Like many rechargeable batteries, if the capacitor in a Kinetic is left in a state of low charge over a period of time, it will no longer recharge. If you have a Seiko Kinetic that you rarely wear, we suggest buying a watch winder or just making a point to shake it up to a full charge once a week. This will extend the life of the capacitor.
I don’t wear my Seiko Kinetic very often. Is that bad for the watch?
December 10th, 2009My Seiko Kinetic has started holding a charge less and less over time.
December 10th, 2009When a Seiko Kinetic holds a charge for less and less time, it is an indication that the capacitor is wearing out. Eventually, the watch will no longer charge at all. It is important to replace the capacitor when it is worn out because a bad capacitor can burst and leak corrosion into the watch mechanism causing serious damage.
I had the battery replaced in my Seiko Perpetual Calendar and the second hand now ticks in 3 or 5 second increments.
December 10th, 2009If the battery is replaced and the perpetual calendar is not re-programmed, the watch will keep time, but the second hand will tick in odd increments as an indicator that the calendar has not been programmed.
How is a Seiko Perpetual Calendar watch different from any other date/time watch?
December 10th, 2009A perpetual calendar watch, both Seiko and Citizen make watches with this feature, have a computer chip inside the watch. When programmed correctly, the chip will advance the date wheel correctly for 30 or 31 day months. It will also account for the 28 days in February as well as adjust for leap year.
Why is my Seiko Perpetual Calendar watch ticking in two second increments?
December 10th, 2009The two second increment ticking is an indication of low battery power. The long life lithium battery that power a Seiko Perpetual Calendar watch needs replaced when the watch starts to tick in two second increments. If the battery is not replaced, the watch will eventually stop.
The crystal in my Citizen Eco Drive or Seiko watch shattered.
December 10th, 2009The first thing to do when a crystal breaks is to pull out the crown (setting knob) to stop the watch. The broken glass can stop the hands and cause damage to the watch mechanism. A broken crystal should be replaced as soon as possible since the open face with allow dust and moisture to get into the watch.
My Seiko Kinetic will only go to a 20 charge on the indicator.
December 7th, 2009Some people do not wear their Seiko Kinetics often enough to get them to a full charge. Try to wind the Kinetic by just shaking it back and forth for 10-15 minutes or putting it on a watch winder. Sometimes when a capacitor on a Kinetic is going out, the watch will hold less and less charge before it stops. Sometimes the winding mechanism is wearing out and it no longer charges efficiently. It could also be a sign of some of the gears wearing out and putting a lot of drag on the power supply.
I thought Citizen Eco-Drives “never need a battery”?
December 7th, 2009Citizen’s promotion materials claim that their watches never need a battery. Well, they don’t ever need a silver oxide or lithium battery that other quartz watches need every year or two. However, they do need a capacitor to store the solar energy. The capacitor acts like a rechargeable battery. The capacitors in Eco-Drives can go bad after a number of years. They can also become faulty after long periods of disuse or burst due to extreme heat.
My Citizen Eco-Drive has stopped working.
December 7th, 2009If the watch shows no life at all, the first thing you should try to do is recharge the watch in bright light. Some Eco-Drives can take over 60 hours to fully charge. Make sure you do not try to charge it where it will get really hot. Heat can severely damage the watch. If it does not show any life at all after being charged, or if it will run in the light, but stops or double ticks out of the light, it likely needs a new capacitor. We specialize in this repair.
Seiko Kinetic Watches have come a long way
December 7th, 2009The original Kinetics could hold a charge for 72 hours without any watch movement. The watch had to be worn regularly to hold a charge. The new Auto Relay Kinetics boast they will hold a charge up to 4 years.