How long should my watch battery last?

How long should my watch battery last?

This question is asked by everyone who owns a battery powered watch and rightly so. Upon purchase of a new watch, the battery should last up to 2 years as a standard benchmark, on older watches we estimate 14-18 months. If your battery doesn’t last this long then find out the reasons why below.

Watches with functions such as; alarms, chronograph/stopwatches, LED displays etc. will drain your battery faster than a standard analogue watch. Be careful not to leave the chronograph running permanently as this can drain the battery up to 40% faster! Water damage, corrosion and the age of your watch will also influence the frequency of battery changes required. The older the watch is the more the lubricants inside degrade and try to slow the movement down. Also remember that you never know how long the "new" watch has been stored with the manufacturer or retailer before purchase, making battery life prediction difficult. More complex watches seen from brands such as Diesel may have up to 5 batteries inside to power the multiple dials and functions. Each one will last a different amount of time, so we would recommend to have all changed in one go.

How will I know when to change the battery in my watch?

The obvious answer would be, when your watch has stopped working, though you may want to prevent that from happening in the first place. Many watches will display ‘symptoms’ of low power; this is usually where the second hand will jump or skip a few seconds in one go, you may also notice that your watch is no longer keeping time correctly.

Any of these signs are key indicators that your watch requires a battery replacement. Please be warned not to leave an old battery in a watch for too many years as severe damage can occur inside the watch when acids leaks out.

How long will my replacement battery last?

Depending on the quality of battery used, your replacement should last up to 18 months; the lower the quality of battery brand and the longer the battery has been stored before fitting will greatly affect its life expectancy. Here at Creative Watch Co, we only use the highest quality Swiss Renata batteries with the freshest dates to ensure that you are receiving the best watch battery. We also guarantee the life of your replacement for 12 months from the date of purchase and will replace this for you free of charge if it’s faulty. We offer this as a while you wait service for most brands with prices ranging from £8 to £25 depending on the make of watch, and those with more than one battery the price will increase accordingly. If the battery in your watch lasts less than 12 months, it’s probably time to consider getting the movement serviced.

Lithium Ion batteries are designed to last much longer than a conventional battery. These are often found in watches with glowing backlights or multiple functions; the complex makeup of these cells gives them an impressive life expectancy of 5 years or more.

What if I wear my watch in water?

As with all watches but especially those worn in water i.e. swimming or scuba diving, we would always recommend having your watch pressure/seal tested alongside the battery change. Our horologists use a state of the art Swiss testing machine for this. If your watch seal is damaged, we are able to replace this for you too. A battery and pressure test usually takes 1 hour to complete and starts from £35 (including the price of your battery). This test is worthwhile if you believe that your watch is at risk from moisture damage such as perspiration, and you want your watch to work for as long as its been designed to.

To find out more please contact us at sales@creativewatch.co.uk or call us on 0121 233 1801.