As a Christmas present, I bought a Citizen Eco Drive Stainless Steel Bm601055a Watch with an Amazon.com gift card. The Citizen Eco-Drive watch fits my arm like a glove with is wide band and brushed steel surface but I decided to buy another one month afterwards. I wanted the cool looking Citizen Men’s BL5180-57L Eco-Drive Perpetual Calendar Watch because of the extra dials. When it arrived the Citizen Eco Drive BM601055 Watch was placed in a box on a book shelf in my home library.
Yesterday, I checked on my Citizen Eco Drive watch and found the hands were no longer moving. Since the watch was left inside a closed wooden box, it would not collect sunlight or any other type of light for recharging. The watch is supposed to have a six month lifespan on just the battery but it appears my model only lasted four months.
How Does Citizen Eco Drive Recharging Work?
Citizen Eco Drive watches have an amorphous solar cell located behind the dial surface. Light that reaches the surface of the watch hits the amorphous solar cell and is converted into electricity. A special battery called titanium lithium-ion cell has been installed in the watch to store this power. According to the documentation that came with my watch, the titanium lithium-ion battery cell is supposed to last for more than 20 years.
What Is The Best Way To Recharge A Citizen Eco Drive Watch?
After owning two of these watches for almost half a year now, I can honestly say the best place to recharge your solar watch is in full noon sun on a low humidity day. Solar panels respond best to conditions where there is no cloud cover and the atmosphere is not laden with moisture. The power of the sun’s rays are slightly reduced by 90% humidity levels.
If you cannot get your Citizen Eco Drive watch in the full sun, partial sun can still be an effective way to recharge. I found this was the best option for me. Last winter, I converted a bedroom in my home into an oak paneled library. On a bookcase facing the window, I leave my collection of solar powered watches. They recharge from the partial day sun and stay running all the time now.
Summary
I was actually excited to see my solar powered watch run down on power. Testing products is my favorite past time and I had an excuse to play again. Turning on the eco-friendly, fluorescent lights in my house showed little effect towards getting it operational again. I walked onto my front porch on a cloudy day and the second hand immediately began moving again. Harnessing the power of the sun by using a metal gadget on your wrist band is so cool!
You can read more about my solar projects by clicking here: How To Generate Your Own Electricity With Cheap Solar Panels
If you want to reduce your electric bills this summer, click here: How To Reduce Your Home Electric Bill
