Chosen Solution

Hi, I have a third party band that’s stuck on my Original Apple Watch. Apple wants to charge >$200 to remove the band, which is worth far more than the watch at this point. The release button won’t press down with this band on. Is there anywhere in the San Francisco area or via mail that I can get this repaired? Thanks Update (09/30/2018)

There is no visible damage. The only symptom is that the release button barely budged when trying to depress it. The Watch, aside from the stuck band is in full working order. I would just like to get this band removed so that I can change bands again. Thanks

I used Yelp to search for Apple Repair services around me, and I finally found one that would remove the band from my watch. They charged me $20 and got it off.

I was able to remove the band. The trick for me was a combo of the following…. (Apple Watch 4 generation) Dish soap and warm water

I used to be a jeweler, still have the majority of my tools. Please post some pictures of the problem, I may be able to help. What’s wrong with the watch outside of the band? What material is the band made of? Do you need to recover the watch too? Do you want the band fixed so that it will come on and off the new watch?

Isopropyl Alcohol (a cleaning product) did it for me. Dip a cotton tip into the alcohol then dab along both sides of the “slot” and on the release button. Pressed the button and the strap slid straight out!!!

You might want to try WD40 spray to try to loosen the button. Overtime oils and dead skin as well as sand and salt can jam up the button. Spray both the button and aim the snorkel into the gap of the strap both top and bottom. Give it some time to do its thing and give it a try. You may need a few treatments and don’t worry about over doing it the spray won’t get into the watch and the strap can be cleaned with isopropyl alcohol.

Try cleaning it out with a warm water jet from a WaterPik or similar. Aim it in and around the release button. I have had success with my series 2 & 4 watches using this technique.

When all of the suggestions didn’t work, I wrapped some rubber around the watch case and held it in a vise so it was secure and wouldn’t move. I got a automatic machinist !$$&* punch that has a sharp point and pushed on the end of the slide until the punch internal hammer released. The first impact moved the slide about 1/8 inch and continued to move about the same with each impact. After moving it about 1/2 inch, I was able to get it free by tapping it out with a small rod or nail. The aluminum case corrosion had occurred in many spots the length of the slide so it takes a snap force to free the bond. The sharp point on the punch is necessary to prevent it from hitting the watch case. I suggest that Vaseline be used to wipe the slide and groove and act like a sealant when installing a new slide to prevent corrosion from occurring from sweat and water.

I just pulled hard up and down on the band instead of side to side and it loosened it enough to properly depress the button! So glad I didn’t bring it to Apple.