Apple Watch Coming Apart at the Seams

After sixteen months, the adhesive holding the screen to my Apple Watch Sport has failed:

I’m a bit surprised and not happy, needless to say.

My suspicion is that this is due to moisture. The watch is rated for IPX7 water resistance, which means it’s protected from, “rain, splashing and accidental submersion,” or more technically, “immersion in water with a depth of up to 1 meter (or 3.2ft) for up to 30 mins.” Maybe the immersion I’ve exposed it to, including showering with it regularly (just like Tim Cook does), and submersion in a few rivers, lakes, and oceans briefly while fishing was bad because it was intentional rather than accidental; surely the watch could tell the difference.

Or maybe it was the salt water, though it was just a few very brief dunkings (maybe a dozen, and less than five seconds each) over the past year. Who knows? Its ultimate failure was on a road trip to Nova Scotia last week. One morning, I put it on and felt a weird rattling sensation, and then the screen just popped off, retained only by an internal cable.

It still works, though. If I can find the correct adhesive, I’d like to fix the thing and keep it running for another year or so, which was always the plan. Not wearing it for the past week has been a drag. I rely on it primarily for fitness tracking and notifications, and quick glances at the weather and time. I miss it.

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