To resuscitate or let sleeping dogs lie? 2nd Gen Citizen EcoDrive Skyhawk Blue Angels Titanium

So, as some of you may know, a few days ago, I posted a thread, wherein I found an old friend of mine, obtained half my lifetime ago: https://www.watchcrunch.com/JBird7986/posts/i-found-a-long-lost-friend-today-13365 I got back the estimate tonight. To recharge the capacitor to restore functionality of the watch (apparently it just needs a jump and is otherwise in good shape), they want $55. To do that and also swap out the mineral crystal for a custom cut piece of sapphire, $135 plus tax. The original retail price of the watch was $475.00 but I picked it up for around $265.00, a little over 18 years ago, as an 18th birthday gift. I'm on the fence about the repairs and whether to sink nearly half the amount that I paid for the watch back into it, 18 years later. What do you all think? Yea or nay?
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If you are going to do it, then do it right and be done with it.

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I'd go for the repair, and upgrade. You only turn 18 once, might as well have the watch that was gifted to you on the occasion in peak condition. 

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All the way baby. As above said, keep it for sure. 

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I’d just do the recharge. Sapphire is overrated. 😂

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If $80 plus tax makes a difference in your life then skip the sapphire and just get the recharge for $55. If it doesn't then I would get the whole shebang. Either way your future self will appreciate what you do now.

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I don't see anything wrong with the existing crystal. Am I missing something?

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PoorMansRolex

I don't see anything wrong with the existing crystal. Am I missing something?

Large scratch at 4:00

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From your pictures, the mineral crystal seems to be in good shape.  Why mess with it for little, if any, benefit?  
Second, capacitors do degrade over time, so only get the “recharge” on the condition that if it doesn’t perform up to par, they credit you the $55 toward a new capacitor.  That is a sharp watch with both sentimental and utility value, so it’s worth spending a few bucks on.

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If you love it you won’t let go…

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Would you buy a this watch again for that price?

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Davemcc

Would you buy a this watch again for that price?

I don't know -- I haven't purchased anything other than an automatic since I bought that piece 18 years ago.

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It seems like you have more than $135.00 worth of sentiment there.  Restore your old friend to its former glory and cherish it for many years to come. 

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Could you simply replace the battery? I've never done it myself, but judging from videos, it's no harder replacing a rechargeable battery than a regular one, and they seem to be available online. I would think that you would have to worry about a 20 year old battery that's been dead for years holding charge. 

Is the mineral glass scratched? I personally haven't much of a problem with scratching mineral glass. I did put a tempered glass screen protector on a G-Shock (despite people on these forums getting all precious going "But it's a tool watch! 😱"; yeah it's a tool that shows the time through a crystal that can get scratched). It hides what scratches there are, prevents new ones, and cost all of $10. A quick Amazon search turned one up for a Skyhawk. 

It would be cool to get that watch working again, but maybe DIY would minimize the cost.

PS A quick Google turned up this video, and many others, about replacing an EcoDrive battery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwHTEBRUg9I

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wilfried

Could you simply replace the battery? I've never done it myself, but judging from videos, it's no harder replacing a rechargeable battery than a regular one, and they seem to be available online. I would think that you would have to worry about a 20 year old battery that's been dead for years holding charge. 

Is the mineral glass scratched? I personally haven't much of a problem with scratching mineral glass. I did put a tempered glass screen protector on a G-Shock (despite people on these forums getting all precious going "But it's a tool watch! 😱"; yeah it's a tool that shows the time through a crystal that can get scratched). It hides what scratches there are, prevents new ones, and cost all of $10. A quick Amazon search turned one up for a Skyhawk. 

It would be cool to get that watch working again, but maybe DIY would minimize the cost.

PS A quick Google turned up this video, and many others, about replacing an EcoDrive battery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwHTEBRUg9I

To your first question, the answer is yes -- I could do it myself, but we're talking a $15 difference by the time that I get all of the tools to do it and hopefully don't mess anything up in the process.

Second, the mineral glass has a large scratch at the 4:00 position, which was why I am thinking about replacing it with sapphire (see my posts above for a photo).  I can't just swap it out for a generic sapphire crystal because Citizen used odd sizing (28.8mm diameter x 2.25mm thick).  The price quoted included grinding down a piece of sapphire to fit.

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The question is, do you still love it, or do you fancy a change, would you buy Citizen again? I have 5 so I'm biased. The cost of a new Citizen comparable to yours is quite a lot, cheaper for the overhaul.

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To those of you who voted, thank you!  Unfortunately, however, I am unable to follow through with the winning choice above, even though I had planned on doing just that.  I have now spent multiple days talking with the shop that provided me with the estimate and they're now telling me that they erred and that they can't do what I asked -- a sapphire crystal can't be swapped in.  I'm not going to swap it out for another piece of mineral glass that will also get scratched up.  They also informed me that they goofed on the price of the capacitor, and that it's $90, instead of the $55 they quoted me.  As a result, I have told them just to put the watch back together for me (they had disassembled it).  I smell a bait and switch here, and I'm not happy.

So where does that leave me?  In light of my recent success with the DIY Watch Club kit that I recently won in the giveaway (thanks again @Max), I've worked up the courage and I'm going to try and do the capacitor swap-out myself.  I ordered the necessary parts today.  What do I have to lose, right?  It's not like the watch can get any more dead!