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How to open a watch back

Updated: 24 October 2026

The tool is already on the table and the watch is face down, and you are not sure whether the back is a lip, a notched ring or a ring of tiny screws. This is how to open a watch back once, and when to stop. It is not a ranking of the twelve listings in the [watchmaker tool comparison](/hub/hand-tools/watchmaker-tool). Peter F. read those amazon.co.uk files and the opener notes from Jewellers Equipment, Maddisons of Durham and Watch Battery UK. We did not open a case in a lab. If you buy through our links, a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The tool is already on the table and the watch is face down, and you are not sure whether the back is a lip, a notched ring or a ring of tiny screws. This is how to open a watch back once, and when to stop.

Our top picks

Jorest JOREST kit, 15–55 mm opener

Best overall

Jorest JOREST kit, 15–55 mm opener
8.4/10about £10.19
View offer
Jorest JOREST battery kit

Best value

Jorest JOREST battery kit
8.0/10about £9.99
View offer
JOYVOX JOYVOX 3-piece pry set

Alternative

JOYVOX JOYVOX 3-piece pry set
5.3/10about £3.98
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Look at the back before you pick up a tool
  2. 2.Snap-on, notched, and screwed, one method each
  3. 3.Stop when the tool slips or the back will not move
  4. 4.Closing is not the same as sealing

Look at the back before you pick up a tool

Watch Battery UK separates four families, and the fourth is the one people force. A snap-off back has a lip or a slot for a thin blade. A screw-off back has notches, or a ring you turn. A third family is held by several small screws. A sealed case can hide the cell behind a hatch, which is not an invitation to pry the whole back off. If you cannot tell which you have, do not start. Maddisons of Durham puts a knife on snap-on backs and a Jaxa-style wrench on notched backs. JOYVOX is three flat prys, the ieron listing is one adjustable wrench, and JAPONA is a friction ball. A mixed JOREST kit claims pry, grooves and screws. None of that chooses a winner. If you have not bought yet, use the buying guide.

Snap-on, notched, and screwed, one method each

For a snap-on back, work the blade into the lip, keep it shallow, and lift only enough to break the spring. One JOYVOX reviewer taped the back so the blade would not scratch. The edge on that set was too thick for a tight gap, and one buyer reached for a craft knife. Do not follow that. If none of the blades enters, stop and look again. For a notched screw back, seat three pins of equal length, press down, and turn anti-clockwise. Loosen the back before you lift it. If it will not move, stop. Jewellers Equipment says a standard Jaxa does not open Rolex backs. The ieron wrench shows the failure: pins that burr, slip, scratch, or break before the back comes off. For screws, use a driver that fills the head. Reviews of the £16.99 JOREST kit include drivers that were too big for watch screws. A bit that rocks will cam out. A friction ball is only for a screw-on back, not a lip. JAPONA reviewers who succeeded named a screw-on case. One ball holed on the first try. If the rubber tears, the attempt is over.
Jorest JOREST kit, 15–55 mm opener

Testsieger

Jorest JOREST kit, 15–55 mm opener
8.4/10about £10.19
View offer

Stop when the tool slips or the back will not move

Equal pin length matters because a short pin climbs out as soon as you turn. If one tip is burred, another turn will skate across the case. The same stop applies to a pry that will not enter. Put the tool down. A back that will not move once the pins are seated is a shop job. Jewellers Equipment says not to force it. Warranty watches, and any case the seller has excluded, belong in the same stop. A craft knife after a stalled pry is a record of a miss, not a method.

Closing is not the same as sealing

A snap back that lifted with a knife often needs a press to go back square. JOREST’s copy on B09MK72YFD says a pry back may need a separate press to close. Crushing it with your thumbs bends the lip and misses the gasket. Screw backs go clockwise with the pins seated, only until snug. None of that renews a water-resistance stamp. The battery page covers the cell, the gasket and where spare button cells must not sit. If you swim with the watch, book a pressure test before it goes back in the water.

Common questions

How do I tell a snap back from a screw back?
A snap back has a lip or a slot, and no ring of notches. A screw back has notches or a threaded ring. Small screws are a third type, and a hatch is a fourth. If the light does not show which you have, leave the tool on the table.
Which way do I turn a notched back?
Anti-clockwise to open, with the pins pressed down. Jewellers Equipment’s order is strap clear, pins seated, press, turn, then loosen before you lift. Clockwise is the close. If it will not start with even pressure, stop.
Where does the knife go?
Into the lip of a snap-on back, shallow, with tape if the finish worries you. Not under a notched ring, into a screw head, or across the crystal. If the blade will not enter, a craft knife is not the next step.
What is a friction ball for?
It grips a screw-on back so you can twist it. It is not a pry for a snap lip and it does not seat in notches. One JAPONA ball holed on the first try. If the rubber splits, stop.
What if the pins slip?
Lift the wrench off before it skates. Check that the three pins are the same length and seated, then press down and try once more. A second slip is the stop. The ieron reviews describe pins that scratch or break.
Which watches should I not open?
Leave a watch you swim with, a watch under warranty, and any back that will not move once the pins are seated. Jewellers Equipment says a standard Jaxa does not open Rolex backs. If you cannot name the back type, you are in the same group.
Does opening the back keep it waterproof?
No. A home closure is not an ISO 2281 or diver’s test. Watches of Switzerland treats a cell change as a gasket and pressure-test job. Wear it dry until someone tests it.

Related pages

Kit or a single tool

Watchmaker tool

Best watch repair kit for cells and bracelet links at home

Watch repair kit buying guide: job, back and contents

Watch battery replacement tool: opener, seal, storage

Sources

Sources from the research digest. Listing prices and stars are the amazon.co.uk figures captured on 22 October 2026.

  1. OPSS button-battery campaign (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Jewellers Equipment, JAXA opener (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Watch Battery UK, opening the case (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Watches of Switzerland, battery and reproofing (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. H. S. Walsh, Bergeon 4040 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. BHI Technician Grade lesson 10 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Jewellery Tools starter-kit guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)