If I remember, Citizen state a loss of just 20% after 20 years which equates to just 1% loss per year which is damn good. Means a Citizen watch could outlive the owner.
I used this watch at my previous job out in the field. Sad to say I kind of lost touch with it, but just found it again. Has probably been close to a year in the drawer. The screen was black, the hands were on the 12. Just clicked a button, the thing reset itself and is ticking bang on time as I'm writing this. Incredible watch actually. Didn't know it was solar powered, thanks for the video. Will be wearing it more!
I've found the few Casio solar charged watches that I have, have easily stay charged well past six months in a drawer. Most if not all have a power save modes where the watch conserves battery charge when the watch is not disturbed for a certain length of time. That's both digital and analog hands styles of watch.
Some Casio watches can last years without any sunlight. They all have a nifty feature called Power Saving, which will turn the display off after a while in darkness after a certain time and stay that way. Then if it still has not received any sunlight for a week, it'll stop the movement as well - So even more power saving mode. Also most Casio solars have features to extend the battery life if it drops down to a certain level, such as disabling backlight, alarms and radio reception. In total there are 5 different modes that these watches can use when it comes to battery life, and it's automatically selected by the watch depending on battery voltage. You actually have to work really hard to get one of these things to run out of juice (or forget it in a drawer for a few years) :p
Some watches use rechargeable lithium batteries and some use super capacitors. These components are quite different in the way they internally store energy. While the capacity of the batteries definitely reduces over the years and charge cycles they have much greater capacity (energy storage) than super capacitors. However super capacitors should have a longer lifetime. I just replaced a CTL1616 rechargeable lithium battery in a 15 year old Casio Tough Solar WVQ-500. It was still working but would no longer charge to full on the indicator and would not operate as long as it used to, so I replaced the battery with a proper replacement and it is working like new again.
Good video! When I was a child (80's) I bought a Solar Casio AL-180, but I lost it. In 2007 I bought another on Ebay from a New Old Stock and it's still working with the original battery.
I am huge fan of tough solar technology!! I have a casio protrek tough solar and it's been 4 years and it's working perfectly not like other watches where you have to change the battery every now and then
@@maximus3233 The battery can be replaced just fine, however it might not be dead at all. Give it some sunlight and *usually* solar watches come back to life. Not all of them of course. Also as Greg mentions in the video, if you do it yourself, make sure the seal is in good condition and properly inserted. Otherwise you're looking at a G-Shock that cannot come in contact with water or skin.
You had me at 0.7734 ;) I once put my solar watches in full sun, but noticed there were very hot after 10 mins. Now, I only charge them in indirect light in a window sill.
Speaking for the longevity of the rechargeable batteries/capacitors, I have a Lotus kinetic watch that has been running reliably for the best part of 30 years.
I have a G-Shock GW-002E-1VER for about 12 years now. I had to change the battery after like 10 years because it wouldn't charge fully anymore. It cost about € 20,-- including pressure test. It was done by a local watch repair service.
My oldest Tough Solar is an 11 years old Casio GW9200 (Riseman). It has a few scuffs, but works like new. I just got a Casio Lineage (also Tough Solar) for the office.
How come this is the first tine I’ve ever seen your videos? Excellent presentation. Got a new sub. Seriously, all the years I’ve been looking at watches and watch reviews on TH-cam and I’ve never come across your channel. SMH. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your videos
my oldest Tough Solar ProTrek PRG-50T-7V finally got a new rechargeable battery last year. if memory serves me correctly, the early version PRG-50 came with bad cells. however, the OEM battery held up for me for approximately 6 years. I got her working again last year after using the same TH-cam video linked in this videos description. let's just say that I only use the Auto El feature when needed. 👍 Great video!
As stated, the cells are capacitors, not batteries. Batteries store energy in a chemical form, and capacitors store energy in an electrical field. Thanks for the video, I enjoyed it.
Thanks for the good info. By the way, if someone was for whatever reason to leave one of these watches in a drawer for six months, or even longer, put it on a well-lit window sill for a few hours before you buy a new battery. It will most likely come back to life.
Great channel, specially in regard to Casio watches. There used to be a gentleman on here TH-cam that did Casio watch reviews. I enjoyed watching them they were relaxing just like your videos. Unfortunately that gentleman became homeless I believe and sold almost all he's Casio collection. From time to time he used to make videos from Internet he got in public libraries, yet it's been a long time since he's been on hope he's ok and covid didn't get him. Anyways thanks for the Casio reviews, I enjoy them I have about 7 protreks 7 eco drives 3 gshocks solar and a smart protrek. Wich price came down from $500 three years ago to $149 now on amazon. Subscribed with both my accounts.
