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Is Kinetic reliable?

41K views 28 replies 17 participants last post by  astronut 
#1 ·
imported post

I was given a kinetic watch about 10 years ago and it only lasted about 6 months. I never liked the watch and after contacting multiple online "kinetic repair specialists" - i decided to not fix it.

I am not new to Seiko - having a 007 Diver that I purchased in January of 1989. I recently had it overhauled because i love that particular watch (it was with me in Desert Storm and during hundreds of combat missions) - but the guy could not seem to get the case demagnatized, so it still runs a little fast ( about 5 minutes a day).

So i am looking at jumping into a Seiko diver collection - and i want to start with a 007 replacement, i also want to pick up an OM, and a SPORK.

But i was wondering - the Kinetic Diver is nice looking too, yet i rarely read anything about them - are they still unreliable???
 
#2 ·
imported post

They were never unreliable to begin with...you probably just got a bad watch movement. It happens with every brand no matter how expensive the watch.
Just buy whichever watch you like from a reputable source, that way if it does need repair, you will be taken care of.
 
#3 ·
imported post

I would not say they are unreliable either. They are however a pain in the side to watch collectors like me. I have hundereds of watches and never wear one more than once in 3-6 months. This was not what a Kinetic was designed for. They are made to be worn on a regular basis, to keep them charged. The originals had Capacitors or batterys that failed in about 10 years even if they were worn regularly. The new Lithium Ion cell are suppost to be better and can be swapped out in about 20 minutes if you knew how to do it. A power cell kit is about $20 and will bring most Kinetics back to life. I even bought a Seiko power station to recharge my Kinetics but it never really charges them all the way like wearing does. A watch winder will not charge them as the rate of turn is too slow to produce a real generation of power. Todays kinetics are better and have systems that shut them down if movement is detected, so power draw is at a minimum. I had 7 or Kinetis at one time and now I only have one. I will mosy likely sell it as well....It just doesn'r work for my style of collecting.

I really want to try one of the new Kinetics like this premere Moonphase, but not sure it will work for me....

 
#5 ·
imported post

Mr. Burns wrote:
I was given a kinetic watch about 10 years ago and it only lasted about 6 months. I never liked the watch and after contacting multiple online "kinetic repair specialists" - i decided to not fix it.

I am not new to Seiko - having a 007 Diver that I purchased in January of 1989. I recently had it overhauled because i love that particular watch (it was with me in Desert Storm and during hundreds of combat missions) - but the guy could not seem to get the case demagnatized, so it still runs a little fast ( about 5 minutes a day).

So i am looking at jumping into a Seiko diver collection - and i want to start with a 007 replacement, i also want to pick up an OM, and a SPORK.

But i was wondering - the Kinetic Diver is nice looking too, yet i rarely read anything about them - are they still unreliable???
I owned this one some time ago (sold it when chasing another) and loved it. Kept just about perfect time when i was wearing it.

Middle watch in pictures below





Far right in this picture -

 
#6 ·
imported post

This post makes sense to me. There are tons of websites addressing the Kinetic failures of the past, I was just trying to confirm if Seiko had fixed it - and I think they have by replacing the original design capacitor with a battery. I certainly don't think I got a bad movmt - although possible, I think it was just a design flaw from the beginning (bad capacitors).

I would like to try a new kinetic just for kicks, but if i spend $250-300 on one, I don't want to have to "overhaul" it for around $150 bucks every year and a half either!

I may just pick up the SPORK and new OM and wait on the kinetic.

Thanks for the prompt replies!
 
#7 ·
imported post

Speaking on the movement, I have one from 1998, its a 1996 case, meaning it *might* have been assembled as early as 1996.

Its been with me since 1998, and has always worked. I had the capacitor changed with Li ion battery (the capacitor version had short-life problems), and it worked but the battery wasnt satisfactory, dying after a year or two. I recently changed it again, and its working like a charm (changed it myself). Here is a picture, that shows its age:



Ugly, but very good watch. I am marking about 30 spy over the last two weeks.

By the way, no recalibrations or maintenance done to the watch itself since day one.

Rob
 
#8 ·
imported post

Mr. Burns wrote:
This post makes sense to me. There are tons of websites addressing the Kinetic failures of the past, I was just trying to confirm if Seiko had fixed it - and I think they have by replacing the original design capacitor with a battery. I certainly don't think I got a bad movmt - although possible, I think it was just a design flaw from the beginning (bad capacitors).

