Both companies provide good products, but they do so using very different technologies. So what is the best, and many others, the best choice when it comes to buying a dive watch.

On the one hand, Seiko Kinetic watches use motion dive or kinetic energy due to motion, while the Citizen Eco-Drive clock about solar cells, energy from different sources to capture the light. On the surface, the observed difference that it relies on fewer moving parts.

Of course, fewer parts are always better in terms of long-term reliability, but in the case of a clock, it is most likely a moot point since analog watches could count already composed several pieces in a while What real difference is to do a little more.

First, a little history on how these two operate the power system is to decide before drilling to what is most useful. Clearly, this debate has nothing requires daily winding watches do not. Leave the expensive Rolex still lost in the last century.

A pioneer in the Automatic Seiko clock in 1980. They came with a way to make the movement of the carrier arm movements in mechanical energy, which translates necessary for winding watches spring. The fancy word kinetic simply means motion generated mechanical energy.

To do this, a movement of the swingarm is odd-shaped rotor, weighted on the one hand, strong, a winding mechanism, the use of special reversed gearing, will only move in one direction. The result is a winding of the mainspring in the course of time.

In itself, that keeps the wound to see, so it supported and thus obtain a supply of kinetic energy. But if the arm for a day or two left, it stops. This is particularly important because the emphasis here is on dive watches, which could be worn as a regular clock every day.

To resolve this problem, Seiko has a shop on the battery as a place where excess kinetic energy. Assuming that the battery is fully charged, the clock can now be left for months or even years and still not require winding.

Instead of the kinetic energy, Citizen developed a way to use light as an energy source. And he did not even need sunlight – light source will do well.

To do this, defines Citizen tiny solar cells on the faces of their Eco-Drive watches. These cells are those that convert light energy into electrical energy. This energy is then collected and energy in cells, much like a battery, which will then provide energy over a long period without light.

Again, because the underlying issue is really about dive watches, which is particularly useful for someone who has used the watch for diving, rather than everyday wear. By storing energy for later use, these watches can be left aside for a while, and even specify the exact time of their next assignment.

In fact, most newer models, both solar and kinetic, so-called hibernation mode, where after sensing no movement for a longer period, stopping hands and line functions move to save energy. But the quartz movement is used to calculate the right time to keep, so that when the clock is moved back, turn on the sensors and reset with current data.

Battery technology has come far enough, so close now to the point where this storage cell or battery, could last beyond the duration of the carrier. This means that the battery should never be replaced, so that these watches super friendly to the environment.

So which is best? Well, if the clock with an amount of regularity is taken, there seems to be a coin toss, and is a source of energy to function perfectly. You can also see that to see both types of links can idle for long periods of months or years and continue to keep the correct time.

I suppose if the Citizen Eco-Drive clock left in a drawer long enough, he finally stopped by lack of light, but again, a Seiko Kinetic clock would be no movement on the wrist.

At the end of the day, it is extremely unlikely that each purchase, just hanging out to see for years, so the answer must be that the two techniques work well to generate energy, and is a matter of personal preference.