Good video, thanks. I have been wearing the G-Shock DW-H5600-2 for the last 26 days and did not know about the differences between "tough solar" and the normal Casio solar watches. And a huge bummer when I learned the DW-H5600 is not a tough solar watch. Yes, I subscribed for more information - thanks, Greg!
I have a solar Seiko SNE. On a motorcycle tour around Europe last year the watch spent a large part of the day covered up so consequently, it ran out of power a lot of times. I never realised how much exposure to daylight they required.
I have , Casio, citizen and seiko solar. You are correct the seiko does not hold charge nearly as long as the other two brands. My Casio’s and citizen’s can sit in a drawer for 6 months and still have medium battery charge left. Now I but seiko autos and leave the solar to the other guys.
Most tough solar Casio’s have a “sleep mode”, which takes effect when there is no light source for some time (usually hours), the watch just goes to “sleep”- all functions turns off yet it keeps keeping time (and date). And it “wakes up” and starts working almost immediately when you pick it up or when it senses a light source. That’s how it saves battery life and durability.
I had to replace my capacitor battery in my analogue Tough Solar Casio after 18 years of great service. I used that watch (and still use it) a lot, in the most harsh conditions. One month ago I noticed it wasn't keeping the display and time mode on, it was stuck in "low power state". Even after a day light charge, after one hour in the office it was gone. So ordered on eBay a new (correct) replacement battery, disposed of the old one and now it's all back on business. Before going constantly in "low power mode", for at least two years the charge level was never going further than "MID" level. So I'm guessing that's a sign when you need to go for a new battery.
i have a citizen,seiko,and 2 casio solar watches. when i first got them, i put them on my window sill for a full(sunny) day. then i just keep them on my dresser. all are working great.
Good video and enjoy someone so enthusiastic about a decent quartz.Off topic a bit but a retired jeweller friend of ours advises that Seiko solars are difficult to replace battery/capacitors on and reccomends straight quartz models? Cheers.Len,UK.
I have a number of solar watches and give them an outside charge each half year. A word of warning about birds I have had birds try to steal watches. I now slip the watches over the bar of an F-clamp and that seems to have worked. All the best.
I've got one of the caseo watch like yours. I had to replace the capacitor last year. Ctl 1616 capasater. The watch is 20 years old. It's not very difficult to replace the capacitor. There is a video on utube showing how to replace the capacitor. I replaced it just in time before corrosion damage the inner part. If u haven't replaced the capasater yet , I would suggest u did. And relube the case seal if the seal looks ok. Cleen the seal area with a cleen qtip dipped in alcohol and let dry.
I left my Casio tough solar watch (G5600E) in a box and forgot where I put it just over 2 years ago. I found it yesterday and the battery level read M. That's incredible. Everything seems to be working properly. I'm trying to get it to H now.
I wear all day. But outside i wear a coat. So my watch mostly charges on lamps or windows sun. Is that enough power to keep it going. Or do i need to put a lamp on it every few months?
I just bought a Casio GW-2310. Is there a way to know when my watch was made? Based on some other sites I looked at with serial numbers it looks like it was made in 2014 but that doesn't make any sense. 10 years old? Works fine but the battery is on Mid. My previous watch was the same type and battery was on high for many years but the band broke which why I replaced it. Can I expect the battery to eventually be on high after keeping it exposed to light?
I had one of those credit-card-size calculators in the mid 1980s and then, one day, when it was in my shirt pocket, I leaned against a railing to look down at something and I cracked it. Sigh.
@@GoodTimekeeper he has kept the calculator with good care and it still function perfectly to this date. He has the original carrying case and manual too.
Once the battery is out of power, or let's say the watch is kept in darkness for about 3-4 months, shall I keep the watch in direct sunlight? Is keeping the watch under direct sunlight on a regular basis can harm the battery due to overcharging? What is the best way to charge the solar powered batteries?
Last year I bought a new watch which arrived with a drained battery. I made a video about bringing it to life... th-cam.com/video/4StC6fKpIZs/w-d-xo.html (In case you were wondering, I store the watch in a case where it's exposed to normal light in my house. The watch it still running normally today.)
Most solor rechargeable watches have protection against overcharging. My Citizen ecodrive Skyhawk has protection against over charge. It's in the electronic circuit.
