I've got a bunch of solar watches, some I rotate and wear once a week, others sit in a glass top case in my bedroom. The ambient light that comes in through the bedroom windows seems to be enough to keep the ones in the case happy and charged up. I love solar powered watches and not having to worry about replacing batteries
I have several solar powered watches which are Citizen Eco Drive, two Casio G-Shock 5610's and also three Seiko Solar watches and also three Pulsar Solar powered watches. I wear mine in rotation and all are absolutely fine. I do have automatic watches also which I wear occasionally.
My Eco-drive from 1996 is still running - that's 30 years without battery change. I don't wear this watch at all - it sins on the window sill. You are absolutely correct about keeping it charged to keep it long lasting. ++
My dad boasted about his Citizen eco drive lasting 27 years without a battery change. I wouldn’t have minded, but he said it to my watchmaker who was repairing an automatic watch of mine. PS. The solar watches I have: Casio Oceanus, Citizen 'Ray Mears ', 2 Casio ani - digi, 5610 & waiting arrival of a Citizen BM8180-62E , I think it's a new model, anyway solar + automatic > ordinary quartz.
I have 26 solar watches, Casio, Seiko, Citizen, Momentum, Pulsar. They are placed on shelves that receive soft light during the day, but every weekend they get rotated on the window sills to receive a few hours of sun, being careful to not overheat them, My oldest is 22 year old Pulsar that is still going strong.
My only solar watch experience isn't a very good one. I got a Casio Tough Solar AW-S90 when I was in high school back in the mid to late 2000s. I quite enjoyed it, wore it everyday, had a lot of fun playing around the Auto-Light, which probably contributed to draining the battery a bit quickly. Anyway, after about a year... the charge didn't hold up (LO C blinks, the hands stop moving...). The thing is, I most definitely exposed the watch to light enough to keep it topped up. The battery indicator never ever went below HI, I have never seen it in MID. And yet, out of nowhere, I get a low charge indicator with a watch that barely functions anymore? I tried leaving it outside for entire weeks, but no dice. I ended up tossing it into a shelf. Two years ago (so probably 15 years since), I decided to rehab it, to give it another chance. I'm not trying my luck with the original battery, especially since it could have been the failing point from 15 years ago, so I replace it, and tada, it's back in business. I wear it everyday, make sure it's properly exposed to light, and this time I'm being reasonable and don't play around with the Auto-Light, no hourly chime either. And what do you know? 2 months ago it did it again, the exact same as 15 years ago (straight down from HI to LO C, never ever seen the battery level at MID yet again). Left it outside for a few weeks again, but to no avail yet again. I came to the conclusion that the solar charging in my AW-S90 either never worked at all, or was so weak its existence was negligible, or that the module in my watch was simply faulty. Frustrated, I shelved it again. A solar watch that needs me to change its battery every 2 years is ridiculous. I got myself a casioak GA-2100 for very cheap now. I know the expected lifespan of its batteries is 3 years, which doesn't really qualify as a great improvement tbh, but at least I can expect 3 years, and battery replacement is part of its normal operation when the time comes.
I have a half a dozen solar watches. I keep them all on a north facing window sill, so they trickle charge constantly without overheating from direct Florida sun. I wear mechanical/automatic watches mostly, but the grab-and-go convenience of those solar watches is great when you need a watch in a hurry.
When I buy solar G Shocks, I put them on the window sill for a few days or so until fully charged, then leave them sitting on a shelf and wear them as wanted. If they are bluetooth enabled, the app shows the battery charge level, and if necessary, it goes on the window sill for a day until it is fully charged. Last year, I got a secondhand Gravitymaster which seemed to be completely dead. After an hour in direct sunlight, it had enough charge to seek the time by GPS, and after another hour, i synced it with my phone and it was fine. After a solid week on the window, it was fully charged.
Have bought a bunch of used Solar G shocks over the years and the dead ones all (but 1) came back to life with a "jump start" , by placing them under an intensely bright LED it'll come to life in under a day.
