The first kinetic watch was first created by Seiko way back in 1986. In the early days, Seiko initially called these watches automatic quartz but switched to calling them kinetic watch later on.
If you are not aware of kinetic watches then they are one of the best zero maintenance timepieces that you can buy right now. These watches feature an inbuilt mechanical pendulum that oscillates because of the wearer’s movement. This movement produces energy that gets stored in the inbuilt battery or capacitor present inside the watch.
That’s why kinetic watches are considered one of the best kinds of watches you can buy. They are preferred by all the watch enthusiasts or people like you who have fine taste when it comes to their watches.
For refined watch users like you have listed the 7 best kinetic watches that you can buy. All you have gotta do now is decide which kinetic watch suits you the best.
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Best Seiko Kinetic Watch Comparison Table
IMAGE | PRODUCT | SPECIFICATIONS | VIEW ON AMAZON |
Best Overall  | Seiko Black Ion SUN045 |
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Best Kinetic Watch For Men  | Seiko Stainless Steel Analogue Kinetic watch |
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Best Looking Kinetic Watch  | Seiko Velatura |
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Best Kinetic Watch For Diving  | Seiko Special Edition PADI Kinetic Watch |
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List Of Best Kinetic Watches
1. Seiko Kinetic SRN051P1
Seiko is a well-known Japanese brand that is known for its gorgeous timepieces. This is a perfect kinetic watch for men as not only is this a perfect dress watch but also perfect for casual occasions. The watch has a black calfskin leather strap that gives the watch its alluring looks.
Since it’s a kinetic watch you don’t have to worry about changing the battery for a very long time. The watch will charge the battery using the wearer’s hand movement, all you have to is just wear the watch. You can also keep track of battery reserve by pressing the button present at the 2 o clock position of the watch. If you press the button and the hand moves forward by 30 sec then it means you have power left for 6 months.
Talking about the build of the watch, it sports a 42mm watch face which is protected by a curved hardlex glass. This glass is developed by Seiko and is much stronger than regular mineral glasses. In fact, it is 2nd strongest glass that is used in watches after sapphire. The watch is only 13.4 mm thick and the case of the watch is made of stainless steel.
The watch also features a day sub-dial which can help you keep track of the day. Moreover, it also features a date window at 3 o clock position that displays the date. And all these features are powered by the user’s wrist movements.
What makes it one of the best kinetic watches is that it also water-resistant up to 100m. But we won’t recommend you expose the watch to water again and again as moisture can harm the texture of the leather strap.
2. Seiko Le Grand Sport
The second kinetic watch on our list is Seiko Le Grand Sport. We know this is a gorgeous-looking watch but it even more elegant looking in real life than in pictures. The watch gets its gorgeous looks from stainless steel strap with a silver finish and the black watch dial that complements its dazzling looks.
No one wants their premium watch to be opened again and again for battery replacement. That’s why most watch enthusiasts prefer kinetic or solar watches. This is a kinetic watch so you won’t have to change the battery on the watch for a very long time. The kinetic watch does require battery replacement but after a very long time as the battery stops holding the charge after a certain period of time.
You can also track the battery available on the watch by pressing the button available at the 2 o clock position of the watch. If you will press that button and second-hand moves 5 seconds forward the watch has a 1-day battery left, however, if it moves 30 seconds forward then it has 6 months’ worth of battery left. It also features a date window located between 4 and 5 0 clock position of the dial.
The watch has a 41mm watch face and the case of the watch is 11mm thick. The watch face is protected by the hardlex glass and the entire case of the watch is made of stainless steel. It also has a transparent screw-down caseback that allows you to see the internal gears of the watch like a skeleton watch.
The watch hands have a luminous coating that makes the hand glow in low light or dark environments. Watch hands are so bright that you will have absolutely no problem reading the time in the dark.
This can be a perfect dress and casual watch if you won’t mind the weight of the watch. The stainless steel strap and tank-like build quality ensure that watches are not easy to break. Moreover, you won’t have to avoid water as it is also water-resistant up to 100m.
3. Seiko Kinetic Leather Watch
It’s no secret when it comes to the look and feel of the watch Seiko makes some of the best-looking watches. And you won’t even have to spend thousands of dollars on this exquisite watch. This watch will be a perfect Seiko dress watch for men as it features a cream-colored dial.
Unlike the previous watch with stainless steel strap, it features an 18mm black leather strap which makes it extremely lightweight. It’s not just any leather it is black calfskin leather, this type of leather is known for its softness and beautiful patterns on the strap.
Since it’s a kinetic watch it powered by the user’s movements and hence doesn’t require battery replacement like other watches. The watch has a mechanical pendulum that produces energy that charges the battery on the watch. What makes this watch special is that it features a transparent case back so you can observe the beautiful movement of the pendulum.