How do you charge the CTL1616 battery/capacitor without installing it on the Watch? The new battery comes from the factory with almost 0% power. I had my GMW-B5000TVB for almost One & a half years when it suddenly refused to fully charge. Changed to a new CTL1616, exposed it to the direct sunlight for approximately 4 hours, managed to do the settings and what not through my mobile phone. The charge level is still very low. As soon as it is indoor, I put it under a bright LED torch light. Even then, it couldn't hold its charge overnight. What could be the issue here? Any assistance would be very much appreciated, Thank you.
Maybe the most Interesting and detailed Casio chanal.Keep going this great Work 👌🏻Would be awesome to see customizing/Moding content for G-Shock's and casios
CTL1616 is Cobalt-Thorium-Lithium rechargeable battery. The original Seiko Kinetic line actually used a capacitor charged by a spinning generator, but the replacement was a lithium-ion battery (rechargeable). Maybe that's where the confusion comes in.
Casio has tough solar and Citizen has eco drive, both types use light source to recharge the battery, excellent invention for not having to change batteries in a quartz watch every three years. I keep all my solar watches near a window that gets plenty of diffused sunlight.
Citizen's manual states that the fully charged battery lasts for 8 months, so I just leave my watch on my desk for a few days. The watch will probably die from it's 40m water resistance before I change the battery.
Off topic - wondering if anyone can help me out on my Gravitymaster GPW1000-1A. It is the GPS model. I am unable to adjust the 24 hour hand to correct position. It is 12 hours off. My current and second time zones are correct, but can't get that 24 to cooperate. I have set the watch via GPS and it is still wrong. Any ideas? Thank you
The rechargeable battery in my Citizen Eco-Drive watch only lasted 4 years, and it's expensive to replace. I'd never buy another Citizen Eco-Drive watch.
I bought ab Eco Drive watch for my wife. After a couple of months it would only run in direct sunlight. All my Casio solar watches, along with battery powered ones as my Seikos, going back to the 1980s/90s to current; are all working perfectly today.
My GWX-8900 and my GR-8900A G-shocks still have the original CTL1616 battery in it since I bought them way back in 2014. Same with my GW-3000B analog which uses the smaller CTL920 battery which I got in used condition in 2015. If ever they run out of juice, I can order those rechargeables online though the CTL920 is a bit expensive than the CTL1616. But amazingly all three of my tough solars have stayed on high charge and I rotate them frequently.
Capacitor Casio were called battery less written on the dial but with lithium ion rechargeable battery became common all new Casio use rechargeable batteries.
I do have a question, do you think that for the solar batteries health it would be better to leave my watches on power save mode on or off? I store them in power save on and twice a month bring em out to the sun. However I'm not sure if I should leave on all day in the dark shelve to let batteries run down some seems it's always on high . In other words maybe let batteries drain some? So it's not always on full?
1-7-2023 hello I recently got the GWM5610u and I was wondering are there different levels of low medium high in regards to power .meaning can you be in medium ,go out in the sun then be on high but if you stayed out in the sun you would get higher. Hope that makes sense.
What does the 'Tough' mean in Tough Solar? I have one, an analog/digital combo and the hands are showing a time a few minutes different from the digital display, which is correct. Must have had a bash at some time. Not very tough.
Sometimes the hands may be affected by magnetism or other factors which might not seem related to the word “tough”. I don’t know what model of watch you have but here’s my video about fixing the hand alignment on some of my G-Shocks. th-cam.com/video/j4VOku_lM9o/w-d-xo.html
Wait. A watch cannot think! It is the manufacturer (person/s) who thinks! They designed the watch assuming the user will put in a correct battery type. Note to readers: The Casio calculator uses two way power, and the cell is alkaline usually, it may or may not charge.
Three ecodrives only one had to be replaced Capicitor and repair was 40 $. One I bought used and it hadn't been in the light much. Its second hand skipped two sec. to conserve what was left.
Fantastic vlog extremely interesting I love Casio g shock and will one day treat myself to a tough solar and now I know what battery to purchase if and when I need a new one keep up the great work best regards Mark from Billericay Essex U.K. 🇬🇧
It's definitely a rechargeable battery and almost *never* a capacitor. There are some "batteryless" Casios that actually have a capacitor and I believe they hold ~14 days charge at a time.
@@UsernameInvalidTHIS Nah, those are terrible watches without any backlight. I won't be going near them when Casio has better solar powered watches around.
@@traviswalker8933 Agree. I don't see any real advantage to the batteryless ones anyway. "Oh, no rechargeable cells to recycle?" -- someone probably. Well, one tiny button cell thrown out every ~20 years is hardly going to destroy the environment.
@@UsernameInvalidTHIS the battery less might have been good back in the 80s when solar powered watches were in their infancy but in this day and age, Casio should've improved them while reissuing them in the market.