It is true. I have my casio solar watch for more than 20 years and it still works. I keep it on my desk when I don't wear it where it is exposed to light.
True i have one going on 20yrs and I only noticed issues when I periodically stored it, with the charge taking longer to come back up each time i took it out so now i leave near a window but not in direct light and it stays at high charge now. On the other watch, the second hand started glitching at 12 yrs and needed a new mother board before it needed a battery. But it still kept time.
Great video, I totally agree with your advices. I always keep my solar watches at ambient light. Exposing them to direct sunlight is not the best. Heat is also an enemy for lithium batteries. My oldest solar watch is a citizen promaster sky, blue angels edition from 2005. It's also radio controlled and it's working perfectly to this day. I also have the gw-9400 rangeman for almost ten years, and a 7 years old GWG-1000 mudmaster. Nothing wrong with them. On most of my g-shock watches I activated the power saving function,in the dark the LCD display is turned off. From my experience they should last 15 years minimum if you don't keep them in the dark.
@@MayTheSchwartzBeWithYou Exactly, but I was hoping that he may expand his reply. I can accept if I said something wrong, to be corrected, but what can you do? I will never find out. Is there anything wrong with my comment?
Great information! In theory, I love the concept of solar power over battery power. Not having to replace a battery every couple of years is very nice. Unfortunately, I am probably guilty of making a lot of these mistakes. I have two solar powered watches. The first one I wear in rotation with other watches and store in a dark box for months at a time when not in use. I guess that is a bad thing. The second one I use more often and is never put away so it is always exposed to the light. I guess I will start doing the same thing with my first watch.
My Eco Drive Diver battery lasted 25 years doing just as your explanation ..recently swapped out the battery with a newer one just because it wasn’t holding the charge for as long. Great advice! Cheers from a subscriber in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦 MikeR.
Since I have an old casio rangeman, I let all my solar-powered watches to stay exposed to the daylight. Recently I purchased a Garmin solar watch, but in case of more intense use (incl. GPS and sport functions) the daylight itself will not be enough and charging via cable seems to be necessary, so I believe it is also better not to drain the battery down to zero in any case and it is better to keep it rather closer to fully charged.
I have two Citizen Skyhawk watches. One is 18 years old, the other 8. For me, they are the best watches that have ever been made. Apart from when I'm wearing one, they sit in the bedroom window facing the light, but behind half closed blinds. They both have titanium cases and keep perfect time.
My G-Shock is about 20 years old, it has been fully discharged exactly once. Still lasts days (maybe weeks) without needing to see the sun again after a recharge in the sun for a day. That said I usually keep it on the desk on my office that faces the street and get blasted with full afternoon sun, I just forgot it in a box after a move once!
Excellent video, thanks. I keep my solar watches in a watch display box with glass/transparent cover like yours, just. not a winder type, picked it up for like 25 USD.
I have 3 'Solar Watches, and my 2 Citizen 'Eco-Drive' Watches are over 10 years old. I use an LED 'Solar Watch' Charger. Also, most bright LED bulbs will charge and maintain the Watch batteries.
I would just add to that advice, never leave your watch in direct sunlight so the battery fries. Heat is an enemy of lithium batteries and just ordinary daylight can keep the watches fully charged without the need to place them in direct sunlight.
I have a G5600 G shock (basically a DW5600 Solar... for people who don't know), and the G5600 has a separate PS mode or Power Saving mode, which shuts off the screen at night and gets turned on as soon as you click any button. I believe the G6900 (this one) also has this feature. Along with this DOD idea, if you can use the power saving feature of these, I believe it can last you a lifetime.
Such good advice - thank you. The only outstanding issue is replacing the seals & gasket ( maybe the crystal?), although they reputedly last years now (?) & if a cheaper watch and not diving - is it worth checking?
I once bought a used GW--7900B and a couple of weeks after the battery died, I put it in a window with a good amount of light for a week and it never came up, so I decided to replace the battery, on aliexpress. I found a good one, not that expensive and now it works perfectly, maybe the previous owner didn't take proper care of the battery.
