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Geplaatst op 19-11-2021 door Marc Hut
Do you have a Citizen watch with an Eco-Drive movement that isn’t charging, or isn’t charging fully? Have you left the watch under a lamp for hours, yet the power indicator still shows that your watch isn’t fully charged? Then (contrary to what you might think) your Citizen watch isn’t necessarily faulty. So what could be the problem? We’ll explain that here. But before you read on, we’ll tell you this much: charging takes longer than you think!
A Citizen Eco-Drive is a state-of-the-art piece of technology that uses a light-sensitive cell to convert (sun)light into energy and store it in a small battery. Sunlight works fastest, but artificial light is also sufficient to power the watch.
It varies, of course, depending on the model and movement, but for most Citizen watches fitted with an E660 movement, you can check how much energy the watch has left as follows:
See also: ‘How Citizen Eco-Drive works’
The power indicators for the various calibres use a segment display. If the hand is in the centre of the top segment, the watch is fully charged. The indicator therefore does not extend all the way to the very top, but remains in the centre of the segment.
If the watch is almost completely flat, the second hand indicates this: it no longer ticks every second but every 2 full seconds. You can also tell from the power indicator that the battery is practically flat. The watch is in ‘insufficient charge warning’ mode. If you’re unlucky, the watch may stop within 3 days.
A Citizen Eco-Drive has a considerable power reserve once it’s charged. A watch with a Citizen Miyota E660 movement has enough power to last for as long as 7–10 months once charged.
Power reserve of an E660 movement.
Is your Citizen watch completely flat, with (almost) no power left at all? Then you’ll need to charge the movement. The best way to do this is to place the watch in sunlight. But how long should you charge the watch? Well, quite a long time! Take a look at the overview below from the manual for the widely used Citizen Miyota E660 Eco-Drive movement.
How long does the watch need to charge? Image from the manual for an E660 movement.
You’ve probably already realised: if you want to give the watch enough energy for normal use, you’ll need to leave it in the light for a while. Once fully charged, an Eco-Drive is a fantastic timepiece – no more battery replacements – and a good alternative to an automatic watch.
Do you have an older watch that you’ve left in the light for ages but still has zero energy? In that case, it’s a good idea to find a watchmaker or contact Citizen customer service. The rechargeable battery may be faulty.
Do you have any questions about our Citizen watches or any of our other products? Please feel free to contact us; we’d be happy to help.