In a draw it will go into sleep mode. It's not a problem. 12mths mine was in the dark and started up straight away... if you ever need to change the battery which you won't. Send it to Casio.
CTL1616 is expensive at 20usd and the non rechargeable CR1616 is only 6usd x 10 or (0.6usd a piece). This could be the reason some just use non rechargeable ones.
I am using a Casio WS200H Tough Solar Watch with a normal non rechargeable battery inside since in my country is impossible to get one CTL1616 and untill now my watch still working fine. I dont really know if some day battery get inflate or maybe explote but I checked it just yesterday and is in good shape.
Hi, should we need to keep solar watches separately under sun or light to recharge or will it recharge automatically on our hands from everyday lights around us..
I have no trouble keeping the watches charged when I leave them in areas with normal light. And if you wear your watch often in the open (not covered by sleeves or cuffs) it should stay charged without extra effort.
Thanks for very expertized review and informative content, and also thank to many useful comments from commentors, I just wonder about the solar powered recent days since I just replaced the battery yearly for my watch. Thanks for technology, then I will trust on solar powered and will buy one.
I had a solar watch. after one or two battery replacements, the battery is no longer available in the market. I had to replace the battery with a non rechargeable one, and it worked.
You only addressed the "Solar" portion of "Tough Solar"....does it meet the standard for shock resistance ? is it as tough as a G-Shock ? Kind of disappointed.
For over 8 years, I've owned a CASIO DB-E30 digital watch featuring a tough solar panel, which has been functioning flawlessly except for the illuminator. Whenever I attempt to use the light function, the display goes blank, and the time resets. Seeking a solution, I took it to an authorized local CASIO watch service center, where they identified the issue as a faulty capacitor. Unfortunately, they informed me that due to the model's outdated nature, the capacitor cannot be replaced.
could you please review the RED G-SHOCK Square on your right wrist? I've been thinking to get one but just not sure how will it look from couple of feet away. Thank you.
@@jamesbattista1466 I have the Casio STL-100H and it’s still going strong! It’s very very beat up from working, it’s been frozen, had hot oil splashed on it and it’s still going strong! The battery hasn’t gone down from the high charge state!
I think that is the GW2310 on your wrist. I have the newer model of that watch but I did not like one feature so I sent it to Casio and they built me a model using that watch frame that they do not even sell in stores. I just wanted to ask you why do you wear two watches.
You are correct. I was wearing a GW2310. Right now I have more than 60 watches. I often wear two just so that they don't stay in the case for too long. Also, I've started to enjoy being able to look at either wrist to see the time.
Citizen watches use capacitors, Casio use Titanium Cobalt rechargeable batteries. When buying your battery, Casio doesn't require soldered tags, other brands do.
Good to know. It’s getting to the point where it seems like Casio doesn’t want the average customer to know what kind of battery is used even in their least expensive watches. They seem to only want us to take these watches to an authorized service center for any service, including simple battery changes. Hmmm.
If you can, set it outside in direct sunlight for an hour or two to really jump-start it. That’s what I would do. After that you could likely keep it going with normal lighting if you wear it in your everyday conditions.
Hello ! I have G-Shock gw-m5610 from march 2020. I never have problem with battery . Last Week tuesday the battery indicator was on M (medium) was Cloudy weather . Wednesday was sunny weather , the battery grow up on H(high) . Now is on medium again from 2 days.. is cloudy weather from thursday last week. It’s normal ? Sorry for my English ... thanks ^_^
I would not take a solar watch to your local jeweler. I posted my g-shock to Casio and asked them to swap the rechargeable battery which they did for 20 dollars! So check with manufacturer, they sure things will have the right tools and parts to do it. I'd say that a 300-dollar g-shock deserved a 20-dollar treatment at its birth cradle! Don't be cheap!
Might just be a capacitor that functions as the battery for this. A normal rechargeable battery would never last for more than a year and they would certainly not survive the "tough" G-Shock expectations.
I have Casio gravitymaster grb-100 for almost 8 months it was in box. I took it out today it is out of charge.so what should be my next move to charge it should leave this into sun for a day? Can anyone help?
Yes, please put it somewhere that has lots of light. Be careful not to allow the watch itself to heat up very much. You can make the watch turn on again even with indoor lighting. I made a video about reviving a Tough Sonar watch with a drained battery. th-cam.com/video/4StC6fKpIZs/w-d-xo.html
"What if i leave my solar-powered watch in a draw for 6 months?" What if you leave your automatic watch in a box for 2 days? Or you don't replace your battery in a quartz for 2 years? Solar rechargeable is the best case scenario if you need a reliable watch.
