IndependentsFeb 06, 2025
106-Year-Old Jewelry Store Saved by New OwnersTwo attorneys purchased Windsor Jewelry, which was set to close, and will retain all existing staff at the downtown Indianapolis store.
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
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
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
MajorsFeb 06, 2025
Oscar Heyman Employee Celebrates 60 Years With the Company Adam Heyman joined the family business in 1965, just weeks after graduating from Columbia Business School.
CollectionsFeb 06, 2025
De Beers Jewellers’ New High Jewelry Pays Homage to the Beauty of TreesThe “Essence of Nature, Chapter One” collection echoes trees and roots, literally and figuratively, through three sets of high jewelry.
Brought to you by
3 Ways to Capitalize on America’s Newfound Love of Colored GemsColored stones are stepping into a jewelry spotlight typically reserved for diamonds—are you ready to sell color?
IndependentsFeb 06, 2025
Hamilton Jewelers Revamps Palm Beach BoutiqueThe fourth-generation, family-owned jeweler has given its Worth Avenue store a new look.
Weekly QuizJan 30, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CrimeFeb 05, 2025
‘The Timepiece Gentleman’ Sentenced to 5-Plus Years Behind Bars Luxury watch dealer Anthony Farrer pleaded guilty late last year to defrauding clients in a scheme with Ponzi-type elements.
FinancialsFeb 05, 2025
Pandora Posts Double-Digit Growth After Strong Holiday SeasonIn its full-year results, the retailer shared its 2025 outlook and an update on the global rollout of its lab-grown diamond collection.
Brought to you by
3 New Year’s Resolutions for Jewelry Lovers The new year feels like a clean slate, inspiring reflection, hope, and the motivation to become better versions of ourselves.
TrendsFeb 05, 2025
Amanda’s Style File: Feeling Fabulous in FebruaryCelebrate February birthstones and the gem shows in Arizona this month with a versatile stone like amethyst.
MajorsFeb 05, 2025
DCA Promotes Kristen Scheetz to Director of Education, MembershipScheetz has been with the nonprofit since 2007.
SourcingFeb 04, 2025
New Deal With Botswana Is Done, De Beers Confirms The agreement will allocate an increasing proportion of the country’s rough diamonds to the government of Botswana over the next decade.
Events & AwardsFeb 04, 2025
Van Cleef & Arpels’ Astronomy-Inspired Jewelry to Land at AMNH“Cosmic Splendor: Jewelry From the Collections of Van Cleef & Arpels,” opens April 11 at the American Museum of Natural History.
SurveysFeb 04, 2025
Valentine’s Day Jewelry Spending Forecast to Hit Record High, Says NRFThose celebrating Valentine’s Day this year are expected to spend a record $27.5 billion on jewels, flowers, candy, and more.
EditorsFeb 03, 2025
Best Jewelry Moments From the 2025 Grammy Awards From Lady Gaga’s 1930s Tiffany & Co. necklace to Taylor Swift’s “T,” Michelle Graff recaps the night’s most memorable jewelry looks.
MajorsFeb 03, 2025
Qurate to Close HSN’s Florida HQ Amid RestructuringLayoffs will reportedly start next month as HSN plans to move into QVC’s location in Pennsylvania.
EditorsFeb 03, 2025
Q&A: 5 Jewelry Designers on Shopping the 2025 Tucson Gem ShowsA group of creatives talked to Associate Editor Lauren McLemore about their approach to the annual Tucson gem, mineral, and fossil shows.
AuctionsJan 31, 2025
Elizabeth Taylor’s Diamond Bracelet Outshines Estimate at U.K. AuctionThe auction also featured the sale of a Cartier necklace made when Egyptomania was sweeping Great Britain.
CollectionsJan 31, 2025
Piece of the Week: Lalaounis’ Good Luck Charm for 2025The “Blossom Rosette” blooms with love, beauty, and hope for the year ahead.
IndependentsJan 31, 2025
Harvey Rovinsky, Longtime Owner of Bernie Robbins Jewelers, Dies at 77Rovinsky is remembered as a great mentor who made the employees of his stores feel like family.
Events & AwardsJan 31, 2025
Facets of Fire Has a Diamond Challenge for RetailersFor every jeweler who tries their luck, the company will make a donation to Jewelers for Children.
MajorsJan 30, 2025
WJA Chapter Leaders Resign as Fallout From DEI Remarks SnowballsThe boards of at least five chapters have resigned in response to controversial statements the WJA national board president made last month.
Policies & IssuesJan 30, 2025
RJC Executive Director Melanie Grant Is Stepping Down An experienced jewelry writer and curator, Grant led the organization for two years.
CollectionsJan 30, 2025
Pharrell Williams Brings Tahitian Pearls to His New Tiffany & Co. CollectionFive new designs were added, all donning Tahitian cultured pearls and spear-like trident motifs, along with the new “Titan” setting.
Events & AwardsJan 30, 2025
Registration Open for Converge 2025The inaugural event is being co-hosted by the American Gem Society and the Gemological Institute of America.
MajorsJan 30, 2025
24 Karat Club of New York Elects 5 New MembersJewelers of America’s Annie Doresca and AGTA CEO John W. Ford Sr. are among the new members.
CollectionsJan 29, 2025
Boucheron’s High Jewelry Takes the Form of ‘Untamed Nature’The jeweler’s latest high jewelry collection looks into the Boucheron archives to create a “living encyclopedia of high jewelry.”
FinancialsJan 29, 2025
LVMH Watch, Jewelry Sales End the Year DownWatch and jewelry sales slipped 3 percent in 2024, though the luxury conglomerate did see business pick up in the fourth quarter.