I would like to try a new kinetic just for kicks, but if i spend $250-300 on one, I don't want to have to "overhaul" it for around $150 bucks every year and a half either!

I may just pick up the SPORK and new OM and wait on the kinetic.

Thanks for the prompt replies!
Yes, like everything, over the years the design has gotten better. The new lithium batteries are much better than capacitors.

If it helps, I don't ever get any returns, warranty repairs or problems with the Kinetics I sell, and I offer a 3-year warranty. So, you know that for at least three years, you should not have any problems if you do decide to spend some $$$ on a Kinetic.
 
#14 ·
imported post

I think the new battery instead of the capacitor may have fixed the issues I was concerned about! After reading more articles about it - I think I may pick up a kinetic diver (Pepsi) after I score a SPORK first. I don't want to miss out on those while they are still available since they have been discontinued.

Other then LIW and BD - are there any other retailers anyone here recommends? I have a Seiko outlet near me, but they never carry divers and their other prices are actually quite a bit higher than what is available online.


Also - thanks to everyone for the input - i appreciate the info!
 
#16 ·
imported post

Mr. Burns wrote:
I think the new battery instead of the capacitor may have fixed the issues I was concerned about! After reading more articles about it - I think I may pick up a kinetic diver (Pepsi) after I score a SPORK first. I don't want to miss out on those while they are still available since they have been discontinued.

Other then LIW and BD - are there any other retailers anyone here recommends? I have a Seiko outlet near me, but they never carry divers and their other prices are actually quite a bit higher than what is available online.


Also - thanks to everyone for the input - i appreciate the info!
there's a Seiko outlet near VA Beach?! good thing i didn't know about it when i was in Sandbridge last week:%

seriously, tho. i think LIW may be your best bet for in-stock SRP043K1 and their price is waaay better than Bluedial. Creation is sold out of them
 
#18 ·
imported post

I have 2 old ones and they both died.

While they worked I loved them, super accurate, leave off the wrist for weeks without resetting.

I opened one up for fun and ...man there is a LOT of parts in there. I believe my capacitors both died.

The new ones sound interesting, I may even give one a try.
 
#19 ·
imported post

The Seiko 5M62 caliber has a 6 month power reserve when fully charged. Because of the cycling of discharge and recharge with the active charging mechanism used in the Seiko kinetics, I don't think the cells have the longevity of those used in the solar charging mechanism of the Citizen EcoDrive, but I would expect to get at least 5 years of life out of the cell with regular use.

That said I like the idea of the active charging used in the kinetics and the replacement cell costs around $20 and there are online tutorials showing how to replace it. I just got an older 5M42 caliber from my father that's been dead for years and will try my hand at that first and will post something online somewhere.
 
#20 ·
imported post

Sounds interesting - would be great if you posted a link to the tutorials you mention ??

thanks for your input

SpinDoctor wrote:
The Seiko 5M62 caliber has a 6 month power reserve when fully charged. Because of the cycling of discharge and recharge with the active charging mechanism used in the Seiko kinetics, I don't think the cells have the longevity of those used in the solar charging mechanism of the Citizen EcoDrive, but I would expect to get at least 5 years of life out of the cell with regular use.

That said I like the idea of the active charging used in the kinetics and the replacement cell costs around $20 and there are online tutorials showing how to replace it. I just got an older 5M42 caliber from my father that's been dead for years and will try my hand at that first and will post something online somewhere.
 
#21 ·
imported post

WATCHURSELF wrote:
Sounds interesting - would be great if you posted a link to the tutorials you mention ??

thanks for your input

SpinDoctor wrote:
The Seiko 5M62 caliber has a 6 month power reserve when fully charged. Because of the cycling of discharge and recharge with the active charging mechanism used in the Seiko kinetics, I don't think the cells have the longevity of those used in the solar charging mechanism of the Citizen EcoDrive, but I would expect to get at least 5 years of life out of the cell with regular use.

