| Both these companies make great products, but | | | | power source. And it doesn't even need to be |
| they do so utilizing completely different | | | | sunlight - any light source will do fine. To |
| technologies. So which is best, and further | | | | accomplish this, Citizen places tiny solar |
| more which is the better choice when | | | | cells on the faces of their Eco-Drive |
| considering purchasing a dive watch. On the | | | | watches. These cells are what transform light |
| one hand, Seiko kinetic dive watches utilize | | | | into electrical energy. This energy is then |
| motion, or kinetic energy derived from | | | | collected and stored in energy cells, sort of |
| movement, while the Citizen Eco-Drive watch | | | | like a battery, that will then supply power |
| incorporates solar panels to capture energy | | | | for extended periods, even without light. |
| from various light sources. On the surface, | | | | Again, since the underlying subject is really |
| the most observable difference is that the | | | | about dive watches, this is especially useful |
| latter relies on fewer moving parts. Of | | | | for someone who only uses the watch for |
| course, fewer parts is always better in terms | | | | diving, as opposed to wearing it everyday. By |
| of long-term reliability, however in the case | | | | storing up energy for later use, these |
| of a watch it's likely more of a moot point | | | | watches can be left idle for extended |
| since analog watches are already composed of | | | | periods, and still show the correct time upon |
| more parts than one could count, so what real | | | | their next use. In fact, a lot of the newest |
| difference will a few more make. First, some | | | | models, both solar and kinetic, have |
| history on how both these power systems | | | | something called hibernation mode, where |
| function will be useful before drilling down | | | | after sensing no movement for an extended |
| to deciding which is best. Obviously, this | | | | period, the hands and dial functions stop |
| discussion has nothing to do with watches | | | | moving to save energy. However, the quartz |
| requiring daily winding either. Leave that to | | | | movement will keep on calculating the correct |
| the over-priced Rolex still lost in the last | | | | time, so once the watch is moved again, the |
| century. Seiko pioneered the self-winding | | | | sensors activate and reset with current data. |
| watch back in 1980. They came up with a way | | | | Battery technology has come quite far along |
| to translate the motion of the wearers arm | | | | too, so were now close to the point where |
| movements into the mechanical energy | | | | this storage cell or battery, could last |
| necessary to wind the watches mainspring. The | | | | beyond the lifetime of the wearer. That means |
| fancy word kinetic simply means | | | | the battery would never need replacing, |
| motion-generated mechanical energy. They do | | | | making these watches super friendly to the |
| this by having arm motion swing an odd-shaped | | | | environment. So which one is best? Well, if |
| rotor, weighted heavily on one side, around a | | | | the watch is worn with any amount of |
| winding mechanism that, with the use of | | | | regularity, it appears to be a toss up, and |
| special reversed gearing, will only move in | | | | either energy source will work fine. You can |
| one direction. The result is a winding of the | | | | also see that either type watch can be left |
| mainspring over time. This in itself will | | | | idle for long periods of time ranging from |
| keep the watch wound as long as it's worn and | | | | months to years, and continue to keep correct |
| thus receiving kinetic energy input. But if | | | | time. I suppose if one left the Citizen |
| left off the arm for a day or two, it will | | | | Eco-Drive watch in a drawer long enough, it |
| stop. This is especially important since the | | | | would eventually stop from lack of light, but |
| focus here is on dive watches, which might | | | | then again, so would a Seiko kinetic watch |
| not be worn as a regular everyday watch. To | | | | from lack of wrist movement. At the end of |
| resolve this problem, Seiko added a battery | | | | the day, it's somewhat unlikely one will |
| as a place to store the excess kinetic | | | | purchase any watch just to leave it lying |
| energy. Assuming the battery is fully | | | | around for years, so the answer has to be |
| charged, the watch can now be left lying | | | | that both energy generation techniques will |
| still for months or even years and still not | | | | work well, and it becomes a matter of |
| require winding. Instead of kinetic energy, | | | | personal preference. |
| Citizen developed a way to utilize light as a | | | | |