#SEIKO AUTOMATIC GENERATOR#

Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph: 1 month of charge.Kinetic Direct Drive: 1 month of charge, can also be hand-wound via the crown.Seiko has constantly been evolving their Kinetic range and there are now many distinct types you can get: It does however depend on the specific kinetic model you have. However, the big difference is in the charge: Kinetic watches can store their charge for up many months compared to an automatic watch which normally only has a couple of days of charge maximum. They just keep on running! Image Courtesy of Seiko This is not an issue with automatic watches. One con of this type of watch though is that many people have reported on forums that the capacitor will need replacing at some point, kind of like a battery. And given that it requires movement, you can also keep it on a watch winder when you are not wearing it. So, as with an automatic watch, a Kinetic style watch from Seiko needs to be worn regularly to keep its charge.

Both of them, however, could be referred to as motion-powered watches. You can see how it works in the diagram below, taken from a Seiko user’s manual. So, the big difference to an automatic watch is that a kinetic watch charges a capacitor instead of a spring.

#SEIKO AUTOMATIC GENERATOR#

The generator then charges the capacitor. This turns a number of gears which then produce electricity in a small generator. The swinging or moving of your arm moves an oscillating weight within the watch. And in many ways, it is similar to an automatic watch.Ī kinetic watch works through movement. The Kinetic watch movement was created by Seiko back in 1986. See Prices On Amazon How Does A Kinetic Watch Work? This is something most watch collectors own and use frequently, for obvious reasons.

But it’s something extra you have to do, and you have to remember to do it. Yes, you can also buy a watch winder that keeps it moving when you are not wearing it so that it is always charged and ready to go. Slowly turning the crown winds up the spring and stores energy for use in rotating the gears in the watch.Īutomatic watches can store a charge for up to 48 hours (depending on the setup and the spring size), but they have the disadvantage of needing to be worn constantly in order to get the rotor moving and the watch charging. In a manual-winding watch, you have to do this yourself via the crown on the side of the watch. This swinging rotor winds up the spring which is actually responsible for the power that drives the watch. But, how do they actually work?īasically, the watch has a large rotor (think of a swing on a playground) that moves when your wrist moves – which in turn, winds the watch for you. Seiko Automatic Watch Recharging Self-winding Automatic Watch – Courtesy of WikipediaĪutomatic watches have been around for nearly 100 years and are based on mechanical principles.

Seiko automatic