MajorsApr 02, 2026
Pandora Opens New Canadian Distribution Center Amid Tariff ConcernsThe new facility was also designed to better serve its growing customer base in Canada.
WatchesFeb 07, 2017
Proper Care & Feeding of Kinetic, Eco-Drive, Solar Watches
In his latest column, National Jeweler’s ‘Watch Guy’ Jess Gendron advises on the repair and maintenance of these types of timepieces.
Jess Gendron is a seventh generation watchmaker, having learned by his father Dan Gendron’s side since childhood. He can be reached at talktothewatchguy@gmail.com.
I know for some of you the headline of this story might seem weird but having repaired Citizen Eco-Drive and Seiko Kinetic watches for a long time now, I can tell you that there are things that need to be covered.
It seems to me that the end user customers have no idea how their watch generates power. This is evidenced by their telling you that the watch was running when they put in the jewelry box or in their underwear drawer.
Kinetic watches act like automatic watches in that it is the motion of the arm while wearing the watch that powers the watch. In an automatic watch, this motion winds the mainspring. In a Kinetic watch, the motion charges the storage capacitor. Regular watch batteries cannot be recharged. Storage capacitors act like a battery; however, they can be recharged.
Like all rechargeable batteries, if we run the battery down too often and do not fully charge the storage capacitor it will fail prematurely. Replacing a storage capacitor is much more costly than replacing a simple watch battery. With that said, you can see why a jewelry box or underwear drawer is not the optimum place to keep this type of watch.
Eco-Drive/solar watches, on the other hand, generate power from ambient light in order to recharge their storage capacitors.
All solar, Kinetic and Eco-Drive watches have a symptom that lets you know when the storage capacitor needs to be charged--the second hand begins to trip. What is meant by “trip” is that the second hand will skip two seconds for every second it ticks.
Often, we receive these types of watches for repair with the instruction for a new storage capacitor. The first thing we do is put a Kinetic on the watch winder to recharge the capacitor or an Eco-Drive or other solar watch under an incandescent light bulb for a few hours (mine is a 40-watt LED that is as bright as a 100-watt incandescent light.)
An Eco-Drive/solar watch will be fully charged in about four hours. If after 10 minutes it is still tripping, the watch will in fact need the storage capacitor replaced. In our experience, seven out of 10 need only the storage capacitor charged.
Do yourself and your customers a favor and try recharging the capacitor before going through the process of sending the watch to your watchmaker.
If
the customer is keeping the watch in a place where it won’t remain charged, the customer will be back with the same problem even after the replacement of the capacitor if you don’t explain how to care for these watches.
Too often I--not the salesperson--was the one to explain to the customer that their watch needed light to keep the storage capacitor charged. This information needs to be given to the customer at the point of sale to avoid problems later, such as an angry customer who thinks you sold them a faulty watch when all they need to do is keep the watch in a place where it can get some light or wear it more often (or at least shake it once in a while).
A side note: As I have told many of you, we are working on getting our videos into downloadable format. When we have them up, the watch battery replacement video will be free of charge and we invite all of you to download it for your staff. We’ll let you know as soon as they are ready.
Jess Gendron is a seventh generation watchmaker, having learned by his father Dan Gendron’s side since childhood. Jess Gendron is now the owner of Colorado Timeworks, a watch repair service center in Colorado Springs. He can be reached at talktothewatchguy@gmail.com, and his website is Timeworks.biz.
Too often I--not the salesperson--was the one to explain to the customer that their watch needed light to keep the storage capacitor charged. This information needs to be given to the customer at the point of sale to avoid problems later, such as an angry customer who thinks you sold them a faulty watch when all they need to do is keep the watch in a place where it can get some light or wear it more often (or at least shake it once in a while).
A side note: As I have told many of you, we are working on getting our videos into downloadable format. When we have them up, the watch battery replacement video will be free of charge and we invite all of you to download it for your staff. We’ll let you know as soon as they are ready.
Jess Gendron is a seventh generation watchmaker, having learned by his father Dan Gendron’s side since childhood. Jess Gendron is now the owner of Colorado Timeworks, a watch repair service center in Colorado Springs. He can be reached at talktothewatchguy@gmail.com, and his website is Timeworks.biz.
More on Watches
The Latest
TrendsApr 02, 2026
Michelle Yeoh Fronts New Mikimoto Campaign The campaign is a tribute to the year 1893, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the world’s first cultured pearl.
GradingApr 02, 2026
GIA Debuts New Campus in TaiwanIt is the only GIA school to offer the GIA Graduate Gemologist program in Chinese.
