Battery change sticker question

I am trying to get some clarity on the sticker that comes on the caseback of older Seamaster quartz watches. The sticker shows a date and a month with the word "battery" below it, along with a bar code and the serial number. I am trying to find out if that date is the date the battery was put in the watch or if this is the month/year the battery would need to be replaced. I am hunting for a birth year seamaster for my son, so this is why I am curious about this issue.