Kinetic Seiko Watch
Posted on (05/10/10)
Kinetic Seiko Watch
How a Kinetic Seiko Watch Works
In order to know how a kinetic Seiko watch works, it's necessary to know how other watch technologies operate. Watches can be powered by a number of mechanisms. The most traditional designs on the market today are mechanical (automatic) watches and quartz watches, each of which draws its power in different ways. Mechanical watches are driven by small gears and rotors, which are powered by a series of springs. Owners of mechanical watches have to kept them wound in order for the watch to keep the proper time. Quartz watches, on the other hand, are powered by a small battery, which sends an electrical pulse to a quartz crystal. When the quartz crystal receives the charge, it begins to oscillate at a specific frequency, which is then converted into the mechanical energy, which turns the hands by a stepping motor. Seiko, a leader in fine watches has broken free of these two traditional methods of powering the action of a watch by introducing a kinetic Seiko watch that use motion and a small, quartz crystal to run.
A kinetic Seiko watch relies on the natural movement of the wearer's body to convert that energy into electrical energy that the watch can use to operate and drive the hands on the dial. The mechanism of a kinetic Seiko watch is ingenious in its simplicity and functional elegance. When the wearer moves his hand or arm during the course of the day, a small rotor inside of the kinetic Seiko watch begins to turn. This motion is transmitted through a series of smaller gears, which transmit the motion and energy to a small motor inside of the kinetic Seiko watch. As the motor turns inside of the kinetic Seiko watch, it converts the kinetic energy from the wearer's motion into electrical energy, which it transmit to and stores in a small capacitor. Capacitors are small integrated circuits, which are designed to hold a charge temporarily. Thus, in the kinetic Seiko watch, the capacitor functions as a battery, which is continuously charged by the movement of its wearer. Like a normal quartz watch, a kinetic Seiko watch also includes a quartz crystal, but instead of drawing its power from a battery, the kinetic Seiko watch draws its power from the capacitor.
By choosing to power their kinetic Seiko watch with the power of motion rather than a battery, Seiko has given its kinetic watches some advantages. First of all, a kinetic Seiko watch never has to be opened in order to replace a battery. Next, because it does not rely on a battery, a kinetic Seiko watch is more environmentally friendly. Traditional batteries need to be disposed of in the right way so that they don't leach toxic materials into the soil or water. Finally, a kinetic Seiko watch combines the best components of a quartz and automatic watch. Like automatic watches, a kinetic Seiko watch depends on the wearer's motion, but also contain a quartz crystal, which allows them to keep very accurate time.