Eventually the battery is expected to wear out. But if it’s used correctly it can last a long time. My oldest Tough Solar watch is still working after 16 years without a battery change yet.
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If I remember, Citizen state a loss of just 20% after 20 years which equates to just 1% loss per year which is damn good. Means a Citizen watch could outlive the owner.
My Casio Protrek is nearing 20 years with my G shock and no problems, both tough solar
Nice! 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻
Can you name the models??
I used this watch at my previous job out in the field. Sad to say I kind of lost touch with it, but just found it again. Has probably been close to a year in the drawer. The screen was black, the hands were on the 12. Just clicked a button, the thing reset itself and is ticking bang on time as I'm writing this. Incredible watch actually.
Didn't know it was solar powered, thanks for the video. Will be wearing it more!
Wht's the model please ?
I've found the few Casio solar charged watches that I have, have easily stay charged well past six months in a drawer. Most if not all have a power save modes where the watch conserves battery charge when the watch is not disturbed for a certain length of time. That's both digital and analog hands styles of watch.
Some Casio watches can last years without any sunlight. They all have a nifty feature called Power Saving, which will turn the display off after a while in darkness after a certain time and stay that way. Then if it still has not received any sunlight for a week, it'll stop the movement as well - So even more power saving mode. Also most Casio solars have features to extend the battery life if it drops down to a certain level, such as disabling backlight, alarms and radio reception. In total there are 5 different modes that these watches can use when it comes to battery life, and it's automatically selected by the watch depending on battery voltage. You actually have to work really hard to get one of these things to run out of juice (or forget it in a drawer for a few years) :p
Some watches use rechargeable lithium batteries and some use super capacitors. These components are quite different in the way they internally store energy. While the capacity of the batteries definitely reduces over the years and charge cycles they have much greater capacity (energy storage) than super capacitors. However super capacitors should have a longer lifetime. I just replaced a CTL1616 rechargeable lithium battery in a 15 year old Casio Tough Solar WVQ-500. It was still working but would no longer charge to full on the indicator and would not operate as long as it used to, so I replaced the battery with a proper replacement and it is working like new again.
Good video! When I was a child (80's) I bought a Solar Casio AL-180, but I lost it. In 2007 I bought another on Ebay from a New Old Stock and it's still working with the original battery.
It has capacitor not battery as far as I know it's written on the dial battery less 👍🏼
I am huge fan of tough solar technology!! I have a casio protrek tough solar and it's been 4 years and it's working perfectly not like other watches where you have to change the battery every now and then
I have owned a Solar G Shock for 15 years now...never had a problem and don't even wear it that much. Just take out to charge once a month or so,..
Can the battery be replaced after the Solar Battery is dead or does it mean Watch is also dead with the battery ?
@@maximus3233 The battery can be replaced just fine, however it might not be dead at all. Give it some sunlight and *usually* solar watches come back to life. Not all of them of course. Also as Greg mentions in the video, if you do it yourself, make sure the seal is in good condition and properly inserted. Otherwise you're looking at a G-Shock that cannot come in contact with water or skin.
You had me at 0.7734 ;) I once put my solar watches in full sun, but noticed there were very hot after 10 mins. Now, I only charge them in indirect light in a window sill.
Speaking for the longevity of the rechargeable batteries/capacitors, I have a Lotus kinetic watch that has been running reliably for the best part of 30 years.
I have a G-Shock GW-002E-1VER for about 12 years now. I had to change the battery after like 10 years because it wouldn't charge fully anymore. It cost about € 20,-- including pressure test. It was done by a local watch repair service.
My oldest Tough Solar is an 11 years old Casio GW9200 (Riseman). It has a few scuffs, but works like new. I just got a Casio Lineage (also Tough Solar) for the office.
How come this is the first tine I’ve ever seen your videos? Excellent presentation. Got a new sub. Seriously, all the years I’ve been looking at watches and watch reviews on TH-cam and I’ve never come across your channel. SMH. I’m looking forward to seeing more of your videos
my oldest Tough Solar ProTrek PRG-50T-7V finally got a new rechargeable battery last year. if memory serves me correctly, the early version PRG-50 came with bad cells. however, the OEM battery held up for me for approximately 6 years. I got her working again last year after using the same TH-cam video linked in this videos description. let's just say that I only use the Auto El feature when needed. 👍
Great video!
As stated, the cells are capacitors, not batteries. Batteries store energy in a chemical form, and capacitors store energy in an electrical field. Thanks for the video, I enjoyed it.
