Methods and systems of extending battery life of remote battery-operated timekeeping devices by minimizing the number of required synchronizations per unit of time needed to maintain a predetermined accuracy of the devices. The number of synchronizations are minimized by first calculating a time error rate between the remote timekeeping device and a master device over a sample period. Then, a synchronization is delayed and the remote timekeeping device is compensated based on the time error rate. The compensation delays the need for a synchronization yet maintains the predetermined accuracy of the remote timekeeping device. In some embodiments, the remote timekeeping device is compensated and multiple synchronizations are delayed before a new synchronization is necessary to maintain the predetermined accuracy.