I agree with your tips & tricks! Since 2023 I am happy owner of Casio GW5000U and I use "power safe" function to prolong battery live even more. The rest is the same you mentioned: I am keeping watch close to window with plenty of natural Sunlight... I also have Casio AL190 model with capacitor inside (instead of classical battery, same exact model you have) and it is still running perfectly fine after so many years.
Hmm., I have only 2 Solar Casios each of which I wear once in a few weeks. I’m keeping these stored in Watch box and keeping them for charge by the side of window every Sunday. Maybe I’ll keep them in my living room showcase from now on !
Best advice for solar watches. I killed 2 Ecodrives for doing that thing of putting them away for months on boxes. Now I keep my 2 G-Shock solar watches near a window everyday. Best regards
Interesting DOD stuff. All of my quartz watches are solar powered, with no problems to report. The oldest is an Ecodrive from 2004. I keep them in a glass topped watch box.
What about solar watches that go into sleep mode? I’ve stored them for months without any harm. When they are exposed to light, the display comes on and functions normally. The reserve indicator shows 3/4 charge.
Hm, not sure the UV rays won't harm the plastic over the duration of 20+ years. I have a G-shock that seems dicontinued and it has a 10 year battery. At least that's the claim on the display. Thing is, it runs on it's first battery for 17(!) years now. But i had to replace the outer plastic housing (around the actual watch) as it did crack after years of exposure to chemicals and sunlight. (chemicals like suncreme and chlorined water in swimming pools.) But the battery, as mentioned is still the same. And for the last couple of years it lives in almost complete darkness and i use it as my alarm clock mostly. So a solar watch can't replace it ;-) As it would be deeply discharged that way.
Mine stay on window ledges. It’s more than they need but not enough to suffer UV damage. What I wish is that all the Casio LCDs would put the display to sleep when not moved after a while (make it an option, not everyone would want that.)
Hi, I recently got a Gshock steel series solar and its in M since. How long does it need to be exposed to the Sun for it go H or are there any drawbacks if left near the window for long durations?
I keep my automatic watches exposed to direct sunlight and my solar watches in watch winders, rotating the living hell out of them. This way they learn to have respect for each other!
Interesting thanks 👍. I bought a £50 Citizen eco-drive about 20 years ago and my daughter still wears it, never left in the dark, but then why would anyone store a solar watch in the dark?
That's what I did. Always kept charged. Never keep in drawer or dark places. Always put near window when not in use. Battery last around 3 years. Longest is 4 years. Never more than that.
I appreciate this video. I have 4 Casios that are solar. I am 54 so it would be great if they last for the rest of my life. Hopefully I outlive the solar batteries. 😂
Lithium is the same kind of battery used with phones, and the same rules apply. Lithium batteries don't like too be too discharged, but not too overcharged either. So, the best way to extend their life, is too keep them somewhere in the middle. On my phone, I try not to let it discharge to less than 35 percent, but I also never fully charge it beyond 75 percent except every now and again.
@@whereRbearsTeeth It's not BS. I have some Lenovo laptops which literally allow you to set an option where the laptop will not allow its battery to be charged beyond 80%, unless you override it or disable that feature. The reason stated for that feature is specifically to prolong the service life of the lithium battery. New MacBook Pros also do this automatically. If you regularly use a MacBook Pro always plugged into power, it will eventually cap the charge (also to 80% from memory) and show you a message why and give you the option to fully charge, for the same reason.
Something about the fact that watches with a solar panel can light up is just hilarious to me. Like a dog that chases it's own tail. Simply perfectly settling.
There are watches like the GW-7900 that I would like to buy new from e.g. amazon but the model has been discontinued for some time. So I am a little afraid they might be broken in their original box by now.
Bought a couple of 24 piece watchcases, with a 'glass' top to store all my watches. Solar powered or not. Bonus: I can enjoy the view of my collection as I walk past it.
5:14 Hey, don’t forget about Momentum! ☝️😅 I picked up a nice, inexpensive wooden watch box with a window specifically for my solar watches. Only $15-$25 on Amazon. 😊
I am using prg 270 for 8 years and never had any battery issues. It stays under sleeve most of times during the day but not effected. Indicator shows high still.
