This morning when I reached for my watch on my nightstand, I was met with an unpleasant tactile experience. My watch face had come loose. I’d also noticed the LCD was “leaking” a bit at the top of the screen. I decided it was time to take it to the Apple Store for service.
I bought my Space Black Stainless Steel, 42mm Apple Watch with the matching Space Black Link Bracelet steel band, ceramic back, and sapphire crystal on April 10, 2015, shortly after its introduction. After tax it cost nearly $1200 and I had to wait over two months for it to ship. More than half the cost was in the bracelet which I am still using today. It’s been a good watch. I ran all the versions of the operating system including more than a few beta versions, on its little S1 processor. The final version was watchOS 4.3.2. The sapphire crystal still looks perfect. I cannot say the same of Gorilla Glass versions I have had.
In January 2018, the battery life had diminished considerably. For $79, they swapped my watch out for a new one. The whole watch, not just the battery. New serial number and all. Fast forward 4½ years and I was expecting to spend another $79 to swap out for a new battery. This is where the story goes wrong.
“Vintage”. That’s what Apple calls it. Soon to be “Obsolete”. Now that it is vintage, I cannot get a battery replaced for $79. It would have to be a flat-rate repair charge of $249. To put that in context, the eBay price is $39 and the battery can be bought by itself for $17. Disappointed.
I reset the watch and unpaired it from my Apple ID. I finished separating the face from the body and removed the little poofy pillow that was causing all the fuss. It’s still an amazing and beautiful piece of technology. I’m thinking of having it stuffed and mounted like a piece of technological taxidermy.
