Eco-Drive

Eco-Drive ( engl. ecological drive ) is a range of quartz watches from the Japanese manufacturer Citizen. These watches get their electricity through solar panels, motion or heat and saving a lot of battery replacement.

Energy generation types

Over the years, various types of energy were used, the combination of solar battery is common with most.

Eco-Drive solar

In 1995, the first watch with Eco -Drive came out. If one speaks only of "Eco -Drive", so the solar cell variant is meant in general. The watches are equipped with a special lithium ion battery that is continuously recharged by a solar cell. The solar cell is printed and is used as a dial. Eco - Drive watches can run with a fully charged battery 150-240 days without being charged further by light. Citizen calls this period dark power reserve. Some models have a dark power reserve up to 8.7 years, which is made possible by the fact that the hands will stop when the clock is longer than 24 hours in the dark, while the timing continues internally. Once again, light falls on the dial, the hands are placed in the correct position and the clock continues to run. According to Citizen, the secondary battery is after 20 years still have a capacity of 80%.

In 2002, the technology VITRO ( Eco-Drive VITRO ) came on the market, in which the solar cells are no longer visible on the dial.

Eco-Drive Duo

In 1998, the first watch came with the Eco-Drive variant " Duo" whose energy works with a combination of solar energy and movement. This variant is now hardly in use, because the solar driven by an ever-increasing battery capacity and power saving mode does not require any movement more as an additional energy source. In addition, the watch has a sleeker look with pure solar power.

Eco-Drive Thermo

Since 2000 watches with Eco-Drive Thermo sold, which generate the propulsion energy from the temperature difference between the body of the watch wearer and the environment.

Additional equipment clock

  • Since 2002, the Eco-Drive watches also as radio clock.
  • Petite Ladies RC watches with Eco-Drive have only become possible since the year 2007.
  • 2009, the first diver - clock with Eco-Drive.
Clock face
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