How Do Eco-Drive Watches Work?

Last Updated on September 29, 2022 by Luis Cooper

Are you looking for a green and sustainable option for your next watch?

If so, you may want to consider an eco-drive watch.

How Do Eco-Drive Watches Work?

These watches use electricity from the sun to charge the battery, which reduces the need for traditional batteries.

This blog post will discuss how eco-drive watches work? And what makes them a good choice for environmentally conscious consumers.

This type of watch uses renewable energy to power its functions, making it an excellent choice for those concerned about the environment.

These watches have an award-winning style and are made by a famous brand Citizen.

Eco-friendly watches are environmentally friendly because of two main things.

First, they do not require battery winding; second, they do not require winding.

The most outstanding feature of these watches is that they do not require any maintenance.

These watches are reliable and can work without depending on the battery.

What is Eco-Drive?

Citizen watches feature Eco-Drive, a mechanism that captures energy from any light source.

The technology can be operated with either natural or artificial light to operate the technology.

The power is kept in a lithium-ion rechargeable cell, and the battery has an infinite runtime and may be continuously charged.

Eco-Drive watches are watches that, with proper maintenance, might last a lifetime.

According to Citizen, the Citizen Eco-Drive watch line has prevented the disposal of over 10 million batteries in North America alone.

It is excellent news for the environment and a brave move toward lowering pollution.

The Japan Environment Association recognized this cutting-edge green technology in 1996 when they nominated Citizen’s Eco-Drive watch for the Eco Mark.

The watch met the criteria for this honor and became the first timepiece to hold it.

The Japan Environment Association once more recognized the Eco-Drive in 2014 after taking home the Gold Award at the Eco Mark Awards.

It was the first watch to get the honor, demonstrating the positive impact that technology may have on the watch business.

Working on Eco-Drive Watches:

Energy cells and solar conversion panels are the two primary parts of an Eco-Drive watch’s power system.

The amorphous silicon disc that houses the solar panel, which is microns thin, is under the watch dial.

The solar panel turns the energy from the light source into electrical power using a process known as photovoltaic after absorbing the energy through the watch crystal and dial.

The energy cell then stores the electrical energy, giving the watch the power it needs to function.

After that, an Eco-Drive watch operates just like a standard quartz watch.

An Eco-Drive watch’s energy cell is different from a typical watch battery.

The primary variations are as follows:

• The regular cycle of charge and discharge does not affect it.
• Since the energy cell lacks the chemicals in most conventional watch batteries, it is environmentally safe.
• When appropriately used, the energy cell never has to be replaced.

The following instructions are applicable while charging an eco-drive watch.

• The Eco-Drive stores one day’s worth of use in 40 minutes at a distance of 20 cm (8 inches) from a light source of 3,000 lux (comparable to being at an office or near a window). You can use the watch for 130 hours after it has been fully charged.
• The Eco-Drive will store one day’s worth of use in 12 minutes under shade or on a gloomy day at 10,000 lux, comparable to being beneath a parasol, on the eaves, or on a day when it’s raining. A full charge will be achieved after 40 hours.
• One day’s worth of use may be produced outside on sunny days at 100,000 lux, similar to direct sunlight on a summer day, and a full charge can be obtained in 11 hours.

Two distinct elements of some Eco-Drive watches include a power saving feature and a light-level power indicator.

The watch’s energy can be conserved by using the power-saving feature.

The watch halts its motion when it detects darkness.

The dial instantly changes back to the right time when light touches it.

The light-level power indicator is a function that provides a quick visual of how much the watch is charging.

Benefits of Eco-Drive Watches:(How Do Eco-Drive Watches Work?)

Following are the benefits of Eco-Drive watches.

No need to replace batteries regularly:

Everyone used to agree that quartz timepieces needed their batteries changed regularly.

However, the introduction of Eco-Drive challenged the status quo.

Eco-Drive is a light-powered technology that powers timepieces by catching the light and utilizing an integrated solar cell to turn it into energy.