That said I like the idea of the active charging used in the kinetics and the replacement cell costs around $20 and there are online tutorials showing how to replace it. I just got an older 5M42 caliber from my father that's been dead for years and will try my hand at that first and will post something online somewhere.
:cThis is "Good Stuff":c I'm not a diver,this seems like a well made watch to me
 
#22 ·
imported post

WATCHURSELF wrote:
Sounds interesting - would be great if you posted a link to the tutorials you mention ??

thanks for your input
Description of part numbers for each caliber. There are two different part numbers for each kit which only differ by a single piece. Read this carefully because if you are replacing a cell from an older caliber (5M42,43, 22, 23) it will need an extra piece in the kit which is not necessary for the newer 5M62 as that piece is already present in the watch. Read through and it will make more sense. The cell itself is identical in all. The extra piece is necessary for the change from capacitor in the older models to lithium ion rechargable cell.

http://www.thewatchsite.com/index.p...SSID=79a54d8a317ead436e998b4dfd01a4a9#msg7323

Walkthrough 5M62

http://k0lee.com/2010/10/replacing-a-seiko-kinetics-watch-battery/

Walkthrough 5M42

http://www.pmwf.com/Watches/WatchSc...nge the capacitor of a SEIKO 5M42 Kinetic.htm

Parts list from Ofrei for reference. I've seen batterybob sell these and I'm sure they are available elsewhere.

http://www.ofrei.com/page953.html


Note....be VERY careful around the coils....the pieces with the copper wire wrapped around. The wire is very thin and break one strand and the you're toast and will have to replace the coil or the entire movement. I've seen some people comment that they prefer to keep the rotor on so that it protects the coils, but it does obstruct the cell a little, so maybe for the first time it is best to remove it.
 
#23 ·
imported post

I just now found this thread. I see there is pertinent info here so I don't want to start another thread when this one seems appropriate. I notice all the previous posts were made in two days, 4 months ago. But Kinetics are a lot older than that, so this is fair!

My basic question is, what's with the rumor that Kinetics are a failure?

I heard a jewelry store owner tell me this, and he has Seikos for sale, but no Kinetics. I've talked to other jewelers who carry Seikos and they don't like to give me any specific information about Kinetics. It seems they are afraid of the topic, and don't want to be associated with controversy, as if selling watches is difficult enough already, so why invite problems? I followed through some of the tutorials online that describe retrofitting older Kinetics, Li-ion cell replacing the capacitor, and it sounded like the upgrade generally solves the problem.

It seems to me that understanding the way a capacitor works compared to a Lithium-ion battery goes a long way to appreciating how the upgrade would be a big help. I found warnings online that urge readers to be aware that some Kinetics have been damaged by people replacing the rechargeable cell with a Silver Oxide or Alkaline battery. It says this is a very serious mistake, since these batteries do not accept recharging and Kinetic movements will try to recharge them, causing them to leak acid, which will destroy your movement. I have to wonder if this is not a big part of the "failure" theory that seems to have caught on among even watch repair "experts"?

I saw an older Kinetic at a pawn shop, and the owner showed it to me. He shook it up a bit and it started running. Then he set it back in the display case, and I noticed that after about 5 minutes it stopped running again. So I questioned him on that, and he didn't seem to know what's up. He read the model number off the back (or was it the face?) using his loop, and I wrote it down. That's when I went home and studied the capacitor topics online. I went back to the pawn shop, and asked the owner about capacitor vs. Li-ion, and he was ambiguous in a sly way, pretending to be knowledgeable, but I could easily see that he in fact was ignorant of the whole topic, based on what I had learned online.

One website says that if you find a Kinetic that you really like, and it needs a capacitor extraction procedure, it could be well worth your effort, but he suggests that you should first really appreciate the watch itself, because if you don't, just fixing its problem may not be enough to make you change your regard for the watch. I thought that was an interesting attitude.

My thinking is, that due to this "theory" that Kinetics are a failed technology, which is apparently just a bad rumor that has gotten out of control, there might be a number of abandoned Kinetics at large, like in pawn shops, that could be perfectly serviceable if the capacitor is changed out. Even among members here, some may not want to deal with the issue and are on the verge of "throwing away" their Kinetic. But this forum is a great place to find a new potential owner who is eager to purchase your discarded watch, so think twice!

The post above that says winders don't move fast enough to recharge Kinetics: this makes sense to me. And thank you for that tidbit, because I had not seen it anywhere else. It might be in the owner's manual, but the watch I saw in the pawn shop doesn't come with a manual, so the buyer would have to do his own homework. I would guess that Kinetic manuals can be viewed online.

I suppose I'd like to know if Seiko is going to continue to offer other parts for them in the event that the various other components need to be replaced in the future. The tiny generator that spins at 100,000 rpm (one hundred thousand is not a typo) seems like something that could be vulnerable to corrosion or defects due to age, and it's rather unlikely that any "aftermarket" substitute could ever be a good idea. So that would best be a Seiko factory part, no?

