Cheapest place for watch battery replacements? Got it right here.

There was a time when I assumed everyone owned only one watch. But when the battery needed replacing it took me so long to get around to a replacement that i started buying novelty watches on sale, usually for $50 or less. This works well, because when the batteries go dead, I switch to a different watch.

When you spend $50 or less on a watch, it hurts a little to pay $8 to $10 for the battery/labor. My editor goes to Kohl's, where the replacement is $5 as long as you purchase the watch from Kohl's. (They sell Armatron, Casio, Citizen, Timex, Pulsar and Seiko.) Even if you didn't buy the watch from Kohl's, you might still try it if it's one of those brands.

I found an even cheaper spot that replaces batteries--even less than if I went to Target and bought the battery and replaced it myself. (Target's watch battery prices range from about $3.69 to $6.50 at the Lake St. store in Minneapolis.) But at The Watch Shop in St. Louis Park (7724 13th Lane, SLP, 952-542-8685), I was charged only $10 to have three batteries replaced (price included the batteries and labor). The shop owner replaced them while I waited. Prices may vary depending on the type of watch and battery.

I heard about The Watch Shop several years ago when a friend with an antique Rolex took it to there for a repair. My friend commented that the owner seemed a bit gruff but did wonderful work. I love it when I find a small business that charges a fair price for work and doesn't distinguish between the high rollers and the cheapos like me.

Some people prefer to replace watch batteries themselves. It's not something I want to do, but would-be do-it-yourselfers can watch a video on YouTube for battery replacements. Some are generic. Others show how to replace a battery for a specific brand such as Nike, Fossil, Casio, Swiss Army, Citizen and Seiko. If you've never tried it before, watch the video first.

You can also buy a watch repair kit for less than $15 at Amazon or at Walgreens, which usually includes small tweezers, screwdrivers and loupes.

The Watch Shop is a home-based business. I assume that's part of the reason why prices are so inexpensive. Anyone else know of a home-based business that charges less? Maybe I should do an article about them.