Suddenly, the inconvenience of changing batteries was history.

Runs even in the dark for more than six months:

Do you constantly require light to power your watch? With Eco-Drive, no.

Eco-Drive can operate in complete darkness for more than six months on a single full charge.

Some versions with power-saving features can work for up to seven years.

Runs even in dim light:

The Eco-Drive is made to be charged by commonplace light sources like the desk and indoor fluorescent lighting.

Your watch will never stop, so you can confidently do your daily activities.

How are Dead Citizen Eco-Drive Watches Recharged?

You may already be aware that the Eco-Drive watch has a rechargeable battery.

Therefore, this cell needs to be refilled to power your watch.

And to achieve this, expose the watch dial immediately to artificially intense light such as fluorescent lamps or sunshine.

Charging your Eco-Drive watch for at least 5 to 6 hours once a month is advised to guarantee the best possible performance.

You can thereby prevent the dead watch problem.

If your watch begins to act erratically due to a lack of power, you must fully charge it by placing it under a bright light.

This bright light can be either natural or artificial.

So, if the watch stops working altogether and stops ticking, you must follow the All Reset technique described in your watch’s instruction book manual.

Before you set the time, make sure you have completed this.

By doing this, you’ll see a starting point that occurs right when your watch runs out of battery entirely.

Additionally, you must ensure that your watch is fully charged and operating in its typical one-second increment mode before you set it.

However, specific Eco-Drive watch models have unique features like a power saving mode, a rapid start mode, a low battery warning option, etc.

As a result, you can be aware of this before your watch dies and take the appropriate action.

How Long Does The Battery Last in a Citizen Eco-Drive Watch?

Depending on the watch model, the battery life of a Citizen Eco-Drive watch varies.

It shouldn’t, however, differ significantly.

According to official Citizen reports, the power reserve battery will last up to 10 years.

It shouldn’t be shocking as the “backup” battery, or as most people call it, the power reserve battery is made to last forever.

The battery in your watch should last for the foreseeable future, thanks to the collected light energy it contains.

Are All Eco-Drive Watches Solar Powered?

Solar energy powers every Eco-Drive watch made by citizens.

Atomic timekeeping is a characteristic of Citizen eco-drive watches, so you never have to worry about setting the time or the accuracy of your watch.

Citizen eco-drive technology improves lives while promoting environmental preservation.

The fact remains, however, that not all Citizen Watches use eco-drive technology.

While some of the older Citizen Watch models may be solar-powered, they might not include eco-drive technology.

When buying a Citizen Watch, read the descriptions or the user manual.

Do Citizen Eco-Drive Watches Need New Batteries?

A battery is not necessary for a Citizen Eco-Drive watch.

The idea that they have batteries is a frequent one.

They do, however, have capacitors, which serve as energy storage.

The capacitor is employed only when there is no light source to power the watch.

Otherwise, the watch is directly powered by the light source.

The Eco-capacitor drives can malfunction. Thus you might need to acquire a replacement from a watchmaker.

However, Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology will not function with a conventional quartz watch battery.

It requires a unique connector that is positioned correctly in the watch.

What causes the Eco-Drive to charge the capacitor is the special connector.

Finding Eco-Drive Watches:

Several fantastic websites on the internet sell Citizen Eco-Drive watches.

These websites are only a tiny sample of those listed below.

• Amazon
•  Macy’s,
•  Citizen
•  Watch
•  JCPenney

Knowing how eco-drive watches will help you choose a Citizen Eco-Drive series watch the next time you’re looking for a fashionable, environmentally responsible, high-quality timepiece.

Final Thoughts:

Because they are so simple to operate and have a “set it and forget it” attitude, Citizen Eco-Drive watches are a fantastic, long-lasting option for timepieces.

Despite not having a battery, we’ve discovered that Eco-Drive watches may occasionally require service to make sure the “lifelong watch” really lives up to its name, whether it’s due to a battery running out of charge, the movement needing to be replaced, or the solar cell finally timing out. 

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