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Post by timewatcher on Dec 26, 2014 11:14:49 GMT -8
what the difference is between a Kinetic watch and an Eco drive?
I have a few Eco Drives but my new Christmas watch is Kinetic and I dont really see what the differences are if any!
Both have batteries but also both reply on a light source to power them so what am I missing?
TIA
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Post by lordflagpolecrabtree on Dec 26, 2014 11:26:31 GMT -8
Kinetic watches have nothing to do with light. They work in a similar way to automatics, but have a capacitor that stores the power, making it similar to a quartz movement. Like an Eco Drive, if left uncharged (worn or on a charger as opposed to left in sunlight) it will die until recharged.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2014 11:41:07 GMT -8
what the difference is between a Kinetic watch and an Eco drive? I have a few Eco Drives but my new Christmas watch is Kinetic and I dont really see what the differences are if any! Both have batteries but also both reply on a light source to power them so what am I missing? TIA As lordflagpole says; kinetics have nothing to do with light. Both are basic quartz watches with rechargeable batteries or capacitors. Solar and Eco-Drive watches convert light to electricity to keep the batteries charged. Put them in a drawer and they will die. So feed them light; even if they just sit on a windowsill all the time. Kinetic watches have a micro electricity generator driven by a rotor just like the one that winds the main spring in an automatic. If you don't wear a kinetic enough, the battery will not get enough charge and it will die. So wear them a lot or buy an inductive charger to keep them topped up. Given the state of modern battery technology, both systems are rather pointless for collectors or anyone who doesn't wear these watches daily. |
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Post by timewatcher on Dec 26, 2014 11:46:10 GMT -8
Thanks for that info! I never realized that about Kinetics! Off onto the window ledge it goes then.
I was always under the impression that Kinetics didnt have to be worn all the time to keep them charged.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2014 11:51:11 GMT -8
Thanks for that info! I never realized that about Kinetics! Off onto the window ledge it goes then. I was always under the impression that Kinetics didnt have to be worn all the time to keep them charged. Eco-Drive to the window...kinetic on the wrist or charger. |
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Post by timewatcher on Dec 26, 2014 11:56:13 GMT -8
How long does it take for a charge when worn as it probably wont get anywhere near the wear my others do.
How much are chargers for them?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 26, 2014 12:07:54 GMT -8
How long does it take for a charge when worn as it probably wont get anywhere near the wear my others do. How much are chargers for them? A couple of full days a week should keep a kinetic happy. If you let it run down until it stops, it could take up to a couple of weeks of constant wearing to get it to full charge again. But each time it runs down to a complete discharge, a good portion of it's reserve will be gone. For example, when new, these rechargeable batteries should hold about a 6 month reserve. Once they are discharged to a a complete stop, they will only hold about 4 months or less. Each successive discharge will strip more reserve from it until no matter what you do it will only have days or hours of reserve. The key is to not let the watch stop or get to the two second hop too many times. As long as the watch still runs then the battery has not reached it's 'drop out voltage' level and shouldn't be damaged. As long as the watches are working fine, I wouldn't worry about it. The worst case is you have to replace a $20 battery vs a $1 battery in a regular quartz watch. I've converted all my kinetics to regular batteries. Now I can admire them on my watch stand and not be concerned with those expensive rechargeable batteries going bad. |
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Post by timewatcher on Dec 26, 2014 12:11:32 GMT -8
Thank you again for that info! Very much appreciated!
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Post by 69ChevelleSS on Dec 27, 2014 8:41:52 GMT -8
How long does it take for a charge when worn as it probably wont get anywhere near the wear my others do. How much are chargers for them? A couple of full days a week should keep a kinetic happy. If you let it run down until it stops, it could take up to a couple of weeks of constant wearing to get it to full charge again. But each time it runs down to a complete discharge, a good portion of it's reserve will be gone. For example, when new, these rechargeable batteries should hold about a 6 month reserve. Once they are discharged to a a complete stop, they will only hold about 4 months or less. Each successive discharge will strip more reserve from it until no matter what you do it will only have days or hours of reserve.The key is to not let the watch stop or get to the two second hop too many times. As long as the watch still runs then the battery has not reached it's 'drop out voltage' level and shouldn't be damaged. As long as the watches are working fine, I wouldn't worry about it. The worst case is you have to replace a $20 battery vs a $1 battery in a regular quartz watch. I've converted all my kinetics to regular batteries. Now I can admire them on my watch stand and not be concerned with those expensive rechargeable batteries going bad. and that, my friend, is why I don't own a Kinetic. With 20 watches that I like, each one gets worn for a week at a time so at most, it's two or three times a year. |
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normdiaz
Is a Permanent Fixture
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Post by normdiaz on Dec 27, 2014 9:27:36 GMT -8
what the difference is between a Kinetic watch and an Eco drive? I have a few Eco Drives but my new Christmas watch is Kinetic and I dont really see what the differences are if any! Both have batteries but also both reply on a light source to power them so what am I missing? So feed them light; even if they just sit on a windowsill all the time. Don't even need window time on some E-D's. I have an E-D (cal E760) that's been going steadily 9+ years now and is just left out (of a drawer) with only total darkness during night hours and receives maybe an occasional sun bath in a window. Of course, it does have two power-save modes. (Only solar that ever showed the "recharge now" indicator was a Casio with only a 14-day PR and a similar model received from the vendor fully discharged.) |
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Post by SpinDoctor on Dec 27, 2014 14:05:12 GMT -8
Supposedly with the latest kinetic caliber seiko improved the power management at the bottom end of cell energy so it will cut off power with enough reserve to maintain cell life with depletion.
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