Your thoughts on Seiko Kinetics, please

7589 Views 22 Replies 14 Participants Last post by Tellucas, Jul 30, 2021

Willwulf

Discussion Starter · Jul 17, 2014

This topic may have been covered before. I've read a few things about Seiko kinetic watches but would like some feed back here. What do you all think about the Seiko kinetic movement? I own mostly automatic watches and am currently wearing my Seiko Ananta Double Retrograde Automatic. I am thinking about rounding out my Seiko watch collection with a kinetic movement. I don't want to spend more than a couple of hundred dollars for a kinetic as I am currently saving my money to buy a Grand Seiko automatic. So, are the kinetic movements any good? Is the 5M84 a good movement? Are they reliable? Are they durable meaning will the kinetic movement last a lifetime? Your thoughts please. I'll worry about getting a Spring Drive watch after I get my hands on a Grand Seiko automatic. Thank you in advance.

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twall3

· #2 · Jul 17, 2014 (Edited)

There are a lot of threads on this board and others with folks' thoughts on Kinetics - some love them, some hate them. Just do a quick search for any thread that discusses any aspect of Kinetics - usually general opinions come out even in the most technically-oriented threads.

Operationally, you can expect the same performance as a quartz watch (that's all they really are - a quartz movement with a tiny generator integrated into the circuitry). Personally, I own two Kinetics - one with a 5M62 and one with a 5M65 - and have found them to be reliable and accurate.

The major sticking point seems to be that to get one fully charged and keep it there, you have to wear the watch very frequently (i.e., every day, or at least every other). For this reason (and because anyone on this site likely owns multiple watches!), solutions on the internet range from buying one of Seiko's own Kinetic induction chargers (read: $$$), to mickey-mousing one out of an old Sonicare charger, to (of course) wearing it all the time. I'm not too OCD about keeping mine fully charged - they usually hover somewhere around the 7-days-to-1-month charge indicator, which is fine with me. Occasionally wearing one on a jog doesn't hurt, either.

Give the other threads on this site a read, and why not buy a used one online (or in the SCTP) and give it a test drive?

Cheers,
TW

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Grammarofdesign

· #3 · Jul 17, 2014

My Kinetic is a perpetual model and has the TRS (Time Relay System) which means the watch suspends hand movement after 2 days of inactivity but continues to keep time inside the circuitry. When you finally move it again, the hands spin around to the correct time, to the second. Not only a great way to get long charge life but fun to watch too !

With TRS the charge purportedly lasts 6 months or more.

ClockBloke

· #4 · Jul 17, 2014

Grammarofdesign said:
My Kinetic is a perpetual model and has the TRS (Time Relay System) which means the watch suspends hand movement after 2 days of inactivity but continues to keep time inside the circuitry. When you finally move it again, the hands spin around to the correct time, to the second. Not only a great way to get long charge life but fun to watch too !

With TRS the charge purportedly lasts 6 months or more.

Wow that's impressive engineering from the Japs yet again

DAHASCO

· #5 · Jul 17, 2014

Personally, I enjoy my Kinetics as much as my Automatics and Quartz Watches. I wouldn't own a Kinetic if I did not like them

normdiaz

· #6 · Jul 17, 2014

ClockBloke said:
Wow that's impressive engineering from the Japs yet again

Similar "impressive engineering" present in the Citizen Eco-Drives with power save modes 1 and 2. PS1 stops the second hand when watch deprived of light. PS2 stops the hour and minute hands when watch is light-deprived for a longer period. Correct time is resumed when watch is again exposed to light.

twall3

· #7 · Jul 17, 2014

Man, wish my Kinetic watches had this TRS. I love them as-is, but that would be amazing!

ClockBloke

· #8 · Jul 17, 2014

normdiaz said:
Similar "impressive engineering" present in the Citizen Eco-Drives with power save modes 1 and 2. PS1 stops the second hand when watch deprived of light. PS2 stops the hour and minute hands when watch is light-deprived for a longer period. Correct time is resumed when watch is again exposed to light.

