- If your Seiko Kinetic stops soon after you have stopped wearing it (overnight) and it is over 7 years old, it will require a "Seiko Upgrade Kit" and a Service, (see Technical below).
Technical
Seiko Kinetic watches are designed with a very special circuit that compensates for heavy loads, such as when the Day/Date is changing at midnight.
When a heavy load is encountered the watch switches to high power mode to keep it at the correct time, the power used jumps from 0.7 Micro Amps to over 8 Micro Amps, this is about twelve times the normal power.
The problem is that the watch will eventually stay in this high power mode. This is caused by the gas escaping from the Capacitor over the years; this gas cannot escape out of the watch and condensates on the mechanism and contaminates the oils making the movement very stiff. The only solution is to clean the movement thoroughly.
To test the capacitor
Wait until the watch has stopped, then shake it about 50 times.
Now press the power indicator button, if the second hand moves more than 5 seconds the capacitor has lost all its capacitance. (If the capacitor was in reasonable condition it would take about 500 shakes to get more than a 5 second movement.)
The power device (capacitor) that was used is now obsolete (they start to fail after about 6 years).
Seiko are now supplying an upgrade kit containing a rechargeable Accumulator (Titanium Carbon Lithium Ion), which is much more powerful than the old capacitor that only powered the watch for a matter of days if not worn, even when the watch was new.
This Seiko upgrade kit will provide power for months of inactivity as it is 30 times more powerful and should last at the very least 20 years.
Tips on looking after your Kinetic watch
The new Accumulator / battery is like any other rechargeable battery, they do not like to be below 40% of full charge, so make sure the charge indicator is above 10 seconds.
So if you have more than one Kinetic, it may be a good idea the get a charger.
Also they do not like heat, they start to deteriorate quickly above 25 degrees.
When your watch is on your wrist it is at about 23 Deg. but if you wear it in bed it can be at 37 Deg.
We get many watches that have a metal bracelet badly damaged, this is usually because it has been in their pocket and has got bent backwards.
Replacement Accumulator
We have tested some of these Accumulators that are out of Seiko Kinetic's that are now 7 years old and they are almost as good as new, so should last at least 20 years if kept cool and charged.
Cleaning the Movement
If you decide to clean it yourself or get a watch-repairer to do it, the movement must be stripped down and the coils removed so no cleaning fluid gets on them or they will be damaged.
All the Seiko Kinetic watches that we overhaul are soaked for 24 hours to soften the oils prior to being ultrasonically cleaned.
These new "Seiko Upgrade Kits" do not gas off, so this will not happen in the future once the movement has been cleaned.
Seiko Kinetic watches can be dated by the first number of the serial number on the rear case at the bottom (i.e. 7xxxxx = 1997 or 2007)
Our charges are less than half the high street as there is no middleman, also you will have your watch back between four and ten times quicker.