Question - you can keep a Tough Solar Casio in the dark for months without the battery level going down to medium. Is it OK as long as the battery doesn't go down to low?
You're still going deeper down the DOD than if you kept it at room lighting, so even though you probably won't experience issues, it will not last as the same watch stored to get enough light. Its simple chemistry of the battery
Unnecessary and kind of destroy the point of harnessing free energy form the sun. If you live in the far north and have polar nights, than ok, but otherwise, they don't make much sense. I actually made a video comparison of daylight vs. Artificial light as a Seiko I used to own had a charging level indicator. I'll post a link: ua-cam.com/video/gpAC0q4LmSQ/v-deo.htmlsi=v_krLvXbxET4alrX
I’ve had nothing but bad luck with solar powered watches,I don’t rate them, based on my experience and $100 to replace a lithium battery,if I knew then ….
Bottom line, it is a pain in the ass. I have two and they stay on low - medium battery. Always crying for more light. If you have just one and wear it daily outside it might work. But I do not really wear them (because I wear another watches) and room light looks like not enough. I would rather prefer 10 years battery, but they put solar only on most interesting pieces.
I've got a bunch of solar watches, some I rotate and wear once a week, others sit in a glass top case in my bedroom. The ambient light that comes in through the bedroom windows seems to be enough to keep the ones in the case happy and charged up. I love solar powered watches and not having to worry about replacing batteries
Yes, apparently you just need to wear it for a week to top it off, and the ambient light is enough to keep the battery at 'H'
@@BroAriq two different groups of watches. Reading comprehension level on 'L'
@@AlphaRomeoOneFive 😭😭😭
I have several solar powered watches which are Citizen Eco Drive, two Casio G-Shock 5610's and also three Seiko Solar watches and also three Pulsar Solar powered watches. I wear mine in rotation and all are absolutely fine. I do have automatic watches also which I wear occasionally.
My Eco-drive from 1996 is still running - that's 30 years without battery change. I don't wear this watch at all - it sins on the window sill. You are absolutely correct about keeping it charged to keep it long lasting. ++
Goddam. 30 years? That's awesome.
My dad boasted about his Citizen eco drive lasting 27 years without a battery change.
I wouldn’t have minded, but he said it to my watchmaker who was repairing an automatic watch of mine.
PS. The solar watches I have: Casio Oceanus, Citizen 'Ray Mears ', 2 Casio ani - digi, 5610 & waiting arrival of a Citizen BM8180-62E , I think it's a new model, anyway solar + automatic > ordinary quartz.
I didn’t know they were around that long ago. I have a Citizens eco-drive watch and because I love it, I got my wife one last Christmas.
My solar G-shock has been in my window sill for over 20 years so far and still going strong.
I have 26 solar watches, Casio, Seiko, Citizen, Momentum, Pulsar. They are placed on shelves that receive soft light during the day, but every weekend they get rotated on the window sills to receive a few hours of sun, being careful to not overheat them, My oldest is 22 year old Pulsar that is still going strong.
oh my goodness you have a lot of solar watches, congrats to you, mine is only one, the rest is automatic and quartz
@@tehsuingpai8248 The solar's are part of the entire collection, Automatic, battery quartz, solar...
My only solar watch experience isn't a very good one.
I got a Casio Tough Solar AW-S90 when I was in high school back in the mid to late 2000s. I quite enjoyed it, wore it everyday, had a lot of fun playing around the Auto-Light, which probably contributed to draining the battery a bit quickly. Anyway, after about a year... the charge didn't hold up (LO C blinks, the hands stop moving...). The thing is, I most definitely exposed the watch to light enough to keep it topped up. The battery indicator never ever went below HI, I have never seen it in MID. And yet, out of nowhere, I get a low charge indicator with a watch that barely functions anymore? I tried leaving it outside for entire weeks, but no dice. I ended up tossing it into a shelf.