I saw my first one of these in the flesh today. Some italian dude I know sells expensive watches. For instance he had a £4000GBP Rolex Sub in his pocket. On his wrist? A Citizen Eco-Drive and I loved it

I'm going to have to expand my collection I think to include at least one of those!

TheTigerUK

· #9 · Jul 17, 2014

ClockBloke said:
I saw my first one of these in the flesh today. Some italian dude I know sells expensive watches. For instance he had a £4000GBP Rolex Sub in his pocket. On his wrist? A Citizen Eco-Drive and I loved it I'm going to have to expand my collection I think to include at least one of those!

Decent price Tony did you buy it ?

ClockBloke

· #10 · Jul 17, 2014

TheTigerUK said:
Decent price Tony did you buy it ?

The Rolex? Hate them. Every bugger in the pubs here owns one

The Citizen? No I should have asked as he does deal in watches but he said it was his personal watch and he seemed to like it. I've been looking on fleabuy and have not found the same watch yet though! He will be at the Birmingham fair on Sunday so I might ask him there if I go which is all depending on whether the weather plays ball as I don't fancy 6 hours of soaking on my bike.....

OldHippie1968

· #11 · Jul 17, 2014

ClockBloke said:
I saw my first one of these in the flesh today. Some italian dude I know sells expensive watches. For instance he had a £4000GBP Rolex Sub in his pocket. On his wrist? A Citizen Eco-Drive and I loved it I'm going to have to expand my collection I think to include at least one of those!

You need an Eco Drive Tony!

Geez, ain't I a stinker!

Cheers!
Mike

OldHippie1968

· #12 · Jul 17, 2014

I had a few Kinetics in the past(the older AGS models). Paid too much for them and had no luck with them, so away they went.(I may have had too high expectations for them). Recently I picked up another, which grew into 3. These are still the older 5m movements, but I'm finding that I like them alot and these are my daily drivers for work. Even though two of them have weak capacitors, they are quite reliable while wearing them. On a totally unrelated subject(sorry to hijack the thread), I never had any luck with Eco Drives either, however, I just picked one up and this one is a good one.

Cheers!
Mike

Grammarofdesign

· #13 · Jul 17, 2014 (Edited)

Wrist shot of said Kinetic. June 23rd, 9:35 pm, still light out. Love the longest days.

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DAHASCO

· #14 · Jul 18, 2014

Here is my work watch...Spot the Custom Work...

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Jason1970M

· #15 · Jul 18, 2014

Im quite taken by this new one thats about to come out, modular case....

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Reactions: 1

Willwulf

Discussion Starter · #16 · Jul 18, 2014

Thank you all for your input........I think I'll pick up both a Seiko kinetic and a Citizen Eco-Drive

<hand salute>

OldHippie1968

· #17 · Jul 18, 2014

DAHASCO said:
Here is my work watch...Spot the Custom Work...

Sweet, David! Mine says Hi and thank you!

Wearing her today. Just about to post it in today's roll call.

Cheers!
Mike

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OldHippie1968

· #18 · Jul 18, 2014

Willwulf said:
Thank you all for your input........I think I'll pick up both a Seiko kinetic and a Citizen Eco-Drive

<hand salute>

You never know until you take a chance. As I said, my first go-round with both types of watches didn't go too well. This time, I'm rather pleased. I think I'm changing my mind. I like them now.

Cheers!
Mike

xzqt

· #19 · Jul 18, 2014

I use to hate them because it takes so much time and effort to charge it. The solution than was the expensive Seiko kinetic charger.
But that is until I found the alternative kinetic charger, the Braun tooth brush charger.

barryw

· #20 · Jul 29, 2014

Love em. Have far too many and its like painting the Forth Bridge keeping them charged. My charger is on virtually all teh time (with a small fan arranged to keep everything nice and cool)

I am encouraged that Seiko are sticking with this technology as I my opinion, they are very under-appreciated and will become collectable

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