Watch with “10 year battery”

[Packard]

I just bought this watch, which claims to have a 10 year battery (Casio Module 3502):

I suspect that it is a standard battery teamed up with a low current draining display.

It is a large display and very readable as long as you are facing it directly. If the face is at an approximately 15 degrees angle it loses contrast and is difficult to read. At 20 degrees the face goes black.

The main advantage was that the 10 year battery teamed with the low drain display only cost $24.00– less than the cost to have a battery replaced at a mall kiosk.

The last time I had a battery changed (several years ago) it cost $40.00). Movado charged me $100.00 to replace the battery on my Museum watch.

All my recent watches have been solar powered, but I read recently that the solar rechargeable batteries have a life span of 10 years—so no chance to save money there.

This watch uses 4 Philips screws to hold the backing plate on. If it takes a fairly normal battery, I will replace it myself.

I will keep this watch. It has an illumination button, but it still requires near zero angle to view.

Advantages:
Big face (51MM)
Cheap
Displays time, date, day, year.
Has 5 separate alarms (which I will never use).
Has a light bar that cycles every 10 seconds, which might be useful for timing short durations. (The curved bar with 10 segments to the right of the time.)

But its primary advantage is that it is cheap.

 

[mwolczko]

I read recently that the solar rechargeable batteries have a life span of 10 years

My Casio solar watch is still going strong after 15 years.

 

[Packard]

My Casio solar watch is still going strong after 15 years.

Just commenting on what I had read.

 

[luvmytoolz]

My Casio solar watch is still going strong after 15 years.

Same for my Seiko's, bit of a worry though when they do eventually fail, replacing the batteries here in Oz will likely be prohibitively expensive like most of this sort of stuff is.

 

[Packard]

Same for my Seiko's, bit of a worry though when they do eventually fail, replacing the batteries here in Oz will likely be prohibitively expensive like most of this sort of stuff is.

Really? But you are closer to the source of the watches.

 

[Sparktrician]

I've been using a Garmin Instinct for a few years now. When the battery indicator starts showing that it needs a charge, I just plug in a cable and leave it alone for an hour or so. It's admittedly NOT a cheap watch, but it seems to provide what I need. That said, I'd really like to get the solar version at some point.

 

[Crazyraceguy]

Related, but not the same type of battery life.

A couple of weeks ago, I found a flashlight on a high shelf, in my garage. I have no idea why it was up there, but it had to be a very long time. I expected it to have been ruined, leaking and corroded. Before opening, I tried the switch. Shockingly, the thing worked!? I was stunned, so I opened it up. I knew as soon as I saw them, that those batteries were old. They are Duracell, with the battery life indicator, in the side. They are nothing fancy, simple Alkaline AA.
They have a "best by" date of 2003! That means they have the potential to be as old as 1993! They still work, to this day.......how.
I realize that they have done nothing, not like a watch (working all this time). But still, they haven't gone crazy either, and I'm sure they have been in that hot/freezing garage, for 20+ years

 

[luvmytoolz]

Really? But you are closer to the source of the watches.

You'd think so, but it's a bit of a scam industry here, and that's the reason I used to always do my own batteries before I got heavily into automatic watches, but I've never changed over a solar watch.

 

[Mini Me]

I have a Seiko and for the battery to be replaced for it and a lot of watches there is a choice. To maintain the water proofing after the battery is replaced the seal has to be replaced which costs extra, a lot extra.

 

[kevinculle]

I got my first pocket cellphone in about 1993 and a few weeks later I tossed my watch in a drawer, and I haven't worn one since.

 

[luvmytoolz]

I have a Seiko and for the battery to be replaced for it and a lot of watches there is a choice. To maintain the water proofing after the battery is replaced the seal has to be replaced which costs extra, a lot extra.

I used to always replace the seal at the same time, until I learnt to be careful enough in replacing both battery and seal myself. But over time I've given away all bar one of my battery watches, so only have the kinetic and solar and automatics now.

 

[Packard]

Unlike my Apple keyboard which has a battery that has to be recharged weekly (and questionable build quality), my Logitech keyboard uses AAA batteries. The instructions said that the battery life was 3 million keystrokes, but the “batteries should be replaced after 6 months to avoid corrosion damage” [paraphrased].

I think CrazyRace’s battery experience is more of a fluke than common experience.

 

[Packard]

I used to always replace the seal at the same time, until I learnt to be careful enough in replacing both battery and seal myself. But over time I've given away all bar one of my battery watches, so only have the kinetic and solar and automatics now.

I had a kinetic quartz watch (Seiko??). I found it to be a flawed concept. It required that I wear the watch regularly. The solar quartz watches only need to be left somewhere that has light shining.

My Citizen Eco-Drive solar watch has a reserve of about 6 months, which I find fairly amazing.

My first automatic was a made in Japan Seiko purchased new in 1970. It gained 5 minutes per day, and cost a full week’s salary. I sent it off for warranty repair but was informed that the watch was “guaranteed for function only, accuracy was not covered.” They would adjust it for a fee (which I paid.). A couple of months later it was again gaining 5 minutes per day (35 minutes a week—a problematic issue). I checked my watch against the radio broadcasted time in my car, and it was 5 minutes fast. I chucked the watch out my window at 60 mph. I hadn’t thought about that watch until today.

I tried relying on my cell phone for a time piece, but I kept going back to watches. I feel partially dressed without one (though I wore pocket watches while I was in college).

 

[luvmytoolz]

I had a kinetic quartz watch (Seiko??). I found it to be a flawed concept. It required that I wear the watch regularly. The solar quartz watches only need to be left somewhere that has light shining.

My Citizen Eco-Drive solar watch has a reserve of about 6 months, which I find fairly amazing.

My first automatic was a made in Japan Seiko purchased new in 1970. It gained 5 minutes per day, and cost a full week’s salary. I sent it off for warranty repair but was informed that the watch was “guaranteed for function only, accuracy was not covered.” They would adjust it for a fee (which I paid.). A couple of months later it was again gaining 5 minutes per day (35 minutes a week—a problematic issue). I checked my watch against the radio broadcasted time in my car, and it was 5 minutes fast. I chucked the watch out my window at 60 mph. I hadn’t thought about that watch until today.

I tried relying on my cell phone for a time piece, but I kept going back to watches. I feel partially dressed without one (though I wore pocket watches while I was in college).

The kinetics can be a pain, they take a lot of movement to keep going so I rarely use them now but can't bring myself to get rid of them yet. That Seiko of yours should have easily been adjustable to get it to being very accurate, maybe it was a faulty movement, as I've never had an automatic that drifted anywhere that much over many months, let alone in a day. Shame you threw it away though, it'd likely be worth a bit now.

Couldn't agree more about feeling undressed without a watch, I've probably only ever forgotten to put it on a few times in my life, and definitely missed wearing it. To me there's just something about the tick-tick of an automatic watch on the wrist that a phone or smart watch just can't replace in sentiment or style.