Eco-Drive are various watch models manufactured and marketed worldwide by Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., powered primarily by light. In 2007, the company estimated the drive system had eliminated the disposal of 10 million batteries in North America.
Citizens introduced the Eco-Drive path to Asia, Latin America and Europe in 1995 and to the United States in April 1996.
The Eco-Drive concept introduces some technical improvements to previous solar-powered watches, including light-making cells that can be made virtually invisible behind the dial rather than strikingly, increasing the look of the watch.
Video Eco-Drive
Histori
Konsep Eco-Drive
The technical platform that enables Eco-Drive concept is the 7878 Eco-Drive movement. This movement is the first light-powered movement in which solar cells can be mounted under the dial. The previous light-powered watches from Citizen and other manufacturers have solar cells installed directly on the dial. This innovation is enabled by marked improvements in thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells, which, in the early 1990s have become much more efficient. By placing a sufficiently transparent dial material on top of today's more efficient solar cells, sufficient light can pass through the dial face to move motion. Although the 7878 Eco-Drive caliber caliber cell remains little visible through the dial, the physical force of the light-powered watch is no longer limited by visible solar cells.
To store electrical energy, the first Eco-Drive movement uses rechargeable or secondary lithium-ion batteries. This type of battery became available in the early 1990s, enabling the movement of the Eco-Drive 7878 to run 180 days on secondary power before requiring recharging through exposure to light - a marked increase in energy storage above the previous light-powered watch. This movement also displays an "inadequate replenishment" indicator. The accuracy of the quartz movement is expressed as in Ã, Â ± 20 seconds per month at a normal temperature range of 5 to 40 Â ° C (41 to 104 ° F).
Commercial history
In addition to the first three Eco-Drive models introduced in 1995, Citizen marketed many other Eco-Drive models during the 1990s, including a thickness of 6.05 mm (0.238 inches) of 1996 Eco-Drive Slim thickness.
Where the first model offers clock, minute, second, and date features, it ultimately evolves to incorporate design features, including complex analog and digital-analog movements and horological complications of chronographs, flyback chronographs and dive watches.
In the early 2000s, while sales of watches declined with the advent of mobile phones and their timeliness capabilities, demand for Citizen watches in North America remained strong. The Eco-Drive model was well received, generating one-third of North American Citizen revenue in 2000. In 2002 VITRO technology (Eco-Drive VITRO) came on the market, where solar cells no longer look a bit under the dial. During mid-2000, sales of watches were upgraded to Citizen thanks to the further development of the Eco-Drive track and radio-controlled time integration with Eco-Drive 2002.
Eco-Drive Concept Models
Since 2009, Citizen has developed Eco-Drive Concept Models as a technology demonstration and marketing tool. This Eco-Drive concept model is commonly featured in exhibitions and is produced in limited editions. The Concept Model 2011 is a SATELLITE WAVE Eco-Drive that has movement that can receive time synchronization signals from GPS satellites. This allows radio-controlled time in remote areas not served by ground-based radio-based signal stations. In 2012 Citizen announced Eco-Drive RING Concept Model. This watch has a ring-shaped solar cell that surrounds the wall of a watch box. In 2018 Citizen announces developing a prototype Caliber 0100 Eco-Drive autonomous high accuracy quartz movement that is claimed to be accurate to  ± 1 second per year. The key elements for obtaining high claimed accuracy apply to unusual crystals shaped (AT-cut) quartz crystals operated at 2 23 or 8 388 608 Ã, Hz frequency and thermal compensation. The 0100 Caliber movement will not be available for sale to the public, technology in motion will be introduced in future models, which will be launched in 2019.
Recent history
According to Citizen, in 2011 80% of their watches featured Eco-Drive, and the company saw Eco-Drive watches as the focus of a new generation of watches.
In 2012, Citizen offers more than 320 Eco-Drive clock models in various types, styles and price ranges.
Maps Eco-Drive
Eco-Drive Technology
Light as a resource
Most Eco-Drive watches are equipped with a special secondary titanium lithium ion battery filled by an amorphous silicon photocell located behind the dial. Light passes through the crystal and dial before reaching the photocell.
Depending on electronic movement, a fully charged secondary power cell can run without charging further than 30 days to 3,175 days (8.7 years), although most models of Eco-Drive men's watches offer a six-month power backup. If kept out of light for a long time, some models of Eco-Drive movement can hibernate, where the hands of the watch stop and internal quartz movement keep track of the exact time. When then exposed to sufficient light, the hand moves automatically (without human intervention) to the right position and continue the timeliness regularly.
Temperature difference as resource
Citizen Eco-Drive Thermo watches were introduced in 1999 and use the temperature difference between the wearer's arm and the surrounding environment as a power source. Thermo rare Eco-Drive watches use the Seebeck effect to generate thermo electricity that drives electronic movement and secondary electrical cell charging. In the sun or in the tropics, the ambient temperature can approach or exceed the wrist temperature of the wearer causing the clock to stop generating thermo electricity. If no power is generated, the Thermo Eco-Drive movement will save power by moving both hands in a ten-second increments until thermo power production continues. Residents have stopped making Thermo Eco-Drive watches.
Hybrid Eco-Drive Movement
Residents also built quartz automatic watches, Citizen Promaster Eco-Duo Drive (released in December 1998). The novel for these watches is the use of mechanical forces as well as solar cells to power electronic motions and charge secondary electrical cells. This model is an attempt to enter the market at a higher price (at a cost of about $ 1,000 USD). Eco-Duo Drive technology has failed to attract consumers and Citizen has since stopped using a unique movement.
Solar cells and expectations of secondary battery life
According to Citizen, experimental data show solar cells and secondary batteries will last for more than 10 years. According to Citizen Europe, laboratory tests show that after 20 years, the secondary battery maintains 80% power storage capacity from its initial capacity. Newer Citizen claims that the rechargeable/secondary battery will last up to 40 years and it's very unusual for this battery to fail.
Maintenance
For waterborne Eco-Drive watches and dives Citizens recommend the exchange of watch gaskets every 2 or 3 years to maintain their water resistance as they watch the gaskets, which form a watertight seal, decrease as they age. Furthermore, Residents recommend maintenance for the movement of Eco-Drive watch periodically to extend the life of the clock movement, since the gears used in running watch movements are subjected to slow wear. Citizens state that when their lubricant for Long-Lasting Precision Equipment is used in watches, the movement of the watch remains smooth for a long time because the oil does not harden even after 20 years.
Gallery
See also
- Watch
- Solar-powered watch
References
External links
- Official website
- Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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