The Apple Watch SE 2 is the go-to starter watch: kids, first-time owners, people who just want notifications and fitness tracking. It’s also cheap enough that a $199 repair makes you stop and think. Let’s do the math.
What Apple charges
Apple doesn’t replace just the screen on an Apple Watch. A crack counts as “other damage,” and Apple usually swaps the whole watch.
| Repair | Apple price | With AppleCare+ |
|---|---|---|
| Cracked screen or other damage (GPS) | $199 | $69 |
| Cracked screen or other damage (Cellular) | $229 | $69 |
| Battery | $99 | Free under 80% |
How to decide
Ask yourself three questions:
1. Is the battery tired too? Check Settings > Battery > Battery Health on the watch. If it’s under 80% and the screen is cracked, you’ve got two problems on an older watch. That points to upgrading.
2. Does it still do what you need? The SE 2 covers the basics well: notifications, workouts, heart rate, fall detection. If you’ve been wanting features it doesn’t have, like the always-on display or more advanced health sensors, put the repair money toward a watch that has them.
3. What does a new one cost right now? Check current prices for the newest SE and for refurbished watches from Apple. If a new watch costs only a little more than the $199 repair, the new one usually wins, since you get a fresh battery and a full warranty.
If you decide to fix it
Going through Apple gets you a replacement watch that works like new. A local shop may be cheaper, but screen swaps on a watch this small are tricky. If you go that route, assume the watch won’t be water resistant afterward unless the shop properly reseals it.
Before you send it in
Unpair the watch from your iPhone first. Open the Watch app on your iPhone, tap All Watches, tap the info button next to your watch, then Unpair Apple Watch. Your iPhone makes a fresh backup of the watch as part of unpairing, and it turns off Activation Lock so Apple or the shop can actually work on it. When you get the watch back, pair it again and choose to restore from that backup. Your watch faces, settings and health data come right back.
Safe to keep wearing?
A hairline crack is fine for a while. A shattered screen can shed tiny glass bits, so cover it with a cheap clear screen protector and keep it away from the shower and pool until it’s fixed. If the screen is lifting away from the case, stop charging it. That can be a swollen battery.
Protect the next one
A $10 bumper case or screen protector saves you from most door-frame and countertop cracks. If the watch belongs to a kid, AppleCare+ makes a cracked screen $69 instead of $199.
Not sure? Run the numbers in our repair or replace calculator. All prices are on the Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) page. Apple prices checked October 14, 2026.