All in all, Kinetic fans must be a very narrow market share. I saw one opinion claiming that Seiko was setting aside the Kinetic department to focus resources on more widely accepted lines. Perhaps this is referring to the new Spring Drive technology? But I'm attracted to how much more affordable Kinetics are, compared to Spring Drive models.
 
#25 ·
imported post

Seems like a bunch of ignorant people feeding you crap, and no one knows whats going on. I have responded within the quote, for clarity.


tempusfugit wrote:
I just now found this thread. I see there is pertinent info here so I don't want to start another thread when this one seems appropriate. I notice all the previous posts were made in two days, 4 months ago. But Kinetics are a lot older than that, so this is fair!

My basic question is, what's with the rumor that Kinetics are a failure?

No. They are a success, but overshadowed by citizen's solar charging watches to some extent.

I heard a jewelry store owner tell me this, and he has Seikos for sale, but no Kinetics. I've talked to other jewelers who carry Seikos and they don't like to give me any specific information about Kinetics. It seems they are afraid of the topic, and don't want to be associated with controversy, as if selling watches is difficult enough already, so why invite problems? I followed through some of the tutorials online that describe retrofitting older Kinetics, Li-ion cell replacing the capacitor, and it sounded like the upgrade generally solves the problem.

Kinetics are good, but it might be, perhaps that seiko is phasing them out. I really cannot speak for the companys long term plans, but I have seen them pull out of several stores near me, and it gives me the impression (not trying to start a rumor -- so I emphasize this is mere speculation) that they are moving upmarket with their brand. It seems citizen has filled the void too in the stores here. The silence could be the jewelers just not knowing what is going on, or a bad taste left from the way seiko is doing what they are doing. They might be idiots too and not really know what they are talking about -- dont underestimate how stupid even an "expert" may be.


It seems to me that understanding the way a capacitor works compared to a Lithium-ion battery goes a long way to appreciating how the upgrade would be a big help. I found warnings online that urge readers to be aware that some Kinetics have been damaged by people replacing the rechargeable cell with a Silver Oxide or Alkaline battery. It says this is a very serious mistake, since these batteries do not accept recharging and Kinetic movements will try to recharge them, causing them to leak acid, which will destroy your movement. I have to wonder if this is not a big part of the "failure" theory that seems to have caught on among even watch repair "experts"?

A capacitor holds charge by simply charging the plates positive and negative. A battery does it by a chemical reaction. In the case of the li ion battery of seikos kinetics, the reaction is reversible, and hence, rechargeable. Most chemical reactions take a fair amount of charge to react, but li ions in the case of seiko necessarily react from a simple more easily charged chemical reaction -- and hence strong chatge development from wrist movent is enough, but slow turns on a winder will not be as efficient, but it will work to some extent unlike what has been said. Lastly, the other type of batteries are not rechargable, so the applied charge just heats the battery, and causes degradation of the battery. So, you cannot use these other types of batteries, or even a rechargable that isnt li ion of the reaction seiko uses, as it will not charge from the weak charge development in the seiko charging mechanism.

I saw an older Kinetic at a pawn shop, and the owner showed it to me. He shook it up a bit and it started running. Then he set it back in the display case, and I noticed that after about 5 minutes it stopped running again. So I questioned him on that, and he didn't seem to know what's up. He read the model number off the back (or was it the face?) using his loop, and I wrote it down. That's when I went home and studied the capacitor topics online. I went back to the pawn shop, and asked the owner about capacitor vs. Li-ion, and he was ambiguous in a sly way, pretending to be knowledgeable, but I could easily see that he in fact was ignorant of the whole topic, based on what I had learned online.

Sounds like he was an idiot wishing not let it on.

One website says that if you find a Kinetic that you really like, and it needs a capacitor extraction procedure, it could be well worth your effort, but he suggests that you should first really appreciate the watch itself, because if you don't, just fixing its problem may not be enough to make you change your regard for the watch. I thought that was an interesting attitude.

Me too, dont we all operate that way? It has to be worth it to invest, right?

My thinking is, that due to this "theory" that Kinetics are a failed technology, which is apparently just a bad rumor that has gotten out of control, there might be a number of abandoned Kinetics at large, like in pawn shops, that could be perfectly serviceable if the capacitor is changed out. Even among members here, some may not want to deal with the issue and are on the verge of "throwing away" their Kinetic. But this forum is a great place to find a new potential owner who is eager to purchase your discarded watch, so think twice!