Two years ago (so probably 15 years since), I decided to rehab it, to give it another chance. I'm not trying my luck with the original battery, especially since it could have been the failing point from 15 years ago, so I replace it, and tada, it's back in business. I wear it everyday, make sure it's properly exposed to light, and this time I'm being reasonable and don't play around with the Auto-Light, no hourly chime either. And what do you know? 2 months ago it did it again, the exact same as 15 years ago (straight down from HI to LO C, never ever seen the battery level at MID yet again). Left it outside for a few weeks again, but to no avail yet again.
I came to the conclusion that the solar charging in my AW-S90 either never worked at all, or was so weak its existence was negligible, or that the module in my watch was simply faulty.
Frustrated, I shelved it again. A solar watch that needs me to change its battery every 2 years is ridiculous.
I got myself a casioak GA-2100 for very cheap now. I know the expected lifespan of its batteries is 3 years, which doesn't really qualify as a great improvement tbh, but at least I can expect 3 years, and battery replacement is part of its normal operation when the time comes.
You forgot to tell us you live in the artic circle in semi darknes. Only teasing 😂😂
You forgot to tell us you live in the artic circle in semi darknes. Only teasing 😂😂
I have a half a dozen solar watches. I keep them all on a north facing window sill, so they trickle charge constantly without overheating from direct Florida sun.
I wear mechanical/automatic watches mostly, but the grab-and-go convenience of those solar watches is great when you need a watch in a hurry.
When I buy solar G Shocks, I put them on the window sill for a few days or so until fully charged, then leave them sitting on a shelf and wear them as wanted. If they are bluetooth enabled, the app shows the battery charge level, and if necessary, it goes on the window sill for a day until it is fully charged. Last year, I got a secondhand Gravitymaster which seemed to be completely dead. After an hour in direct sunlight, it had enough charge to seek the time by GPS, and after another hour, i synced it with my phone and it was fine. After a solid week on the window, it was fully charged.
Have bought a bunch of used Solar G shocks over the years and the dead ones all (but 1) came back to life with a "jump start" , by placing them under an intensely bright LED it'll come to life in under a day.
I use my Citizen F100 as my desk clock. I bought it 10 years ago and it still works perfectly... No issues with the power reserve at all😊
It is true. I have my casio solar watch for more than 20 years and it still works. I keep it on my desk when I don't wear it where it is exposed to light.
True i have one going on 20yrs and I only noticed issues when I periodically stored it, with the charge taking longer to come back up each time i took it out so now i leave near a window but not in direct light and it stays at high charge now. On the other watch, the second hand started glitching at 12 yrs and needed a new mother board before it needed a battery. But it still kept time.
Great video, I totally agree with your advices. I always keep my solar watches at ambient light. Exposing them to direct sunlight is not the best. Heat is also an enemy for lithium batteries. My oldest solar watch is a citizen promaster sky, blue angels edition from 2005. It's also radio controlled and it's working perfectly to this day. I also have the gw-9400 rangeman for almost ten years, and a 7 years old GWG-1000 mudmaster. Nothing wrong with them. On most of my g-shock watches I activated the power saving function,in the dark the LCD display is turned off. From my experience they should last 15 years minimum if you don't keep them in the dark.
BS
@@whereRbearsTeeth??????
@@whereRbearsTeethPeople who make low-effort comments like this need to be kicked off the Internet.
@@MayTheSchwartzBeWithYou Exactly, but I was hoping that he may expand his reply. I can accept if I said something wrong, to be corrected, but what can you do? I will never find out. Is there anything wrong with my comment?
@@fuloplehelIt seems very reasonable to me! If he wants to argue against it, he can do so, but it sounds like he’s just a troll.
Great information! In theory, I love the concept of solar power over battery power. Not having to replace a battery every couple of years is very nice. Unfortunately, I am probably guilty of making a lot of these mistakes. I have two solar powered watches. The first one I wear in rotation with other watches and store in a dark box for months at a time when not in use. I guess that is a bad thing. The second one I use more often and is never put away so it is always exposed to the light. I guess I will start doing the same thing with my first watch.