Thanks.
Thanks for the good info. By the way, if someone was for whatever reason to leave one of these watches in a drawer for six months, or even longer, put it on a well-lit window sill for a few hours before you buy a new battery. It will most likely come back to life.
Indeed. I would encourage anyone to give it a good, straight shot of sunlight before considering opening up the watch.
Great channel, specially in regard to Casio watches. There used to be a gentleman on here TH-cam that did Casio watch reviews. I enjoyed watching them they were relaxing just like your videos. Unfortunately that gentleman became homeless I believe and sold almost all he's Casio collection.
From time to time he used to make videos from Internet he got in public libraries, yet it's been a long time since he's been on hope he's ok and covid didn't get him.
Anyways thanks for the Casio reviews, I enjoy them I have about 7 protreks 7 eco drives 3 gshocks solar and a smart protrek. Wich price came down from $500 three years ago to $149 now on amazon. Subscribed with both my accounts.
Do you know what is that gentleman youtube channel?
Thanks for your video. Just got my first Casio pro trek solar tough. Hope mine lady’s 14 years.
Very educational detailed, and knowledgeable of CASO, it’s a pleasure to watch these videos 👍
Good video, thanks. I have been wearing the G-Shock DW-H5600-2 for the last 26 days and did not know about the differences between "tough solar" and the normal Casio solar watches. And a huge bummer when I learned the DW-H5600 is not a tough solar watch. Yes, I subscribed for more information - thanks, Greg!
What exactly is the difference?. Online sources suggest that they are both the same
I have a solar Seiko SNE. On a motorcycle tour around Europe last year the watch spent a large part of the day covered up so consequently, it ran out of power a lot of times. I never realised how much exposure to daylight they required.
I have , Casio, citizen and seiko solar. You are correct the seiko does not hold charge nearly as long as the other two brands. My Casio’s and citizen’s can sit in a drawer for 6 months and still have medium battery charge left. Now I but seiko autos and leave the solar to the other guys.
This is exactly what I wanted to watch !
Most tough solar Casio’s have a “sleep mode”, which takes effect when there is no light source for some time (usually hours), the watch just goes to “sleep”- all functions turns off yet it keeps keeping time (and date). And it “wakes up” and starts working almost immediately when you pick it up or when it senses a light source. That’s how it saves battery life and durability.
I had to replace my capacitor battery in my analogue Tough Solar Casio after 18 years of great service. I used that watch (and still use it) a lot, in the most harsh conditions. One month ago I noticed it wasn't keeping the display and time mode on, it was stuck in "low power state". Even after a day light charge, after one hour in the office it was gone. So ordered on eBay a new (correct) replacement battery, disposed of the old one and now it's all back on business.
Before going constantly in "low power mode", for at least two years the charge level was never going further than "MID" level. So I'm guessing that's a sign when you need to go for a new battery.
i have a citizen,seiko,and 2 casio solar watches. when i first got them, i put them on my window sill for a full(sunny) day. then i
just keep them on my dresser. all are working great.
Yes, that seems to be all they need to keep them happy.
Here I am looking up watch types for my boyfriend and here I find this guy.
I love how he wears two watches because why the hell wouldn’t he?
Good video and enjoy someone so enthusiastic about a decent quartz.Off topic a bit but a retired jeweller friend of ours advises that Seiko solars are difficult to replace battery/capacitors on and reccomends straight quartz models? Cheers.Len,UK.
Don't listen to him. Listen to what the company recommends on the user manual.
I have a number of solar watches and give them an outside charge each half year. A word of warning about birds I have had birds try to steal watches. I now slip the watches over the bar of an F-clamp and that seems to have worked. All the best.
Thank you for such detailed and well-arranged recommendations!
I've got one of the caseo watch like yours. I had to replace the capacitor last year. Ctl 1616 capasater. The watch is 20 years old.
It's not very difficult to replace the capacitor. There is a video on utube showing how to replace the capacitor. I replaced it just in time before corrosion damage the inner part.
If u haven't replaced the capasater yet , I would suggest u did. And relube the case seal if the seal looks ok. Cleen the seal area with a cleen qtip dipped in alcohol and let dry.
I left my Casio tough solar watch (G5600E) in a box and forgot where I put it just over 2 years ago. I found it yesterday and the battery level read M. That's incredible. Everything seems to be working properly. I'm trying to get it to H now.
I just left it in the morning sun. At noon its charge level was H!
