Then the Chinese (or whoever else makes the cheap wrist watches these days) must have forgotten how to design them properly. Unless you abuse your watch for a flashlight, there's no reason a simple LCD watch shouldn't last several years on a single cell.
I don't think I've ever replaced the batteries in any ordinary remote more than twice --- by that time, either the device being controlled, or the remote itself, were usually done for.
The only exception is that programmable universal remote --- that one eats batteries like there's no tomorrow.