My Casio Riseman has been running since 2008 on the first battery.
Great tips! I love solar watches because they make so much sense. With tough solar and Multi-band 6 you have a no maintenance watch.
My Eco Drive Diver battery lasted 25 years doing just as your explanation ..recently swapped out the battery with a newer one just because it wasn’t holding the charge for as long. Great advice! Cheers from a subscriber in Nova Scotia 🇨🇦 MikeR.
What replacement battery did you use on your citizen?
My GW-9100 Gulfman is still going . Bought it in 2009.
Since I have an old casio rangeman, I let all my solar-powered watches to stay exposed to the daylight.
Recently I purchased a Garmin solar watch, but in case of more intense use (incl. GPS and sport functions) the daylight itself will not be enough and charging via cable seems to be necessary, so I believe it is also better not to drain the battery down to zero in any case and it is better to keep it rather closer to fully charged.
I have two Citizen Skyhawk watches. One is 18 years old, the other 8. For me, they are the best watches that have ever been made. Apart from when I'm wearing one, they sit in the bedroom window facing the light, but behind half closed blinds. They both have titanium cases and keep perfect time.
My G-Shock is about 20 years old, it has been fully discharged exactly once. Still lasts days (maybe weeks) without needing to see the sun again after a recharge in the sun for a day. That said I usually keep it on the desk on my office that faces the street and get blasted with full afternoon sun, I just forgot it in a box after a move once!
You can change a rechargeable battery just like any regular quartz watch. They're Li-ion button cells.
Excellent video, thanks. I keep my solar watches in a watch display box with glass/transparent cover like yours, just. not a winder type, picked it up for like 25 USD.
I have 3 'Solar Watches, and my 2 Citizen 'Eco-Drive' Watches are over 10 years old. I use an LED 'Solar Watch' Charger. Also, most bright LED bulbs will charge and maintain the Watch batteries.
@user-pl1ki3ok6g Nope! and Yep! I am now on my second LED charger because even LEDs will burn out. The 1st charger lasted 6 years burning 24/7/365.
Great advice, I have a 18 year old Citizen Stilletto eco drive and still going well, if it's not on my wrist it's on the window sill.
My Casio GW-1400 DE is from 2006 and still behaves like during the honeymoon period 😉
Just kept it exposed to indirect sunlight .
I would just add to that advice, never leave your watch in direct sunlight so the battery fries. Heat is an enemy of lithium batteries and just ordinary daylight can keep the watches fully charged without the need to place them in direct sunlight.
I have a G5600 G shock (basically a DW5600 Solar... for people who don't know), and the G5600 has a separate PS mode or Power Saving mode, which shuts off the screen at night and gets turned on as soon as you click any button. I believe the G6900 (this one) also has this feature. Along with this DOD idea, if you can use the power saving feature of these, I believe it can last you a lifetime.
Great video! My oldest solar is a Casio Pathfinder that I got in ‘11. It’s still going strong!
Such good advice - thank you.
The only outstanding issue is replacing the seals & gasket ( maybe the crystal?), although they reputedly last years now (?) & if a cheaper watch and not diving - is it worth checking?
I once bought a used GW--7900B and a couple of weeks after the battery died, I put it in a window with a good amount of light for a week and it never came up, so I decided to replace the battery, on aliexpress. I found a good one, not that expensive and now it works perfectly, maybe the previous owner didn't take proper care of the battery.
I have a watch case and charge my Citizens, Casio, etc. under an LED desk lamp about once a week. Seems to work well.
I agree with your tips & tricks!
Since 2023 I am happy owner of Casio GW5000U and I use "power safe" function to prolong battery live even more. The rest is the same you mentioned: I am keeping watch close to window with plenty of natural Sunlight...
I also have Casio AL190 model with capacitor inside (instead of classical battery, same exact model you have) and it is still running perfectly fine after so many years.
Hmm., I have only 2 Solar Casios each of which I wear once in a few weeks.
I’m keeping these stored in Watch box and keeping them for charge by the side of window every Sunday. Maybe I’ll keep them in my living room showcase from now on !