Furthermore, the watch dial is protected by a hardlex glass which is the strongest glass after sapphire.
Talking about the build and design of the watch, it has rose color watch hands and marking. The entire watch case is 42mm in diameter and only 14mm thick. It is also a waterproof watch that survives pressure up to 10 bar, in simple words water-resistant up to 100m.
Like all the Seiko watches it also comes with a dedicated button to check battery level which is located at the 2 o clock position. If you will press the button then the watch will use the second hand to tell you about the battery level.
Overall, we would say while the watch might not be a Rolex but is definitely not a slouch either, in fact, it is one of the best kinetic watches that will fit right in with all your polo shirts and dresses. So do give this watch a look and see if it fits your style.
Note: Amazon listing mentions that watch has a sapphire glass but it actually uses hardlex glass for watch face protection.
4. Seiko Stainless Steel Analogue Kinetic watch
If you want a watch that can survive any conditions and doesn’t succumb to wear and tear then take a look at this one. It’s a men’s kinetic watch with stainless steel strap from Seiko. This is a premium-looking watch that will look with your tux, polo, or even casual outfits.
It is a kinetic watch so it stores energy generated from the movements of the wearer’s hands. The watch can keep energy reserve for up to 6 months in case you don’t feel like wearing the watch daily. You can even see the battery available on the watch by pressing the button available at 2 o clock position. It also sports a transparent back case that lets you observe the inner movement of the self-winding gear that powers the watch similar to skeleton watches.
The watch features a date window and a separate sub-dial that display the day using a small hand. The diameter of the watch case is 42mm and it also uses a 22mm stainless steel strap. This kinetic watch is also water-resistant up to 100m so going in the water is no big deal for the watch.
An all-metal body along with water resistance capabilities makes this a pretty solid and durable kinetic watch. Furthermore, the watch uses hardlex glass for the protection of the watch face. It gets better as the watch also comes with a 1-year international warranty so you will have peace of mind for your investment.
In conclusion, we would say everyone has a different definition of the best kinetic watch, some prefer old school analog watch with stainless steel straps others not so much. If you are one of those who prefer a bracelet watch then give this watch a look.
5. Seiko Velatura
The problem with wearing most stainless steel watches is that it compromises comfortability for the user. Most stainless steel watches are just too bulky for most people. If you are one of those then Seiko Velatura men’s kinetic watch is definitely made for you. It is a lightweight watch weighing just 2.26 ounces.
Besides its weight, the watch sports an alluring black pattern on the watch dial and is accompanied by silver watch hands and markers. Furthermore, both watch hands and dials have a luminous coating on them giving you watch readability even in pitch-black darkness. It has also two dedicated sub-dial for day and date. And, the watch face is protected by the second strongest glass available after diamond which is sapphire.
The watch is powered by Seiko’s Direct Drive Technology. Not only the watch can be charged using the movements of the user but it can also be charged manually. To manually charge the watch just wind the crown and it will start generating power for the watch. So if you don’t want to wear the watch 24*7 then you can manually wind the watch every once in a while. It gets better as it has a dedicated sub-dial that indicates battery available on the watch so you can monitor in real-time the battery available on the watch.
Seiko Velatura has a black polyurethane strap that is extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear. Moreover, this kinetic watch is water-resistant up to 100m therefore it won’t require much aftercare.
To sum up, if budget is not an issue for you then this will be a great kinetic watch that will be perfect for every occasion or for your watch collection.
6. Seiko Black Ion SUN045
The next watch one on our list is Seiko Black Ion SUN045. This watch takes its design inspiration from Prospex Kinetic GMT Diver’s watch and features an iconic tuna case found in Seiko watches. This watch is a 50th-anniversary edition watch from Seiko and as you can see they have poured their heart and soul into the watch.
Design isn’t the only thing going on for this watch, if you are looking for a kinetic watch that ensures you will never have to worry about water again then this the watch for you. Seiko Black Ion is waterproof up to 200m meaning not only you can swim but also go diving with the watch.
The watch sports a 47.6mm watch case that is 16.4mm thick. Moreover, you can also read the time on the watch in dark or underwater as it comes with a luminous coating on the watch hands and markings. If you like diving then you can easily track how many minutes you have spent underwater using rotating bezels available on the watch dial.
Furthermore, the watch face is protected by sapphire glass that ensures the longevity of the watch. The sapphire glass also comes with an anti-reflective coating that ensures you can read the time even under direct sunlight.
