Anyone have a solar watch?

[JayC]

My current watch is going nuts on me. It has started acting up on me ever since the battery was changed. I figure I don't want to deal with batteries anymore, so I am looking at a solar watch. I am also looking at a metal band. I'm tired of all the resin bands breaking on me. Most of the time it is the dumb "catch" that holds the band down when it gets looped through the buckle. So, how well do you like your solar watch? How long does it take for it to charge? How long does a charge last? Thanks in advance. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[PineRidge]

No batteries here but it is a little hard to read once the sun goes down. (see attachment)

 

[JayC]

Does it come with a daily & hourly alarm? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BigDave]

I have a Citizen Eco-Drive solar watch. No complaints over a period of several years. If I had to guess, I would say the watch is 6 years old. The band broke, so it has been sitting a draw for the past year. I just went upstairs to check on it and low and behold it has stopped. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

I think the claim was one day worth of daylight per month was sufficient to keep it running. I never had it stop on me while I was wearing it regularly.

 

[Richard]

I use to sell that kind of thing in a prior lifetime.

I dont' think you'd go wrong with one of those. However, if you like mechanical things (don't all tractor type?) You can also look at the Seiko "KineticQuartz".

It's a hybrid of an automatic watch and a quartz movement. The automatic movement moves a little generator and the power gets stored in a cell. And NO, you can NOT hook up your pto to this generator /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Either will probably last a very long time.

On to the band, I'd suggest a two tone at most with stainless being the primary finish. If you get a "gold tone" band, it will in time, wear off and turn your wrist green (if you react to the base metal) You will not have to worry about a stainless band doing that to you. Look at the double locking clasps. After having one of those, I will never go to a "lessor" band. Lessor is not meant in a derogatory way (for those who have the "lessor" band). It's just that the double locking clasp is SO secure (mine has NEVER EVER "snapped open" in over 10 years) anything else just doesnt' feel right (to me).

me loving mechanical things, I'd steer you towards the Kineticquartz in either the stainless or if you like a light watch, titanium /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif.

As a matter of putting my mouth where my watch is, I DO own a fully automatic "Chronometer" that is supposed to be good from "-0 to + 10 seconds per day" or something like that. (what ever the standard is, to get the Chronometer rating). One thing I like about it is the second hand sweeps on a seemingly continuous basis, rather than the intermittent "tick, tick, tick" of a quartz watch. Yes, I give up accuracy, but it's not a bother to readjust it every now & then and besides... (me being **** here) I really don't like to spend my lunchmoney on a nice watch and have the intermittently ticking second hand, stop in between the hash marks. By having the sweeping second hand, that is not an issue.

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[milkman]

Got the Citizen Echo Drive, it's about three yeard old. I got the titanium because i'm allergic to the metal in the other ones, it's supposed to run six months in the dark. I keep mine in a drawer when I'm not wearing it and it stays up alright.

 

[herdfan]

Like Milkman, I got the Citizen Eco-Drive titanium due to metal allergies. I haven't had it ever run out of power, but I'll let it set in full sunlight for the day about once every other month. I have had the second hand fall off once and the band fell apart twice. These have been repaired under warranty with no problem, but it had to be sent away, so had to use my cheapo backup watch for 3-4 weeks. No complaints aside from these minor repairs. The retail on mine was around $700 (I think) but I got mine off of E-Bay for around $180 new.

 

[Bird]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( had to use my cheapo backup watch for 3-4 weeks )</font>

Since my only concern with a watch is to see what time it is, I only use cheap ones; figure I'd break or lose an expensive one. My last watch was a Timex; couldn't have asked for one to keep any more accurate time since the only time I set it was when we changed to and from daylight savings time. And I kept wondering how long the battery would last. Well, it died last month, so I went and got a new battery ($3) and put it in. Everything worked fine for a week, then it died again. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif So I went and found another Timex that appears to be exactly the same thing, but has a different model number on it. When I got home and went to put away the paperwork that came with it, there was the paperwork for the old one; 7 years old. I couldn't believe a battery had lasted that long. Incidentally, the new watch cost me 6 cents less than the one did 7 years ago (sales tax included). /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[mikim]

The seiko I have on my wrist right now I bought for $35 in SEA ... 1971 .. it self winds a charge into a capacitor - that got changed just this past year ...I "complained" about it gaining time when I bought the wife a citizen eco ... that she loves .. and the jeweler fixed me up .. it still gains a bit - but not nearly as bad.

 

[milkman]

Big Dave
I also have a Seiko, but it was cheaper than yours. I was going from Needles to Barstow and had to make a pit stop, went down and off ramp and across to the on ramp and stopped on the side. The ramp had been newly paved with new gravel on the side. While I was kicking the water out of the mudflap, I saw something shiny sticking out of the new gravel. The Seiko, still running, with the days set to Spanish, guess a worker lost it while paving. Did cost me a battery about two years later. Still got it, guess I'm a watch nut, can't get enough of them.
I saw a gorgeous watch in Popular Mechanics magazine that I just had to have, 199 bucks, when i got it, I read on the back Made In China, it run for two days and locked up. I was really disappointed and sent it back for refund. I notice, now they still have the same watch advertized only it's got the name "Steuer" on the front. Still looks good, but don't bother.