Best advice for solar watches. I killed 2 Ecodrives for doing that thing of putting them away for months on boxes.
Now I keep my 2 G-Shock solar watches near a window everyday. Best regards
Interesting DOD stuff. All of my quartz watches are solar powered, with no problems to report. The oldest is an Ecodrive from 2004. I keep them in a glass topped watch box.
Super useful information. It would be nice if manufacturers continued using capacitors that can last almost forever.
What about solar watches that go into sleep mode? I’ve stored them for months without any harm. When they are exposed to light, the display comes on and functions normally. The reserve indicator shows 3/4 charge.
Hm, not sure the UV rays won't harm the plastic over the duration of 20+ years. I have a G-shock that seems dicontinued and it
has a 10 year battery. At least that's the claim on the display. Thing is, it runs on it's first battery for 17(!) years now.
But i had to replace the outer plastic housing (around the actual watch) as it did crack after years of exposure to chemicals and sunlight. (chemicals like suncreme and chlorined water in swimming pools.)
But the battery, as mentioned is still the same. And for the last couple of years it lives in almost complete darkness and i use it as my alarm clock mostly. So a solar watch can't replace it ;-) As it would be deeply discharged that way.
Mine stay on window ledges. It’s more than they need but not enough to suffer UV damage.
What I wish is that all the Casio LCDs would put the display to sleep when not moved after a while (make it an option, not everyone would want that.)
Thanks a million for this important information ! Now I will keep them out of my drawer , always ! 👍🏻👍🏻
Hi, I recently got a Gshock steel series solar and its in M since. How long does it need to be exposed to the Sun for it go H or are there any drawbacks if left near the window for long durations?
Great info, thanks. Luv my solars, my eco-drive is close to 30 yrs old. I also have the same model of G-Shock as in your vid.
Thank you for this important tip!♥
I keep my automatic watches exposed to direct sunlight and my solar watches in watch winders, rotating the living hell out of them. This way they learn to have respect for each other!
Good tip,only have one solar gshock
Interesting thanks 👍. I bought a £50 Citizen eco-drive about 20 years ago and my daughter still wears it, never left in the dark, but then why would anyone store a solar watch in the dark?
That's what I did. Always kept charged. Never keep in drawer or dark places. Always put near window when not in use. Battery last around 3 years. Longest is 4 years. Never more than that.
Thanks for the advice
I appreciate this video. I have 4 Casios that are solar. I am 54 so it would be great if they last for the rest of my life. Hopefully I outlive the solar batteries. 😂
I really do hope you outlive Bryan Johnson & Dave Pascoe..& your Casios.
Lithium is the same kind of battery used with phones, and the same rules apply. Lithium batteries don't like too be too discharged, but not too overcharged either. So, the best way to extend their life, is too keep them somewhere in the middle. On my phone, I try not to let it discharge to less than 35 percent, but I also never fully charge it beyond 75 percent except every now and again.
BS
@@whereRbearsTeeth It's not BS. I have some Lenovo laptops which literally allow you to set an option where the laptop will not allow its battery to be charged beyond 80%, unless you override it or disable that feature. The reason stated for that feature is specifically to prolong the service life of the lithium battery.
New MacBook Pros also do this automatically. If you regularly use a MacBook Pro always plugged into power, it will eventually cap the charge (also to 80% from memory) and show you a message why and give you the option to fully charge, for the same reason.
Hello... do you have a video on how to remove links from a Tag Heuer steel bracelet ?
Thx Joe
Something about the fact that watches with a solar panel can light up is just hilarious to me. Like a dog that chases it's own tail. Simply perfectly settling.
There are watches like the GW-7900 that I would like to buy new from e.g. amazon but the model has been discontinued for some time. So I am a little afraid they might be broken in their original box by now.
what kind of light is the best for charging solar watches(beside sunlight)?
Thanks for this video!
I did not know that about the difference! Thank you!
Amazing how we went from the pure function feature of not needing to charge your watch to watches that require almost daily charge up.
