When it comes to Seiko, the story is pretty much the same, except the placing of solar cells. Today, Eco-Drive employs solar cells behind and around dial (image above), to make charging super-quick. Citizen’s Eco-Drive was created with exactly the same idea in mind – to create energy even from the dim light and yet enable the watch to run for months without charging. Truth to be told, not all light sources will charge the watch the same and sunlight is still a king, but just the idea that your watch will be powered while there is some - or any light is super convenient. In fact, over time, the solar technology itself has evolved so much that modern solar watches can now be powered by artificial light. Undoubtedly, both Citizen Eco-Drive and Seiko Solar have evolved during the decades. In conclusion, Citizen is more of a commercial watch brand and even if Seiko isn't particularly a luxury brand, it is still highly respected because of their focus on in-house, devoted production. On the other side, Seiko Solar line also improved over time, but its exquisite craftsmanship kept it reserved only for direct or sales through authorized dealers. The Eco-Drive was Citizen''s 1990's breakthrough that placed the solar cells behind the dial, which put Citizen on a wide commercial market. Citizen did so in 1976, to be exact, while Seiko did it a year later. To start doing it, we have to start from the beginning of the solar watch era, by reminding you that both Citizen and Seiko introduced their solar watches in the 1970's. But if the coin has to fall on one side, then let's examine what makes each of them so popular. On the other hand, these two companies have somewhat different target groups. The first thing that comes to my mind is that this is a super-tough decision, as both Citizen Eco-Drive and Seiko Solar have their piece of charm and deliver similar results in terms of performance. Deciding which one is more worth your wrist is not only a tough decision it also has more to do with fear of missing out, since, by now, both brands have hit a high-quality scale when it comes to their timepieces. When you try to compare watches from Citizen Eco-Drive and Seiko Solar lines, you get a feeling as if you need to compare their parent brands, Citizen and Seiko, as these two sub-brands are their worthy representatives. And when you dig into the solar powered time-tellers, two lines stand out as the most popular: One from Citizen, their famous Eco-Drive, and other from Seiko, their Solar line. Left - Citizen E168 caliber (Eco-drive movement), right - Seiko V157 caliber (Solar movement)Īs we sail in times when it's necessary for us to become more aware of our environment, it seems that solar powered watches' time is just coming up.
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