There are several reasons why a solar watch is a smart buy: Well worth the extra cost. Despite the high price tag, you’ll receive a unique watch that’s easy to use. Having a solar watch means you can save money on battery replacements. An average day can mean a lot of time outdoors, so a solar watch means minimal effort while wearing it. Despite this, Seiko solar watches don’t require much maintenance, so they can be less expensive to care for than a traditional watch. Although the number of solar watches has decreased over the years, several manufactures are working to bring the technology back into production. Seiko Solaris one of them, selling smart solar watches from several different manufacturers on their website.Thus, below are some of the benefits of buying a solar watch.
- Solar watches are economical and eco-friendly- There are a variety of different solar energy technologies available to watchmakers. The most common form is through solar cells and photovoltaic panels. This method results in larger electronics with lower energy costs and has been used in watches for quite some time. To date, several different solar technologies are used. This includes silicon cells, transparent low-cost PV panels, and organic solar cells, among others. A solar watch that uses silicon cells will operate more efficiently than one that uses a plastic PV panel or a photovoltaic solar cell (PV-SC).
- Solar watches last longer– An old-school solar watch only yields about 2-3 years of continuous use before the battery needs replacing. Solar watches have an almost unbreachable warranty on their batteries – on average, 10 years. Moreover, solar watches are constantly repairing themselves, such that after 1 year of use, a watch is close to 100% efficient. In contrast, the battery in a standard watch can reach 50% efficiency after 7 years of use.
- Sustainable power– The beauty of solar watches is that they are truly sustainable. The manufacturing of these watches doesn’t pollute the environment, and they do not have to be replaced after every season – which is a major benefit of a battery-powered watch. It’s also very cost-effective when it comes to powering your watch. A solar watch can easily be powered by sunlight, and it is of higher quality than battery-powered watches.
- Minimal maintenance- When a battery is filled to 100 percent capacity, there’s always a chance that it can suffer from electrical shorting. With a solar battery, you simply replace the solar cells periodically, so there is minimal maintenance in this regard. On the other hand, a watch’s solar cells are designed to last for a long time, though they eventually wear out, so you’ll want to replace the battery when you notice it’s no longer fully charged.
With no major manufacturers making watches solely powered by solar energy, the technology has not become widely popular just yet. Nevertheless, it is possible to buy solar watches, and a small market has emerged in recent years. Although most of the manufacturers are still small-scale and selling mainly to hobbyists, there are still some to consider. As technology improves and prices drop, we can buy the best solar watches for us.