Developed and manufactured by the Citizen Watch Company, Eco Drive watches receive their power from any light source. Since the watches run on both solar or artificial light, their power supply is continuously being replenished. Eco Drive watches look like other watches and are made in a variety of styles and designs. These quality watches also contain the same type of quartz movement found in watches powered by other methods.
How They Work
The two main components of the power system of an Eco Drive watch is an energy cell and a solar conversion panel. Located under the watch dial, the microns thin solar panel is a disc made of amorphous Silicon. After capturing the energy from the light source that enters through the watch crystal and dial, the solar panel converts the energy into electrical power through a process called photovoltaic. The electrical energy is then stored in the energy cell providing the needed power supply for the watch to run. From then on, an Eco Drive watch operates in the same way as a regular quartz watch.
The energy cell of an Eco Drive watch is not like a regular watch battery. The following are the main differences:
- It is not affected by the normal cycle of charge and discharge.
- The energy cell is environmentally friendly as it does not contain the chemicals found in most other types of watch batteries.
- The energy cell never needs to be replaced when used properly.
Finding Eco Drive Watches
The Internet has many wonderful websites that offer Citizen Eco Drives watches. The following are a small sampling of these websites.
Now that you know how eco-drive watches work, the next time you are in the market for a stylish, eco-friendly, quality watch be sure to take a look at the Eco Drive series by Citizen.