Brought to you by
Protect Your Customers and Your BusinessYou deserve to know what you are selling–to protect your customers as well as your business and your reputation.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
DCA Launches ‘Second Spark’ Workforce InitiativeThe initiative connects veterans and parents returning to the workforce with careers in jewelry retail.
Weekly QuizMar 26, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsApr 02, 2026
Hoover & Strong Names New National Sales RepresentativeThe wholesale manufacturer and precious metals refiner has appointed Michael Angelo as its new national sales representative.
MajorsApr 01, 2026
Foundrae Sues Pandora for Allegedly Copying Its Medallion DesignsFoundrae also accused the jewelry giant of copying its mood board style of marketing.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
AuctionsApr 01, 2026
John Jacob Astor IV’s Titanic Pocket Watch Heads to AuctionA Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. timepiece owned by the American businessman who died on the Titanic will be offered at Freeman's Chicago.
SurveysApr 01, 2026
Consumers’ Outlook Improves Again in MarchThe Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index edged up, with optimism about the present outweighing worries about the future.
IndependentsApr 01, 2026
Zachary’s Jewelers’ Constance Polamalu to Release Children’s BookThe retailer’s Zach Bear gift comes to life in “Zach Bear and the Window Necklace,” which centers on curiosity, bravery, and helping.
Events & AwardsApr 01, 2026
AGA Opens 2026 Gemological Scholarship, Research Grant ApplicationsApplications are open for the AGA Gemological Scholarship Program through May 15, and until June 2027 for the Gemological Research Grant.
ColumnistsMar 31, 2026
Q1 Clues That Reveal Where Your Jewelry Store’s Sales Are Heading These customer behavior patterns say a lot about how successful your jewelry store is going to be this year, Emmanuel Raheb writes.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Mejuri Adds Silver to ‘Puzzle’ CollectionMejuri’s popular collection of 18-karat yellow gold vermeil rings debuted in sterling silver alongside new “Puzzle” slider charms.
CollectionsMar 31, 2026
Buddha Mama, Ashley Longshore to Host Pop-Up in DallasThe Miami-based jewelry brand and the NYC-based artist will be in Dallas from April 9-11.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
NDC Designates April 8 as 'World Diamond Day'The initiative invites those in the industry to share stories on social media highlighting the meaning and impact of natural diamonds.
SourcingMar 31, 2026
GIA VP Jillian Wolk to Take Over at Tracr Wolk’s first day on the job as CEO of Tracr, De Beers Group’s blockchain platform, will be May 1.
EditorsMar 30, 2026
Tom Moses Looks Back on His Decades at GIA Moses, who will leave the lab in May after nearly 50 years, discusses his start in the business, gemstones that stand out, and what’s next.
TrendsMar 30, 2026
Oscar Heyman Debuts First Spring CatalogThe new catalog, which showcases 35 one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, is a compliment to the company’s popular holiday catalog.
SourcingMar 30, 2026
Rio Tinto Hauls Last Load from DiavikProduction has ceased at the Canadian diamond mine, which has yielded more than 150 million carats of rough diamonds in its 23-year run.
MajorsMar 30, 2026
Tanishq Opens First New England LocationThe store opening marks the 10th United States location for the India-based jewelry retailer.
MajorsMar 27, 2026
Saks Global Has Changed Its Mind About Closing These 3 StoresTwo Saks Fifth Avenue locations, one in Florida and one in California, and one Neiman Marcus store are off the chopping block.
IndependentsMar 27, 2026
Jimmy West, Longtime LJG Executive Director, Dies at 72West, who started in the art department at the Leading Jewelers Guild in 1979, is remembered for his patience, kindness, and dedication.
CollectionsMar 27, 2026
Itä’s ‘Yarí Whirl’ Ring Tells Every Side of the StoryIn the “Tesoro” version of the ring, our Piece of the Week, each side of the gold hexagonal nugget has a unique colored gemstone design.
IndependentsMar 26, 2026
Peter Smith Pens Book on Human Behavior in Sales“Essentially Human: On Sales and Salespeople" reveals the underlying human traits and behaviors of the most successful sales professionals.
CollectionsMar 26, 2026
Lionheart Celebrates 13 Years of ‘Cassandane’The collection features symbols of love, luck, and light, based on the story of Queen Cassandane and Cyrus the Great of Persia.
Events & AwardsMar 26, 2026
NAJA, Instappraise Introduce New ScholarshipIt’s the third scholarship to be launched as part of the partnership to help appraisers advance their professional credentials.
