500 cycles “before it drops capacity” doesn’t mean that after 500 days of daily use the battery will be dead. One cycle means charging the battery from 0 to 100%, so if you just use 50% of the battery during a normal day, it means you are completing a cycle every two days of use (charging it two days from 50 to 100%)... so 500 cycles would be 1000 days, so probably would be around three years, and in case you don’t wear any of your other watches nevermore!
But they said “500 cycles before it drops capacity”, so maybe after three years of daily use you may not have the same hours of range as when the battery was new, but maybe 10%-20% less range, which is still enough for a full day of use.
I’m using my Connected Modular 45 almost daily since May 2018, and battery range is even better now than when it was new, because Wear OS software updates have improved a lot the battery consumption. So not problem at all at the moment.
If we talk about the Connected Modular, another solution (in addition to the mechanical modules) to this future battery problem is buying a spare smartwatch module and keep it as a replacement. Price for just the head is obviously lower than for the complete watch, because we use same lugs, straps, and buckles from the original watch with the dead battery.
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I have found one, brand new, still with the protective stickers, and I will keep it stored (it’s recommended to store it with the battery charged up to 80%) to secure that I will be able to enjoy my Modular 45 collection during many years, and not only with the mechanical modules. If someday the battery of my current Connected Modular 45 stops working, I will have this other smart module ready and with a fresh battery to replace it.
It’s not easy to find it new, but you can find a spare module with few use and better price. There are some for sale at ebay (at around €400-€500 depending on the condition), and also in our Marketplace forum:
https://forums.calibre11.com/thread...-brezel-2-charging-pucks.117371/#post-1560600
https://forums.calibre11.com/threads/watch-head-only-tag-heuer-connected-modular-45.119001/Click to expand...