This gets even better as the watch is powered by the wearer’s movement of the hands as it is a kinetic watch. Also, it can store the charge generated by you into the watch’s battery and it can hold battery reserve for up to 6 months. Like all the Seiko watches this watch also comes with a dedicated button to check the watch’s battery level.
What makes this the best kinetic watch is that unlike other watches on the list that are assembled or made somewhere else, this watch is made in Japan. For its premium price, you will get a good quality watch with excellent workmanship.
7. Seiko Special Edition PADI Kinetic Watch
This watch is tailor-made for divers, Seiko launched this watch to celebrate its partnership with PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors).
Diving watches are known for their waterproofing capabilities that’s why this watch comes with water resistance up to 200m. But, when the battery of the dive watch runs out you have to take it to the jewelry store for battery replacement. Improperly sealed watch or mishandling of delicate watch gears can ruin your expensive watch. But you won’t have to worry about that as this is a kinetic watch that is powered by your movements. Moreover, the watch can store energy reserve for up to 6 months so you don’t necessarily have to wear the watch 24*7.
To check the available battery on the watch simply press the button available at the 2 o clock position of the watch. The watch also features a dedicated date window between 4 and 5 o clock position.
Furthermore, if you are a pilot or someone who has to travel overseas then this watch comes with a GMT function. It basically means that watch has two-hour hands which allows you to track the time of both your hometown and travel destination. Besides that, it also comes with a dedicated date window. Furthermore, you can also read the time on the watch in the dark as it has a luminous coating on the watch hands and markers.
The watch dial is protected by sapphire glass which is the strongest glass after diamond so the watch can survive hits and bumps easily. Sapphire glass also has an anti-reflective coating that ensures sunlight’s glare doesn’t affect the watch’s readability. It gets better as the watch also sports a robust resin strap that is lightweight as well as extremely durable at the same time.
This kinetic watch’s iconic tuna case design will definitely bring you some compliments and the watch’s 2-year warranty will ensure that you continue getting compliments for a long time. Overall this a great kinetic watch for men and it’s lightweight unlike bracelet watches hence also perfect for prolonged use.
Buying Guide For Best Kinetic Watch
1. Battery Reserve
When you wear a kinetic watch it stores energy generated by your movements into the internal battery of the watch. And, the watch is powered by that internal battery. Some watches can even store battery reserve for up to 6 months.
Meaning, kinetic watches can run for up to 6 months even if they’re not worn by the user. Unless you plan to wear to watch 24*7 get a watch with good battery reserve. Otherwise, you might face a situation where your watch is not ready to go when you need it the most.
2. Warranty
Kinetic watches tend to be more expensive than regular watches so you must protect your investment. Also, they tend to have more moving parts than a regular quartz watch. That’s why we recommend buying kinetic watches from good and reliable brands only. Do check that the watch you have selected at least comes with a one-year warranty.
3. Style Of The Watch
No two person are the same and it can also be said about their style and preference. Some prefer old school watch with a leather strap while others not so much. That’s why there are several kinds of watches available for everyone like sports watches, solar watches, bracelet watch and so on.
Therefore buy a watch that matches your personality and also speaks your style.
4. Water Resistance
Not every watch is a diving watch therefore you need to be careful with watches that don’t offer any water resistance capabilities. Some offer only 20 or 30m of waterproofing which means sometimes that watch is splash-proof at best. Dress watches usually have a lower level of water resistance and also require aftercare to increase the life of the watch.
5. Extra features
Some watches come with features like rotating bezels which is especially useful for divers. It allows divers to see how long they were underwater no matter where the minute hand is pointing at any given point of time. Another important tool is GMT which allows you to track the time of two locations at once. It can be useful for pilots who want to track the time of the destination country.
The list goes on and on so before you make a final decision make sure the watch has all the features you need.
FAQs
Are Kinetic Watches Good?
Yes, Kinetic watches are powered by the wearer movements therefore these watches don't need battery replacement as often as other watches. Moreover, they are also far more accurate than mechanical and automatic watches.
How Long Does Kinetic Watch Last?
A single full charge kinetic watch can last up to 6 months without the requirement to be worn again by the user. However, this capacity might vary depending on the watch selected by you.
How Long Does A Seiko Capacitor Last?
Seiko capacitor can last up to 10-15 years. To increase the longevity of the capacitor ensure that you don't leave your watch completely discharged.
Do Kinetic Watches Need Servicing?
No, the kinetic watches don't need any servicing. The entire point of a kinetic watch is that you have a watch that doesn't require you to make periodic trips to the jewelry store.
Are Kinetic Watches Better Than Automatic?
Kinetic watches tend to be more accurate than automatic watches as they have an internal power reserve whereas automatic watches can stop working after 2-3 days.