@@aufelixify that is amazing
Had my Casio Rangeman for 10 years now. Just needed to replace the straps and now looks new
I wear all day. But outside i wear a coat. So my watch mostly charges on lamps or windows sun. Is that enough power to keep it going. Or do i need to put a lamp on it every few months?
I just bought a Casio GW-2310. Is there a way to know when my watch was made? Based on some other sites I looked at with serial numbers it looks like it was made in 2014 but that doesn't make any sense. 10 years old? Works fine but the battery is on Mid. My previous watch was the same type and battery was on high for many years but the band broke which why I replaced it. Can I expect the battery to eventually be on high after keeping it exposed to light?
A really informative video. My father had a similar calculator (the credit card one) called the Casio film card.
I had one of those credit-card-size calculators in the mid 1980s and then, one day, when it was in my shirt pocket, I leaned against a railing to look down at something and I cracked it. Sigh.
@@GoodTimekeeper he has kept the calculator with good care and it still function perfectly to this date. He has the original carrying case and manual too.
I had one myself. Good nostalgia
I have that same watch case! Great investment for storing and charging my Casio and Citizen watches. 🙌
Once the battery is out of power, or let's say the watch is kept in darkness for about 3-4 months, shall I keep the watch in direct sunlight? Is keeping the watch under direct sunlight on a regular basis can harm the battery due to overcharging? What is the best way to charge the solar powered batteries?
Last year I bought a new watch which arrived with a drained battery. I made a video about bringing it to life... th-cam.com/video/4StC6fKpIZs/w-d-xo.html (In case you were wondering, I store the watch in a case where it's exposed to normal light in my house. The watch it still running normally today.)
Most solor rechargeable watches have protection against overcharging. My Citizen ecodrive Skyhawk has protection against over charge. It's in the electronic circuit.
How do you charge the CTL1616 battery/capacitor without installing it on the Watch? The new battery comes from the factory with almost 0% power. I had my GMW-B5000TVB for almost One & a half years when it suddenly refused to fully charge. Changed to a new CTL1616, exposed it to the direct sunlight for approximately 4 hours, managed to do the settings and what not through my mobile phone. The charge level is still very low. As soon as it is indoor, I put it under a bright LED torch light. Even then, it couldn't hold its charge overnight. What could be the issue here? Any assistance would be very much appreciated, Thank you.
in your opinion which solar power tecnology has better perfomanve ; ecodrive (citizen) or tough solar (Casio) ?
I have both even Seiko solar
My opinion casio more smart and durable than citizen and seiko.
But i love them all.
Maybe the most Interesting and detailed Casio chanal.Keep going this great Work 👌🏻Would be awesome to see customizing/Moding content for G-Shock's and casios
CTL1616 is Cobalt-Thorium-Lithium rechargeable battery. The original Seiko Kinetic line actually used a capacitor charged by a spinning generator, but the replacement was a lithium-ion battery (rechargeable). Maybe that's where the confusion comes in.
Hi
I have buy G shock ga b 2100, my question is can need to buy glass Procter also for this watch or not please tell me ?
Casio has tough solar and Citizen has eco drive, both types use light source to recharge the battery, excellent invention for not having to change batteries in a quartz watch every three years. I keep all my solar watches near a window that gets plenty of diffused sunlight.
Citizen's manual states that the fully charged battery lasts for 8 months, so I just leave my watch on my desk for a few days. The watch will probably die from it's 40m water resistance before I change the battery.
loved the review man !
Epic avi! 🔥 MF DOOM & Solar watches are two of my favourite things lol
Is keeping the watch under direct sunlight on a regular basis can harm the baterry due to overcharging?
Off topic - wondering if anyone can help me out on my Gravitymaster GPW1000-1A. It is the GPS model. I am unable to adjust the 24 hour hand to correct position. It is 12 hours off. My current and second time zones are correct, but can't get that 24 to cooperate. I have set the watch via GPS and it is still wrong. Any ideas? Thank you
The rechargeable battery in my Citizen Eco-Drive watch only lasted 4 years, and it's expensive to replace.
I'd never buy another Citizen Eco-Drive watch.
Interesting, I have never heard of such a short life for a Citizen solar watch.
I bought ab Eco Drive watch for my wife. After a couple of months it would only run in direct sunlight. All my Casio solar watches, along with battery powered ones as my Seikos, going back to the 1980s/90s to current; are all working perfectly today.
Lying don't believe you
My GWX-8900 and my GR-8900A G-shocks still have the original CTL1616 battery in it since I bought them way back in 2014. Same with my GW-3000B analog which uses the smaller CTL920 battery which I got in used condition in 2015. If ever they run out of juice, I can order those rechargeables online though the CTL920 is a bit expensive than the CTL1616. But amazingly all three of my tough solars have stayed on high charge and I rotate them frequently.
