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Apple's third-generation smartwatch, with optional cellular connectivity, released September 22, 2017.

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Does anyone know of any Apple Watch LCD refurbishers?

The company I work for is currently researching and seeking the possibility of refurbishing Apple Watch LCD assemblies. Focus being on series 3 followed by series 4. Specifically companies that have the ability to remove a cracked digitizer from the OEM LCD with leaving the polarizer in place and replacing just the digitizer.

Yes i realize this process is a massive pain in the you know what, but we are just seeking knowledge/ outside businesses that we could ship to for this process.

Please comment if you know of any businesses with the above capability thanks.

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FYI: The display technology is OLED not LCD. Unlike a LCD which has a bit of thickness the OLED is less than .5 mm including the digitizer!

The display is well glued to the crystal and I haven’t seen anyone remove it effectively for reuse. Don’t forget the NFC module is mounted on the backside so someones information maybe present within it (needing to be cleared). And you’ll have a hard time getting the custom crystals which is the common failure.

Sorry if I sound like a downer here, I just want you to get a better idea on the hurdles you need to over come. As much as I would like to see re-use, refurb of the watch display is going to be hard, Apple didn’t make it easy.

I do wish you luck!

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We perform LCD replacements for our customers. It’s just our higher ups are having us look into refurbishing the damaged ones we take off. The ones where the glass is damaged on the outer face, but the OLED is intact. We have been able to remove the damaged glass, however it is the adhesive and re-assembly portion with a replacement digitizer stage that we are stuck on attempting. Seeking any companies that have perhaps performed this to gain knowledge from or possibly ship them to for glass replacement.

It is a ridiculous task, but it’s what they requested us to look into/research/attempt. Lord help us

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I came across this great vid on what's involved in replacing the crystal glass, take a look: Glass Only Apple Watch 4 Screen Fix - NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE!

Consider the time needed around 2.5hrs for the job, add in the crystal, and the investment of the tools can you at least cover your costs in less than 6 months?

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This guy is a trusted seller on ebay for OEM OLED screens on the series 3. I don’t believe he can supply massive orders of OLED screens but he should be ab;e to do small sized shipments (maybe 12 screens at a time). You could take from multiple different sellers. eBay is probably the best place for OEM parts as you have so many sources and there aren’t many prerequisites for potential sellers. You could take the larger part from him and remove the parts you need. You could also communicate with some sellers directly to try to get broken parts with the parts you need possible to be refurbished

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-Watch-Ser...

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@timothy_mcevoy - These are complete working new assemblies (likely carried out of the factory by someone).

Brittany was looking at refurb of the assembly basically taking it apart to then fix and then resell.

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@danj Oh I see, I didn't realize that at first. I will retract my answer.

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No don't do that! They will still need some good units to practice on and to start the effort

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Hi Brittany,

These OLED screens will be very costly.

I think you should sell it and buy a new refurbished watch. I would say if you ever want to buy refurbished Apple Watch. You need to take care of certain things like, do your homework before you buy, Turn it on and check if it works Make sure it has a refurbishing proof and a warranty.

Although, I have had bad experience of purchasing a refurbished Apple Watch, that doesn't mean it will be same for others. The main benefit is the cost reduction which is the main issue for a buyer.

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At the time this question was posted over a year ago, our company was looking into outsourcing the refurbishing process regarding the digitizer removal and replacement on a known functional LCD. We have since developed our own process of glass replacement. thank you for the feedback though.

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Brittany Bricker will be eternally grateful.
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