Do All Watches Use the Same Battery?
Wristwatches can be very important in making the right impression. Even though we now have smartphones that can tell us the time at one touch, watches have not lost any of their importance over time. In fact, they remain an integral part of any outfit.
But taking care of a watch is as necessary as buying the right brand of watch.
Watches are available with mainly two types of movements- quartz and mechanical. Quartz watches are the more popular of the two. This is because they are more accurate and can be mass-produced easily, making them cheap. These watches are powered by a battery. And batteries are perhaps the most important part of a watch’s mechanism. But are they really that simple to understand?
Do All Watches Use the Same Battery?
To put it in one word, no.
You would think that something as minuscule as a battery would be a simple thing, but we assure you, it is not. A watch battery looks just like a little button, which is why they are also called button cells. However, this tiny thing is a very complex thing to understand.
All watches do not even use the same type of battery. Watch batteries differ in a lot of things, like the size. For example, the most common watch battery dimensions are 9.5 mm in diameter and 2.1 mm in height (battery code 371), and 6.8 mm in diameter, and 2.6 mm in height (battery code 372).
Different Types of Batteries
BY SIZE
As mentioned before, watch batteries come in a lot of different sizes. They differ in height as well as diameter. They are also given codenames accordingly. These sizes are usually mentioned in the user manual of the watch. You just need to know the battery code to get an accurate replacement.
You can refer to the following chart for battery size and code conversion:
|
Energizer/Varta
Rayovac/Renata |
Maxell/Toshiba
National/Sony |
Seiko | Bulova | Citizen | Size mm | Capacity mAh | Voltage |
| 301 | SR43SW | SB-A8 | 226 | 280-01 | 11.6 x 4.2 | 120 | 1.5 |
| 303 | SR44SW | SB-A9 | 226 | 280-08 | 11.6 x 5.4 | 170 | 1.5 |
| 309 | . | . | 7QT | . | 7.9 x 5.4 | 80 | 1.5 |
| 313 | . | . | . | 280-06 | 11.6 x 5.4 | 265 | 1.35 |
| 314 | SR 716 W | . | . | . | 7.9 x 1.68 | 18 | 1.5 |
| 315 | SR716SW | SB-AT | . | 280-56 | 7.9 x 1.6 | 19 | 1.5 |
| 317 | SR516SW | SB-AR | . | 280.58 | 5.8 x 1.6 | 10 | 1.5 |
| 319 | SR527SW | SB-AE/DE | 226 | 280-60 | 5.8 x 2.6 | 18 | 1.5 |
| 321 | SR616SW | . | 611 | 280-73 | 6.8 x 1.6 | 13 | 1.5 |
| 323 | . | SB-C3 | 211 | . | 7.9 x 5.4 | 95 | 1.35 |
| 325 | . | SB-C1 | 6UDC | 280-02 | 7.9 x 3.6 | 70 | 1.35 |
| 329 | SR731SW | . | . | . | 7.9 x 3.1 | 37 | 1.5 |
| 333 | . | . | . | . | 6.8 x 1.1 | 7 | 2 |
| 335 | SR512SW | SB-AB | . | 280-68 | 5.8 x 1.2 | 5 | 1.5 |
| 337 | SR416SW | SB-AE/DE | 615 | 280-60 | 4.8 x 1.65 | 8.3 | 1.5 |
| 339 | SR614SW | . | . | . | 6.8 x 1.4 | 11 | 1.5 |
| 341 | SR714SW | . | . | . | 7.9 x 1.4 | 14 | 1.5 |
| 343 | . | . | 218 | . | 11.6 x 3.6 | 105 | 1.35 |
| 344 | SR1136SW | . | 242 | . | 11.6 x 3.6 | 130 | 1.5 |
| 346 | SR712SW | SB-DH | . | 280-66 | 7.9 x 1.2 | 10 | 1.5 |
| 348 | SR421SW | . | . | . | 4.8 x 2.15 | 12 | 1.5 |
| 350 | . | . | 604 | . | 11.6 X 3.6 | 100 | 1.5 |
| 354 | . | SB-C8 | . | . | 11.6 x 4.2 | 160 | 1.35 |
| 355 | . | . | . | . | 15.2 x 4.8 | 120 | 1.35 |
| 357 | SR44W | SB-B9 | 228 | . | 11.6 x 5.4 | 190 | 1.5 |
| 361 | SR721W | SB-BR/EK | . | 280-53 | 7.9 x 2.1 | 24 | 1.5 |
| 362 | SR721SW | SB-AK/DK | 601 | 280-29 | 7.9 x 2.1 | 24 | 1.5 |
| 364 | SR621SW | SB-AG/DG | 602 | 280-34 | 6.8 x 2.1 | 21 | 1.5 |
| 365 | SR1116W | . | . | . | 11.6 x 1.6 | 40 | 1.5 |
| 366 | SR1116SW | . | 608 | 280-46 | 11.6 x 1.6 | 40 | 1.5 |
| 370 | SR920W | SB-BN | . | 280-51 | 9.5 x 2.1 | 38 | 1.5 |
| 371 | SR920SW | SB-AN | 605 | 280-31 | 9.5 x 2.1 | 23 | 1.5 |
| 372 | SR916W | . | . | 280-45 | 9.5 x 1.65 | 23 | 1.5 |
| 373 | SR916SW | SB–AJ/DJ | 617 | 280-45 | 9.5 x 1.6 | 29 | 1.5 |
| 376 | SR626W | . | . | . | 6.8 x 2.6 | 28 | 1.5 |
| 377 | SR626SW | SB-AW | 606 | 280-39 | 6.8 x 2.6 | 30 | 1.5 |
| 379 | SR521SW | SB–AC/DC | . | 280-59 | 5.8 x 2.1 | 14 | 1.5 |
| 381 | SR1120SW | SB–AS/DS | 317 | 280-27 | 11.6 x 2.1 | 48 | 1.5 |
| 384 | SR41SW | SB–A1/D1 | 247 | 280-18 | 7.9 x 3.6 | 45 | 1.5 |
| 386 | SR43W | SB–B8 | 260 | 280-41 | 11.6 x 4.2 | 125 | 1.5 |
| 387 | . | . | . | . | 11.6 x 3.6 | 85 | 1.35 |
| 388 | . | . | . | 280-24 | 8.8 x 5.3 | 65 | 1.35 |
| 389 | SR1130W | SB–BU | . | 280-15 | 11.6 x 3.1 | 80 | 1.5 |
| 390 | SR1130SW | SB–AU | 603 | 280-24 | 11.6 x 3.1 | 80 | 1.5 |
| 391 | SR1120W | SB–BS/ES | 609 | 280-30 | 11.6 x 2.1 | 49 | 1.5 |
| 392 | SR41W | SB–B1 | 247B | 280-13 | 7.9 x 3.6 | 45 | 1.5 |
