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Getting Wound Up with Self-Winding Watches

There was a time when people would witness the birth of a new technology, and deem it as the marker that would be the end-all of all technological advances before it.

Perceptions couldn’t have been more wrong.

When video tapes came out, theaters were said to die. When laser printers came out, word was; the need for dot matrix printers would be phased out. When newer, more advanced wrist watches came out, self-winding watches would be a thing of the past.

Perceptions couldn’t have been more wrong.

Movie theaters are still up and about, Dot Matrix printers are still in the market, costing even more than newer, faster printers and Self-winding watches are still preferred over other watch types.

Self-winding watches are works of art. But this “superstar status” isn’t the enduring quality that makes it what it is. The basic principle behind its power is.

An oscillating weight, positioned within the watch, stands as its “primary” source of power. As one moves about, one’s arms swing to and fro. As the laws of gravity would have it, the oscillating weight would turn about, swinging back and forth as well. The weight is connected to a gear train, which is connected to the watch’s spring (or winder).

Every move the wearer makes induces movement from the gear train, which then winds up the spring (also known as the mainspring). Self-winding watches indeed.

A more recent revolution in automatic watch technology, the principle behind self-winding watches still run the watch-works of most modern automatic watches. The oscillating weight is still employed by automatic watches, but the revolutions are converted to electric power, which is stored in a rechargeable power source.

What Abraham-Louis Perrelet, a Swiss watchmaker responsible for inventing a self-winding system for fob watches, did in 1770, was later improved by Abraham-Louis Breguet. Breguet’s watches were called “perpetuelles”, which quite possibly inspired Rolex’s “Perpetual” watch brand.

Though invented then, the closest ideal (meaning the closest to how current self-winding watches operate) didn’t appear until the 20th century. John Harwood, used a pivoting weight which swung as the user would swing his/her arms. The pivoting weight would then wind the mainspring. Very close to how the standard of self-winding watches nowadays.

The thing about self-winding watches is their simplicity. There are other “perpetually” powered watches out in the market, but these devices just don’t fair exactly well with self-winding watches, in terms of cost.

Self-winding watches are relatively cheaper compared to solar powered watches, or thermal powered watches.

Perceptions couldn’t have been more wrong when people thought that new meant the end of the old.

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The Power of Kinetic Power

Kinetic watches are watches that rely on kinetic power as their power source. They utilize power from movement to keep them running. No need for winding, no need for regular battery change. All one has to do is wear kinetic powered watches, and it’s good to run.

Kinetic powered watches have oscillating weights which serve as the source of power for the watch. The weights’ turning is converted into a magnetic charge, which is then converted into electricity.

Energy saving and accurate, Kinetic powered watches are more than capable of storing enough power to last six months. Most kinetic powered watches have a “suspended animation” state, where built-in sensors enable the watch to detect if it’s been used within a 24 hour period. Simply shaking the kinetic powered watch would “awaken” it, and it would automatically reset the time and date. Some brands of kinetic powered watches can reset time lapses up to 4 years.

Built-in capacitors or rechargeable batteries can still be found within the internals of a kinetic powered watch. It is where the energy derived from the oscillating weight is stored. They still need tune-ups (every five to ten years), and the main capacitor or battery storing the energy eventually wears out, and needs replacement (but this would take quite an amount of time to happen).

Some kinetic powered watches boast features that other regularly powered watches don’t. Japan based company Seiko, has mastered the art of making automatic watches. In 1991, the Kinetic brand name was introduced to the general market, paving the way for more developed and improved versions of today’s kinetic powered watches.

An example of such development can be found in Seiko’s SNP007. The kinetic powered watch has a perpetual calendar system, which automatically updates the watch’s date. Leap years wouldn’t be a problem for this particular kinetic powered watch, and the perpetual calendar is accurate until February 28, 2100.

Naturally, there are certain downsides when it comes to kinetic powered watches. For one thing, because of the complex intricacies inside it, kinetic powered watches often come out as “bulky” wristwatches. Not exactly an ideal from factor for a ladies’ watch.

The relatively complex parts’ layout, as well as the mechanical parts utilized, are also more expensive to manufacture, compared with other watches.

Given that, servicing a kinetic powered watch also costs more.

As a hybrid of electric and mechanical parts (thus providing the best of both in one timepiece), kinetic powered watches don’t hold that much appeal to watch connoisseurs and collectors, who are more interested in up-market watch types.

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