Yes, bad theory. I probably wont buy, but i think there are certainly people who will. Just have my own particular watch wants, and kinetic is already off my list as ive had one upwards of 15 years.

The post above that says winders don't move fast enough to recharge Kinetics: this makes sense to me. And thank you for that tidbit, because I had not seen it anywhere else. It might be in the owner's manual, but the watch I saw in the pawn shop doesn't come with a manual, so the buyer would have to do his own homework. I would guess that Kinetic manuals can be viewed online.

Yes they can, just google the model. I dont think say much on the subject. I explained it above though.

I suppose I'd like to know if Seiko is going to continue to offer other parts for them in the event that the various other components need to be replaced in the future. The tiny generator that spins at 100,000 rpm (one hundred thousand is not a typo) seems like something that could be vulnerable to corrosion or defects due to age, and it's rather unlikely that any "aftermarket" substitute could ever be a good idea. So that would best be a Seiko factory part, no?

15 years, still fine! I think if its cared for the rotor is not an issue - just look at all the old autos still around.

All in all, Kinetic fans must be a very narrow market share. I saw one opinion claiming that Seiko was setting aside the Kinetic department to focus resources on more widely accepted lines. Perhaps this is referring to the new Spring Drive technology? But I'm attracted to how much more affordable Kinetics are, compared to Spring Drive models.
Vague statements dont mean much, but see my thoughts (soeculations) above, and maybe check seikos press releases on the net, or just read their pages.

By the way, my reactor poseidon also has a seiko spring drive in it. I would not fear long term stability of it, or support, theyve sold many movements, and so someone will be around to service it or provide parts.

Rob
 
#24 ·
imported post

Seems like a bunch of ignorant people feeding you crap, and no one knows whats going on. I have responded within the quote, for clarity.


tempusfugit wrote:
I just now found this thread. I see there is pertinent info here so I don't want to start another thread when this one seems appropriate. I notice all the previous posts were made in two days, 4 months ago. But Kinetics are a lot older than that, so this is fair!

My basic question is, what's with the rumor that Kinetics are a failure?

No. They are a success, but overshadowed by citizen's solar charging watches to some extent.

I heard a jewelry store owner tell me this, and he has Seikos for sale, but no Kinetics. I've talked to other jewelers who carry Seikos and they don't like to give me any specific information about Kinetics. It seems they are afraid of the topic, and don't want to be associated with controversy, as if selling watches is difficult enough already, so why invite problems? I followed through some of the tutorials online that describe retrofitting older Kinetics, Li-ion cell replacing the capacitor, and it sounded like the upgrade generally solves the problem.

Kinetics are good, but it might be, perhaps that seiko is phasing them out. I really cannot speak for the companys long term plans, but I have seen them pull out of several stores near me, and it gives me the impression (not trying to start a rumor -- so I emphasize this is mere speculation) that they are moving upmarket with their brand. It seems citizen has filled the void too in the stores here. The silence could be the jewelers just not knowing what is going on, or a bad taste left from the way seiko is doing what they are doing. They might be idiots too and not really know what they are talking about -- dont underestimate how stupid even an "expert" may be.


It seems to me that understanding the way a capacitor works compared to a Lithium-ion battery goes a long way to appreciating how the upgrade would be a big help. I found warnings online that urge readers to be aware that some Kinetics have been damaged by people replacing the rechargeable cell with a Silver Oxide or Alkaline battery. It says this is a very serious mistake, since these batteries do not accept recharging and Kinetic movements will try to recharge them, causing them to leak acid, which will destroy your movement. I have to wonder if this is not a big part of the "failure" theory that seems to have caught on among even watch repair "experts"?

A capacitor holds charge by simply charging the plates positive and negative. A battery does it by a chemical reaction. In the case of the li ion battery of seikos kinetics, the reaction is reversible, and hence, rechargeable. Most chemical reactions take a fair amount of charge to react, but li ions in the case of seiko necessarily react from a simple more easily charged chemical reaction -- and hence strong chatge development from wrist movent is enough, but slow turns on a winder will not be as efficient, but it will work to some extent unlike what has been said. Lastly, the other type of batteries are not rechargable, so the applied charge just heats the battery, and causes degradation of the battery. So, you cannot use these other types of batteries, or even a rechargable that isnt li ion of the reaction seiko uses, as it will not charge from the weak charge development in the seiko charging mechanism.

