I change the batteries myself. You can use a coin or the Suunto tool that looks like a coin on one side and has prongs on the other side for different battery compartments. The first few times I changed batteries, I got replacement o-rings. I quit doing that and just clean the battery compartment and the hatch, plus I take the o-ring off and use a greasing pad to lube it up every time. Never had any water intrusion issues, even after swimming and showering.
As to the sticky buttons, I've heard the complaints before but never had any of mine do it.
There are far better digital watches out there with more updated features (GPS, bluetooth integration, email, music, etc.), but invariably they are ones that need charging. I much prefer an ABC watch that uses replaceable batteries that last much longer. YMMV