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