Always wondered about this. Thanks!
Thanks for telling the secret at the beginning. Now I know that I have to keep my eco drive charged and it was in the dark mostly before.
Bought a couple of 24 piece watchcases, with a 'glass' top to store all my watches. Solar powered or not.
Bonus: I can enjoy the view of my collection as I walk past it.
5:14 Hey, don’t forget about Momentum! ☝️😅
I picked up a nice, inexpensive wooden watch box with a window specifically for my solar watches. Only $15-$25 on Amazon. 😊
Thank you sensei
Thanks!
I use the moon mode of a flashlight as i have too many spiders at the windows. The 26650 battery lasts about 1.5 month 😊
Ty for the information
Sir thanks for the info.,,, from now on I always watch your video.,,,, thanks a lot
I need to go and check my solar watches that I don't wear often.
Glass topped watch box. Boom. 😬
I am using prg 270 for 8 years and never had any battery issues. It stays under sleeve most of times during the day but not effected. Indicator shows high still.
Thanks for your very informative tutorial & looking forward to see more informative tutorials from you in the future Bye & TC
What about artificial light?
Thank you! Excellent informative video
Just got my first Gshock today, the 56bb model, and this video is definitely gonna help to get the most life out of my lil guy as possible, thanks! :)
Great video and reminder
Thanks for this!
Will the batteries leak out if not used?
Good quality ones won't, but if you buy cheap ones from Aliexpress where you get a bunch for a dollar, those can leak and destroy a watch
G1200BD still going great, later found out this model will hibernate if kept in dark
Thanks! Great tip
There is no smart watch in the world can beat these solar watches in terms of battery life!
Now I have 2 watch solar power.
Gwb5600 for me.
Question - you can keep a Tough Solar Casio in the dark for months without the battery level going down to medium. Is it OK as long as the battery doesn't go down to low?
You're still going deeper down the DOD than if you kept it at room lighting, so even though you probably won't experience issues, it will not last as the same watch stored to get enough light. Its simple chemistry of the battery
@@WatchGeek Amazing, thanks for the clarification, and AWESOME content.
What about powersave feature?
What about it? It helps to save power, so it prolongs life of the battery.
Also don't put your watch in direct sunlight for long. Lithium batteries don't like heat.
Out of my 10 or so solar watches, 3 have died eventhough these are usually exposed to light.
Thanks for this information.
Wish I knew this. My expensive solar watch died.
You can change the battery. I don't know why he neglected to say that.
What are your thoughts on artificial light chargers?
Unnecessary and kind of destroy the point of harnessing free energy form the sun. If you live in the far north and have polar nights, than ok, but otherwise, they don't make much sense. I actually made a video comparison of daylight vs. Artificial light as a Seiko I used to own had a charging level indicator. I'll post a link: ua-cam.com/video/gpAC0q4LmSQ/v-deo.htmlsi=v_krLvXbxET4alrX
Tq bro
I’ve had nothing but bad luck with solar powered watches,I don’t rate them, based on my experience and $100 to replace a lithium battery,if I knew then ….
Here I am with 2 watches in the box..😱
Why have any watch and why have one that has solar cells that are just as bad environmentally as the lithium cell?
Bottom line, it is a pain in the ass. I have two and they stay on low - medium battery. Always crying for more light.
If you have just one and wear it daily outside it might work. But I do not really wear them (because I wear another watches) and room light looks like not enough. I would rather prefer 10 years battery, but they put solar only on most interesting pieces.
0:23 One like for this.
I keep mine in drawer but on PS mode so LCD display is turned off. After 6 months battery was still on high charge .
Haha. I have only 2 watches. And incidentally both of them are solar.
Comen sense
Bull . Lithium batteries are not damadged by full discharge then full recharge . Sometimes they need a full discharge .
👍✌️🙏
I also like MaMaCoo replicas. People who don’t wear them like professionals can’t tell the difference. Their workmanship is really great luxuriatey
I'm genuinely impressed with how close MAMACOO were able to replicate every aspect of this very very goofy looking classic watch.