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nevsf Author

Level 1

90 points

Back of Watch fell off

This morning when I took my Apple Watch (sports version) off the charger, the back stayed on the charger while the rest of the watch came off, connected to the back through a small ribbon cable. The back just fell off.

I use the watch pretty normally - wear it during the day, charge at night, wear it running for an hour 3 times a week. Don't wear it in the shower or anything like that.

I can place the back on the watch but it eventually just falls off again, and I'm sure the moisture seal is shot.

Looks like the back is just glued on and prone to falling off. Even my relatively ugly Pebble Watch used screws and a rubber gasket. Apple just squirted a bit of glue around the edge, pushed the back on, and called it a day.

Posted on Jul 15, 2015 10:47 AM

Top-ranking reply

king4throne

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Jun 25, 2017 5:44 AM

Hey brother... I am from Nepal. I bought an apple watch but the back side of it is coming out. Don’t know how it came out. I kept it on charger the next day i saw the back part fell of while removing from charger. I know there is replacement of apple watch from Apple although retailers don’t provide those services. Please show me the way to do the replacement process.

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201 replies

Jul 19, 2015 3:32 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Meg St._Clair wrote:

My dad (who you would have gotten on with very well, I think) could repair pretty much anything with epoxy and duct tape.

How is Duck Tape like The Force? Each has a dark side, a light side, and they hold the Universe together.

zorkor

Level 1

33 points

Jul 19, 2015 3:37 PM in response to Csound1

Please stay on the topic which is about Apple watch with substandard build quality issues. Dont bring other companies here and divert the topic to something else man.

Jul 19, 2015 3:39 PM in response to zorkor

It is NOT about substandard build quality issues. It is about the fact that your watch broke. It's got a 1 year warranty. That's what warranties are for. Use it.

Jul 19, 2015 4:56 PM in response to zorkor

zorkor wrote:

Please stay on the topic which is about Apple watch with substandard build quality issues. Dont bring other companies here and divert the topic to something else man.

We've moved on to other things because the original topic, which was about a single broken watch, has been exhausted.

nevsf Author

Level 1

90 points

Jul 19, 2015 6:45 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

I'm sure you're all dying for an update on my broken watch, so here's the latest. I had an appointment at the Apple Store today to have it looked at - a box is coming from Apple to send it in for repair but I was downtown anyway and it was an excuse to look at the new Mac Pro 13". Anyway, I showed the guy who was helping me how the back was falling off. He said he'd never seen that before and started filling out the paperwork to have it repaired. He said in-store replacement wasn't an option because none of the Apple Store had warranty replacements, and it'd be about a 5 day repair cycle. I decided not to argue because this particular store has been very good to me in the past and didn't want to make his life difficult. To deal with the loss, I had the mickey watch face tatoo'd on my wrist. It's much lighter than a real watch and the time is right twice a day.

Anyway, there you have it. I and a at last one other person in the world have had the back of our Apple Watches fall off, but it doesn't seem to be a widespread problem. I still think gluing things together that are repeatedly under heat, moisture and stress is a bad design decision, but I'm not a designer at Apple nor, apparently, Boeing or Airbus.

Now can we all get along?

Jul 19, 2015 8:58 PM in response to nevsf

Yes, I'm very happy to hear you got your Watch replaced under warranty (as many of us expected you would).

Does the tattoo tap its foot? 😁

lagrand

Level 1

1 points

Jul 20, 2015 4:16 AM in response to nevsf

Hi nevsf - Just letting you know that I had the EXACT same thing occur to me last week. Apple Watch Sport on charger, picked it up, entire monitor apparatus stayed attached to charger, rest of watch popped off in my hand. Could not believe it. Contacted Apple and received exact same response as to sending it in. I love my watch and have cared for it exquisitely so I was really surprised.

Kstud7

Level 1

32 points

Jul 20, 2015 2:05 PM in response to nevsf

(I still think gluing things together that are repeatedly under heat, moisture and stress is a bad design decision, but I'm not a designer at Apple nor, apparently, Boeing or Airbus.)

It is a bad decision and don't let these fanboys change your opinion, it's okay to like a product but this is ridiculous, in there eyes apple can do no wrong, Apple could sell them dirt with an apple logo on it and they will say it's quality dirt and if it gets clean its under warranty, Apple will make it dirty again, this is clearly the wrong forum to say anything is wrong with an apple product.

deggie

Level 10

167,327 points

Jul 20, 2015 2:07 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

deggie

Level 10

167,327 points

Jul 20, 2015 2:12 PM in response to Kstud7

So the higher end watches that use adhesives, the AirBus and the Dreamliner are bad decisions, current helicopters are bad decisions, smartphones are bad decisions, is this what you are saying? If apple used screws and they corroded from sweat would that also be a bad decision?

Adhesives have been increasing in use in the past 20 years due to weight, strength, cost, resistance to heat, corrosion, etc. It isn't a case of being a "fanboy" it is just paying attention to what lots of manufacturers are doing and catching up with the times. If you want to stay with things assembled with screws then buy something that uses that technique. But screws, bolts, rivets, etc. can also break. And have done so.

Jul 20, 2015 2:47 PM in response to Kstud7

Kstud7 wrote:

It is a bad decision and don't let these fanboys change your opinion, it's okay to like a product but this is ridiculous, in there eyes apple can do no wrong, Apple could sell them dirt with an apple logo on it and they will say it's quality dirt and if it gets clean its under warranty, Apple will make it dirty again, this is clearly the wrong forum to say anything is wrong with an apple product.

Lose the argument, start with the ad hominem attacks. Predictable.

Jul 23, 2015 9:01 AM in response to nevsf

Something similar just happened to my Apple Watch this morning. I took it off the charger cable and the watch face flopped out (held by a ribbon cable). I can push it back on, but it doesn't stay that way. I put a rubber band on to hold it in place until I'm back from traveling. There was no impact or water issue, and everything works still. I'll book a time at the Apple store tomorrow or Saturday and let you know what happens. 😝

nfdh

Level 1

0 points

Jul 23, 2015 7:40 PM in response to nevsf

I had the same thing happen to me on Tuesday. Sport 42mm.

Jul 23, 2015 7:51 PM in response to nfdh

nfdh wrote:

I had the same thing happen to me on Tuesday. Sport 42mm.

Good thing the watch comes with a 1 year warranty.

zorkor

Level 1

33 points

Jul 24, 2015 2:12 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

What about those who don't live close to an Apple service center and live in a country where there is no Apple support? How are we going to "use it" then? Why not make a reliable product in first place and save us a headache? A backplate which comes off is a serious quality issue. Not everyone is rich and not everyone can just go to an Apple service center and "use it" as you put it.

Back of Watch fell off