# Seiko "Springdrive"



## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

I've been looking around to try and figure out how this works.










Anyone with an insight into this care to explain the principle.










Seiko call it Springdrive


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## Foggy (Feb 25, 2003)

Here's a link with a little information, although unfortunately it doesn't go into much technical detail.

http://www.seikowatches.com/basel2002/springdrive.html

Cheers

Foggy


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## DavidH (Feb 24, 2003)

Here is how it works

The movement is hand wound

It does not use a jewelled escapement (the bit that ticks)

Instead it uses an electric powered magnetic brake to control the unwinding of the mainspring and also , therefore,the turning of the hands.

The electric brake rate is controlled by the circut on the microchip.

The circut is powered by the brake. Essentially the brake is the same component as the generator rotor in a kinetic watch and its turning through the coil armatures generates sufficient electricity to power the circut.

Do you know if you can buy these yet

David


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

Yes they are available now. I have only seen them advertised on Japanese sites but I did see one for sale in Selfridges, or was it John Lewis, in Oxford St. London.

The one's I have seen are hideously expensive.

Hats off to Seiko for yet another wonderfully clever, though totally un necessary, technological feat


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

I do not really see the point in this system. I would sooner have a bettery quartz than have to hand wind it, maybe I'm getting lazy in my old age.


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## mat (Feb 25, 2003)

does this all mean that the second hand sweeps perfectly smoothly?







i guess that alone is quite novel for a quartz watch


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## DavidH (Feb 24, 2003)

Good point, especially now that there are many watches with a 10 year battery life.

A novelty, yes, and a good way to waste money.

Also the unknown factor, do they break down. And if so, dear knows where and how much to get it fixed.

I think we should just stick with what we know.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Mat , there are several quartz movements that now have sweeping seconds hands. Some eta chrono movements have sweeping chrono hands. The Zepplin and Junkers use some of these.


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

Well yes and no David.

Simply sticking to what we know is often what slows the wheels of progress.

I think we have to embrace new technologies and innovations but only as long as they provide sollutions to problems and thus move us on.

I think inventions like these are designed to please those easily blinded by science and who love technology for it's own sake, without even questioning it's relevance.

I think it's fine to buy a watch like this provided you accept it for what it is. In this case Seiko demonstrating how clever they are, not that they need to.


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## Paul (Mar 2, 2003)

Andy said:


> I think inventions like these are designed to please those easily blinded by science and who love technology for it's own sake, without even questioning it's relevance.


 You've hit me right on the head, or should that be the nail?









Just think, there is a Japanese fellow sat in a little workshop somewhere in the Orient. Firstly he has to have the idea :- " lets build a little clockwork generator that can produce electricity, but to drive it we'll just use the power of a mainspring" then what can we do with that electricity, not drive a quartz watch no "lets use it to control the output of the mainspring so that it can provide a reference signal to control its own output" then after a rest "let it also drive the movement and let it be accurate to + - 15sec a month"

Then he goes away and does it ! It is relevent to itself. If you was to ask why he did it, he would say "because I could".

It's a stunning piece of machinery and the applications of the technology will be with us for years. Not only that it is a wonderful looking piece of machinery.

But then I'm easily impressed. Waterwheels, steam engines, Archimedes screw, canals, weaving looms, drop hammers (forges) all fill me with varying degrees of awe.









All the best

Paul


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

Paul said:


> It's a stunning piece of machinery and the applications of the technology will be with us for years. Not only that it is a wonderful looking piece of machinery.


Paul please explain how the "applications of this technology will be with us for years"









Also could you enlighten me as to how this technology improves over quartz. Indeed if as I suspect, it does not what is it's relevance. How can it's technology be compared to innovations such as the one's you have mentioned. Do you believe designs such as these are the future of watchmaking.

Finally Paul have you bought one. If not do you intend to and if not why not.


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## Paul (Mar 2, 2003)

Andy said:


> Paul please explain how the "applications of this technology will be with us for years"


 Miniaturisation and low power chips :- think of medical applications alone. ( I would if i could, but i'm not that japanese man in a workshop







)



> Also could you enlighten me as to how this technology improves over quartz. Indeed if as I suspect, it does not


You're almost certainly right but is it trying to?



> How can it's technology be compared to innovations such as the one's you have mentioned.


We should ask the question in 5years



> Do you believe designs such as these are the future of watchmaking.


No more than quartz, tuning fork, electric, they just add variety.



> Finally Paul have you bought one. If not do you intend to and if not why not.


I'd love to buy one of these, also one of those early quartz where you shook your arm for the time, a speedmaster, that deck chrongraph in a previous post, that nice Garrard pocket watch, an early Morgan V8, a Sunseeker 42, a Learjet. However with my budget it might be a Hop-along-Cassidy Timex









All the best

Paul... ... making church mice seem rich. Goodness even my servants are poor.


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

My point is that the really great innovations, like the one's you mentioned earlier, are the one's that provide engineering, and/or technological sollutions to PROBLEMS with existing designs and ultimately IMPROVE on them.

If they do not do this they become self indulgent, (on behalf of the maker) and irrelevant. Gimmicks in other words. You argument, whilst certainly articulate, does not convince me of the relevance of this new invention.

You cannot answer the main question as to how this invention IMPROVES over quartz or indeed mechanical technology with the possible exception of accuracy. If it cannot do this what is the point.

I think the future of watch improvement lies with battery technology. There is also a new mechanical invention that Roy spoke about a while back. A mechanical watch that winds itself through variations in temperature.

Now that really is exciting


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## Owen (Mar 14, 2003)

At the moment I dare say that this is no more than an interesting idea, but now suppose that Seiko were to add a conventional automatic winder their "Springdrive".









You would then have a battery/capacitor free watch with quartz accuracy!









It will be interesting to see whether this idea takes off.


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## Softiesteve (Feb 23, 2003)

Hi,

Take a look here, another mechanical quartz watch with a link to a pdf file giving full explanation. It semms to be the way ahead  ??

http://www.asulab.ch/en/montres_en.html

Steve


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## Paul (Mar 2, 2003)

Another stunning piece of work. Seems daft but i got a tingle up my back from reading







. Just hoping the price will be reasoanable. I have a tuning fork watch and it's nice to hear the "hum" shame this one will be silent.

All the best

Paul


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Is'nt technology great ?


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## Paul (Mar 2, 2003)

@ Roy - The judicious use of the question mark speaks volumes


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Yes it does,

If only they could make a watch that would please a woman as much as they do men.

Now theres an idea  No the batteries would weigh too much.


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## tradescant (Apr 13, 2003)

Hi,

First time post having just found RLT Watches. DavidH asked earlier if the springdrive is availble. I've just returned from New York and saw the springdrive in Tourneau. They claimed they had Number 1 of a Limited Edition of 50 and it could be mine for the only $9995:00. I passed on their offer.

Regards,

David.

ps: So good to find a UK operation that sells and discusses Japanese watches. Perhaps now I can get a Black Monster without worrying about customs/import charges!


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Welcome david, I hope you enjoy it here,

PS I will have some Orange Monsters this week..................


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

I'd like to see this technology adapted to the mobile phone industry. I have a wonderful phone that I love, but it only has a 3 hour talk time. If you go away for the weekend and have no oportunity to recharge you can get in trouble. If the phone had a little crown I could wind to provide power to the phone problem solved. Evolution has tought us that the more novel solutions you come up with to solve the same problem the better off you are. They may be unnessary, but I like the idea. Based on the price however I won't be buying one anytime soon.


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