# Can a dead battery damage a watch?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dead-battery-damage-a-watch/196542>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 20, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dead-battery-damage-a-watch/196542 "2003-08-20T22:33:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Morrison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/779978/32.png) [@Morrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrison)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dead-battery-damage-a-watch/196542/1 "2003-08-20T22:33:20Z")

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My jeweler says that my watch (an Ebel) is damaged because I left the battery in it after it died. Is this possible or likely? Please help. Thanks.

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**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-a-dead-battery-damage-a-watch/196542/2 "2003-08-20T22:41:32Z")

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You bet it can. Dead batteries leak and can cause damage to anything that uses a battery.