT the big round antenna from the bottom is actually quite pretty. I'll post a pic in case I come across one to repair.
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Here is a fully working, but naked and uncleaned, display without touch and without glass cover. It's important to test the display after separating, so you don't glue it back to the expensive touch digitizer replacement part in vain.

After this step, the display must be cleaned carefully. If you press too hard, you will destroy the AMOLED. If you use harder cloth, you can totally scratch the polarizer. If you leave residue behind, you will be able to see it later on embedded into the display. It's really tricky and most definitely nooooot my favorite thing to do.

 

[44267547]

Apple doesn’t want the watch repaired, they only replace it, which is shameful.

This isn’t accurate. So what do you think Apple does with thousands of returned Apple Watches that are defective? You’re under the impression they just ‘don’t fix them’?’ Of course they fix them, what Apple does, is they replace the Apple Watch that is defective to the consumer with a refurbished device, (Those same refurbished devices had to repaired at some point, they don’t just scrap them).

The reason Apple doesn’t make ‘in-store’ repairs with the watch, is it’s too intricate and will take too long to diagnose what’s wrong with it. Which is why it’s quicker/more convenient just to issue a refurbished device to a consumer. All those Apple watches that are refurbished that you see on the Apple Store or in the physical store, go to a repair depot where they are swapped internally for different parts that are not soldered.

 

[PugMaster]

Unfortunately, this isn't all true. They use the pristine customer returns as refurbs, but used devices like watches (that you wear on your body) get collected and recycled by contractor companies. As soon as the device has signs of usage on the screen, case or back, it's not getting refurbed. Besides that, the serial number is engraved in the casing, so that is another thing that can't just be just mixed and matched.

Also, the parts of the watch itself are not made by Apple. These too are made by contractor companies. See the above images of the display. Separating it and renewing the glass is really not easy. For Apple to sell a watch as refurbed, it is not allowed to show any signs of usage. Do you think they would carefully separate and reglue displays to refurbish them? No, they won't. This process is difficult and time consuming. Apple already stated that they "lose money on repairs". They sent them to get recycled. Same with housings that show scratches or other marks. Do you think they will strip the painting from the aluminium case and get it re-painted? Nope, it also gets recycled. And by recycling I mean selling them to companies that dispose them or can otherwise reuse the raw materials.
This is also where some of the OEM parts come from that you can buy. Contractors break their contracts and sell the parts for profit. There are places in China where you can buy every single component of every single Apple product. You can make a guess where they come from.

 

[Jedispirits]

Great pictures PugMaster!!

I had an issue repairing my Apple Watch, and sure you can clarify me the problem.

The glass of my 44mm Apple Watch series 4 cracked but still worked, Then I tried to carefully pull apart the screen but during the work the screen started to faded display partial images and finally you can't see nothing now.

The inner cables are OK that's sure because I was only starting to lift the screen when this happened, In some parts the screen is practically separate from the glass.

Is this screen still recuperable. Is it possible that it'll work when I separate all the glass from the LCD?

What do you think?

 

[PugMaster]

It's impossible to say from just seeing these pictures. You may have just had a bad cable connection and the connectors lost contact, therefore having a faded/no image. Or you could have pulled too much and damaged the connectors on the back of the screen. This can be repaired, but not by the average joe, as it's really difficult and the replacement parts are very hard to find.
Best way to check on the display is to connect it to another watch of the same series that works and see what it does. If you get an image, great. If you don't, then you may have a damaged panel or damaged connectors.

 

[Jedispirits]

It's impossible to say from just seeing these pictures. You may have just had a bad cable connection and the connectors lost contact, therefore having a faded/no image. Or you could have pulled too much and damaged the connectors on the back of the screen. This can be repaired, but not by the average joe, as it's really difficult and the replacement parts are very hard to find.
Best way to check on the display is to connect it to another watch of the same series that works and see what it does. If you get an image, great. If you don't, then you may have a damaged panel or damaged connectors.

Thanks PugMaster !!

Could it be possible that the damage was done at the moment when the AMOLED LCD was de-glued in the bellow position?

It happened just before separate the screen, just when I was taking apart small parts of glass

I also was very careful to not go inside the watch (I knew the were very delicate parts very close).

Just when I lifted a little the glass from the body of the watch the image started to blink and changed the color (the apple logo), The I only could see the upper part of the screen (where you can see "slide to turn off") and finally Only a green line in the upper part of the screen.

Now nothing appears.

Thanks again for your help, we are lucky to have members with great knowledge

 

[Jedispirits]

Hi PugMaster,

Now this green line appeared. Do you think by this picture that the AMOLED Lcd is completely dead?

Thanks again

Llorenç

 

[Jedispirits]

And this other making a hard reset.......

I was only testing pins with a multimeter and the screen reacted. Before that the screen was absolutely dead.

 

[CooperBox]

What an excellent, informative post!
Fwiw, as a watch collector I was interested when the Apple watch was first anounced, but never had any interest in owning or especially buying one, much preferring putting similar money into something like a modest mechanical Seiko SKX or similar, knowing full well that (after careful consideration of a particular model) in 10 years time it will be worth more than initially paid.
I also enjoy tinkering with smallish electro/mechanical objects such as vintage & contemporary Apple laptops, not for dollars but just as a hobby - like yourself. I was recently given four Apple iPhones (all different models) by a family member who upgraded several times on finding that their phone was problematic. As a challenge I opened the first, changed the defective components, replaced the screen & back cover for an 'as-new' look. Ditto for the 2nd etc., so now hooked onto yet other Apple related product. Plus it was far easier than I expected.
Don't forget to notify us when you get around to posting a YouTube video of yourself "carving an eggshell"......