SEIKO 101: Quartz battery change marks! August 30, 2024

When it comes to Seiko's quartz dive watches, there are a few design quirks. One of them is how Seiko tracks battery changes. Last couple of weeks we've had comments talking about this. The reason Seiko did it was to minimize the number of times a dive watch would need to be opened between battery changes by taking the guesswork out of when a change might need to be done. Now, when a Seiko quartz is low on power, the seconds hand will start jumping in two-second intervals. I assumed out of hand (and have for years) that the battery change marks were made after a battery change, but it may be they were done to show when in the future the battery would need a change. Not sure why this hard for me to grasp but here we are.
PSA: This video contains sub-optimal levels of editing, enough to get it done. We have zero script beyond the questions people have sent in. Same for the sound - I forget my microphone pretty regularly, so if you can hear anything count that as a win. Even if that "anything" is tuneless humming. I did pump up the volume though. YMMV if you choose to spend part of your life on this. No Refunds. Enjoy!
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No ammonites were harmed in the making of this video.

[@whywatchitman]

It is a warning that your battery will die. If you’re not wearing the watch all the time and you don’t see the 2 second click warning. I worked at a Seiko dealership from the mid 1980’s til 2012. Probably changed 10,000 batteries or more. I would put a dimple in the graph for the customer. Thanks for the video Spencer!

[@brucebarlow6604]

You nailed it, that 700c with the battery date stamp is additionally neat history of the Watch.

[@joseph_Stuart]

Well that has just blown my mind! I too thought all along that these marks were made at the point of battery change. I just checked my 3 x 7548’s and one 7C43 and all of them line up with this theory.

[@Supercruze]

Good stuff. I recall the Question you answered on the last mail call where someone mentioned his watch was stamped from the factory from new.

[@SpencerKleinVintageWatch]

Yup, correct!

[@PharaohMan007]

Beautiful collection of divers!! Is there is recommended hack to freeing a hard to turn bezel?

[@koosb8162]

I have a Seiko Quartz diver (5H something) I bought in '93 and the punch mark is in '95 and the shop owner told me what it means when I purchased it. And he told me that the seconds hand would drop to a 2 second tick when time to change the battery also. No one who changed a battery ever added a new punch mark though 😞

[@BiffTannenBTTF]

Holy hell. It’s hilarious that I never knew this. When you think about it, it actually makes zero sense to mark when the batter change was.

[@petemoss8245]

Thanks for addressing the battery dimple. Let me know when I can get a jewel upgrade? :-)

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

Wrist check: I just bought a watch at the local flea market/thrift-shop, for €2,-. An Auriol IAN 337510_2001 HG06651D. Lidl, a supermarket, sold them, I cut off the wristband, plastic junk, too short, and put it on a NATO, it looks great, bling free, clear, runs on time :) It is a Quartz, the battery is still good, those cost 7 or 8 €... Let's see how long it will last :)

[@Rick-ve5lx]

I’ve got one. It was very accurate but it’s awaiting a new battery. The battery lasted about 3 years.

[@SideWalkAstronomyNetherlands]

): Happy Saturday :)

[@Super-ew1ty]

Nice you corrected that for us as.

[@tomekkowalczyk388]

My 7000 is punched 83 3Q :P

[@vanderdole02]

:)

[@Rick-ve5lx]

My SBBN045 which I bought new has one punch mark for first quarter of 2025.

[@SpencerKleinVintageWatch]

They're still doing it??

[@roadgent7921]

4:38 The 700B is the Pepsi, so is the 700F. I don't think the codes follow western logic.