Update on the Seiko Kinetic Diver SKA427

I just talked to Sean of Watch City and he told me my Seiko SKA427, the new version, needs a new battery. The cost is $40. Not bad at all. I should have the watch back in 2 days. 

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Comments

[jonnybardo]

Not too bad, not as bad as you feared. That said, why $40? Most watch batteries cost less than $5 and only take 5-10 minutes to replace. I just did the job on my Invicta F0010...actually, the battery came in a five-pack for $8 or so.

Is it expensive because of service charges or a special kinetic battery or, more likely, both?

[Angelo]

That is good news. How long should a new battery last?

[Gary]

The life depends on how well you keep the Li-ion cell charged.

The article I posted yesterday has some comments on the Li-ion Kinetics:

"Unfortunately, the LiOn cell doesn't have an infinite life span. Sooner or later your rechargeable cell will lose its ability to maintain an optimal charge. If you wear a Kinetic every day you probably won't notice the efficiency loss until the LiOn cell is nearing its end. With models that aren't equipped with the power reserve indicator feature, you won't know this until the cell's voltage drops to the point that your watch's second hand starts ticking in an erratic manner.

Note that all rechargeable lithium ion batteries have self-discharge properties. They will slowly lose their power even when not in use. LiOn batteries are best kept at around a 40% charge capacity if you intend to store them for long periods without use.

Allowing a LiOn cell to discharge completely is also a total no-no. Doing so will seriously degrade the cell's internal chemicals and reduce its ability to hold a charge. Be sure never to allow your Kinetic watch (or a solar powered one, such as Citizen Eco Drive or Casio Tough Solar) to stop functioning.

Also, be wary of buying a Kinetic watch at a store that has stopped for some time. Chances are if the watch has been in the store for many months or years, you'll need to replace the KESU not long after you've bought it. Unlike solar powered watches that are continually charged so long as there is enough light, Kinetics need to be shaken often to keep them charged.

Many brick-and-mortar watch dealers couldn't be bothered with this (the task itself is daunting if they have lots of Kinetics) and they allow the watches to self discharge over time."

His conclusions:

"We’ve come to the end of this rather long-winded post. So, is the Seiko Kinetic a boon or a bane?

It’s definitely a boon if you only need one watch or own no more than half a dozen watches, worn on daily rotation. Not to mention that you’re not the sedentary sort of person.

On the flip side, I think Kinetics are a bane if you have a large number of watches that you wear on rotation. Unlike a solar powered watch that you can recharge by merely exposing it to light, you need to wear a Kinetic as often as possible. And if you’re a physically active person, a Seiko Kinetic would be right for you."

[Angelo]

Yeah. I have a Kinetic----and I also have a couple dozen other watches----and unless I go out of my way to make SURE that I wear the Kinetic (even when it's not my first choice) I'd fall into the category where battery life will be shortened. I don't like that. In fact, we had some snow here yesterday----and the city shutdown because of the forecast, even though it ended up being a couple inches of snow and a little rain----my kid had school cancelled and the federal government closed---and our office closed as well since we follow their schedule. So just working from home and doing a few things around the house, I put the Kinetic on just to wear it, to charge it. I really don't like the idea of having to keep track of this----and for that matter, always having to re-set my "automatics" that are worn weekly, but not daily. I know Herc likes the "connection" with a live movement as opposed to quartz-----but I'm seriously thinking quartz is the way to go. You wear the watch when you feel like it, and aside from the date and daylight savings time, generally don't have to reset it----and every couple years perhaps, pay $10.00 or so (often less) for a battery change. That's low stress.