| 393 | SR754W | SB–B3 | 255 | . | 7.9 x 5.4 | 80 | 1.5 |
| 394 | SR936SW | SB–A4 | . | . | 9.5 x 3.6 | 78 | 1.5 |
| 395 | SR927SW | SB-AP/DP | 610 | 280-48 | 9.5 x 2.6 | 57 | 1.5 |
| 396 | SR726W | SB-BL | 612 | 280-52 | 7.9 x 2.6 | 32 | 1.5 |
| 397 | SR726SW | SB-AL | 607 | 280-28 | 7.9 x 2.6 | 35 | 1.5 |
| 399 | SR927W | SB-BP/EP | 613 | 280-44 | 9.5 x 2.6 | 56 | 1.5 |
| 750 | . | . | . | . | 5.7 x 1.0 | 5 | 2 |
| 751 | . | . | . | . | 5.8 x 1.2 | 325 | 2 |
BY MATERIAL
Traditional watch batteries are made of basically three kinds of materials. They differ in voltage and durability.
Alkaline Watch Batteries
Alkaline watch batteries possess a power of 1.5V. These are the cheapest watch batteries in the market. Since they do not last very long, they are only good for shorter uses.
Silver-Oxide Watch Batteries
These batteries have a power of 1.55V. These are slightly better than alkaline batteries in volt power and they also tend to last longer. This is also why they are the most common type of watch battery used today.
Lithium Watch Batteries
Lithium batteries are the best quality watch batteries available in the market today. They are used extensively in the making of premium, luxury brand watches. But since they last the longest, they are also the most expensive.
best watch batteries
The next choice to be made is the brand. The following are the top contenders in the market.
Varta Watch Batteries
Varta manufactures 33 different types of watch and timepiece batteries. The company also manufactures alkaline manganese as well as Li-ion batteries.
The manufacturer also produces some very unique watches, such as an Omega watch that uses a rare 2-volt lithium battery. Varta has established itself as a reliable brand over decades.
Renata Watch Batteries
Renata batteries are supplied by a Swiss company that is owned by the Swatch Group. These batteries are extremely reliable. They also last longer than an average battery and are leak-proof.
They have over 40 different types made of silver oxide that do not contain any mercury. Renata batteries provide approximately 1.55 volts and have a very low self-discharge rate. But these also cost a little more than the average brand. Despite this, it is the most commonly used brand in quartz watches. They even have a very well-managed website that helps the visitor in making the right choice according to their watch.
Sony Watch Batteries
Sony is a well-known global brand. It is also the largest silver oxide button cell battery maker in the world. It manufactures 40 different silver oxide watch batteries that work well with many different types of watches.
The capacity of these batteries varies, but the majority of them provide 1.5 volts of energy. Sony watch batteries are leak-proof and have a consistent voltage. These batteries have a longer shelf life than other brands. Besides this, Sony is also considered a very reputable brand in this particular industry.
Energizer Watch Batteries
Energizer batteries are one of the most commonly used brands in the space. They offer an extensive range of batteries for all kinds of watches. The company manufactures a wide variety of batteries, including silver oxide and lithium batteries.
These batteries are well worth the pretty penny that they cost. These batteries are leak-proof. The company also earned wide recognition for being one of the first to work on making batteries that children cannot swallow easily. This prevents their products from becoming hazardous. This is just one of the several reasons why the brand is so popular among users.
Maxell Watch Batteries
Maxell’s wristwatch Batteries have made a name for themselves in small electronics. They are popular producers of watch batteries. These small batteries are made of silver oxide and do not contain any mercury.
They have a capacity of 1.5 volts, which is ideal. They also launched zinc-air batteries. This brand also falls a little bit on the higher side of the range.
the bottom line:
As you can see, watches are equipped with different kinds of batteries. And we have just scratched the surface. This is why we would say that it is best to get your battery replaced at a watch shop or at a jewelry store. After all, it is a very delicate thing, and getting it wrong can disrupt the functioning of your watch.
That being said, it is perfectly reasonable to be curious about the parts of your wrist buddy. You do have a right to know what makes up the different parts of your things, so why should you not be inquisitive about these cells? We hope that the article helped in answering some of the questions you might have.
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