I saw an older Kinetic at a pawn shop, and the owner showed it to me. He shook it up a bit and it started running. Then he set it back in the display case, and I noticed that after about 5 minutes it stopped running again. So I questioned him on that, and he didn't seem to know what's up. He read the model number off the back (or was it the face?) using his loop, and I wrote it down. That's when I went home and studied the capacitor topics online. I went back to the pawn shop, and asked the owner about capacitor vs. Li-ion, and he was ambiguous in a sly way, pretending to be knowledgeable, but I could easily see that he in fact was ignorant of the whole topic, based on what I had learned online.

Sounds like he was an idiot wishing not let it on.

One website says that if you find a Kinetic that you really like, and it needs a capacitor extraction procedure, it could be well worth your effort, but he suggests that you should first really appreciate the watch itself, because if you don't, just fixing its problem may not be enough to make you change your regard for the watch. I thought that was an interesting attitude.

Me too, dont we all operate that way? It has to be worth it to invest, right?

My thinking is, that due to this "theory" that Kinetics are a failed technology, which is apparently just a bad rumor that has gotten out of control, there might be a number of abandoned Kinetics at large, like in pawn shops, that could be perfectly serviceable if the capacitor is changed out. Even among members here, some may not want to deal with the issue and are on the verge of "throwing away" their Kinetic. But this forum is a great place to find a new potential owner who is eager to purchase your discarded watch, so think twice!

Yes, bad theory. I probably wont buy, but i think there are certainly people who will. Just have my own particular watch wants, and kinetic is already off my list as ive had one upwards of 15 years.

The post above that says winders don't move fast enough to recharge Kinetics: this makes sense to me. And thank you for that tidbit, because I had not seen it anywhere else. It might be in the owner's manual, but the watch I saw in the pawn shop doesn't come with a manual, so the buyer would have to do his own homework. I would guess that Kinetic manuals can be viewed online.

Yes they can, just google the model. I dont think say much on the subject. I explained it above though.

I suppose I'd like to know if Seiko is going to continue to offer other parts for them in the event that the various other components need to be replaced in the future. The tiny generator that spins at 100,000 rpm (one hundred thousand is not a typo) seems like something that could be vulnerable to corrosion or defects due to age, and it's rather unlikely that any "aftermarket" substitute could ever be a good idea. So that would best be a Seiko factory part, no?

15 years, still fine! I think if its cared for the rotor is not an issue - just look at all the old autos still around.

All in all, Kinetic fans must be a very narrow market share. I saw one opinion claiming that Seiko was setting aside the Kinetic department to focus resources on more widely accepted lines. Perhaps this is referring to the new Spring Drive technology? But I'm attracted to how much more affordable Kinetics are, compared to Spring Drive models.
Vague statements dont mean much, but see my thoughts (soeculations) above, and maybe check seikos press releases on the net, or just read their pages.

By the way, my reactor poseidon also has a seiko spring drive in it. I would not fear long term stability of it, or support, theyve sold many movements, and so someone will be around to service it or provide parts.

Rob
 
#26 ·
imported post

I have not heard anything about kinetics being phased out and certainly Seiko still has an awful lot of kinetic models for sale based on their web sites and the listings I see on Amazon and from web dealers such as Princeton Watches.

The usual failure mode for boththe original capacitor and the rechargeable battery is loss of storage capacity which is shown by the inability to hold a charge. Even with a good storage module it normally takes several hundred shakes of the watch to give it enough charge so that the second hand ceases the double stepping which indicates a low charge in it. If it ceases double stepping too quickly it is a sign of capacity loss and imminent failure of the capacitor. If I bought a used Seiko from a pawn shop or from an owner on-lineI would expect to have to change the battery.

I have two older Elgin watchesthat have Kinetic movements that hadthe original capacitors and I eventually needed to update both to the rechargeable battery. Both are now working fine after 11 years of ownership. I suspect that the generator rotor, considering its rotational speed, probably uses jeweled bearings. Standard Kinetic modules are listed as having 6 jewels.

I have also heard of Citizen Eco-Drive and Casio Solarrechargeable batteries failing as no rechargeable battery lasts forever. Unfortunately the manufacturers advertise their solar and Kinetic watches as having batteries which they insinuatelast forever and none do yet with current battery technology.
 
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