It's definitely one of the main restricting factors. That said, even my gen-one Moto 360, while not new and not known for being amazing in the battery department hasn't been an issue for me. I just put it on the cradle on my nightstand when I go to bed and pick it up in the morning. It charges pretty quickly as well so if I get home from work on a Friday and anticipate being out late, I can put it on the cradle for 30-60 min and top off the charge before heading out and there's never an issue.
Still, the battery isn't something like the battery in a traditional watch so at some point I won't just be able to order a button cell on Amazon and swap it out like I could on any old Timex, etc. Definitely hurts the lifespan and it's a major reason I only bought this watch because I got it on sale for $100. I wouldn't feel as comfortable buying a $500 watch that would be forever battery-dead in 3-4 years.