I’m wearing my oldest tough solar watch right now. Bought it in 2006 and haven’t opened it up for any reason yet.
What's the difference between solar powered and tough solar ? Or it's just a marketing term for the same tech with no technical difference?
Capacitor Casio were called battery less written on the dial but with lithium ion rechargeable battery became common all new Casio use rechargeable batteries.
I do have a question, do you think that for the solar batteries health it would be better to leave my watches on power save mode on or off? I store them in power save on and twice a month bring em out to the sun. However I'm not sure if I should leave on all day in the dark shelve to let batteries run down some seems it's always on high . In other words maybe let batteries drain some? So it's not always on full?
1-7-2023 hello I recently got the GWM5610u and I was wondering are there different levels of low medium high in regards to power .meaning can you be in medium ,go out in the sun then be on high but if you stayed out in the sun you would get higher. Hope that makes sense.
What does the 'Tough' mean in Tough Solar? I have one, an analog/digital combo and the hands are showing a time a few minutes different from the digital display, which is correct. Must have had a bash at some time. Not very tough.
Sometimes the hands may be affected by magnetism or other factors which might not seem related to the word “tough”. I don’t know what model of watch you have but here’s my video about fixing the hand alignment on some of my G-Shocks. th-cam.com/video/j4VOku_lM9o/w-d-xo.html
Wait. A watch cannot think! It is the manufacturer (person/s) who thinks! They designed the watch assuming the user will put in a correct battery type.
Note to readers: The Casio calculator uses two way power, and the cell is alkaline usually, it may or may not charge.
Three ecodrives only one had to be replaced Capicitor and repair was 40 $. One I bought used and it hadn't been in the light much. Its second hand skipped two sec. to conserve what was left.
it was skipping because that is the low power indicator...time to charge or replace capacitor
Fantastic vlog extremely interesting I love Casio g shock and will one day treat myself to a tough solar and now I know what battery to purchase if and when I need a new one keep up the great work best regards Mark from Billericay Essex U.K. 🇬🇧
It's definitely a rechargeable battery and almost *never* a capacitor. There are some "batteryless" Casios that actually have a capacitor and I believe they hold ~14 days charge at a time.
4 days at most. The CTL-1616 is a capacitor.
@@traviswalker8933 Cheers. Could have sworn they advertised a week or two. Edit: but the CTL1616 isn't a capacitor to my knowledge.
@@UsernameInvalidTHIS Nah, those are terrible watches without any backlight. I won't be going near them when Casio has better solar powered watches around.
@@traviswalker8933 Agree. I don't see any real advantage to the batteryless ones anyway.
"Oh, no rechargeable cells to recycle?" -- someone probably. Well, one tiny button cell thrown out every ~20 years is hardly going to destroy the environment.
@@UsernameInvalidTHIS the battery less might have been good back in the 80s when solar powered watches were in their infancy but in this day and age, Casio should've improved them while reissuing them in the market.
First time viewer do you wear 2 watches all the time?😊
In a draw it will go into sleep mode. It's not a problem. 12mths mine was in the dark and started up straight away... if you ever need to change the battery which you won't. Send it to Casio.
I never knew that lithuim CR batteries were numbered by their size, so thanks for that.
CTL1616 is expensive at 20usd and the non rechargeable CR1616 is only 6usd x 10 or (0.6usd a piece). This could be the reason some just use non rechargeable ones.
Solar G-Shocks use that.
Non-solar G-Shocks have more functions as the solar recharging system takes away some functions of the module.
I am using a Casio WS200H Tough Solar Watch with a normal non rechargeable battery inside since in my country is impossible to get one CTL1616 and untill now my watch still working fine. I dont really know if some day battery get inflate or maybe explote but I checked it just yesterday and is in good shape.
Clt1616 is pretty rare. Almost nobody sells them. Thats because you almost never need a replacement.
Agreed
my tough solar was in drawer for 8 yrs and when i placed it in sun it came back but unfortunately battery power is not increasing
enjoyed your show...really nice sir...love from India
Hi, should we need to keep solar watches separately under sun or light to recharge or will it recharge automatically on our hands from everyday lights around us..
I have no trouble keeping the watches charged when I leave them in areas with normal light. And if you wear your watch often in the open (not covered by sleeves or cuffs) it should stay charged without extra effort.
"... in the drawer for 6 months, is that bad?" i don't wanna be blunt...._ Well versed and perfectly served! hihihihi loved it!
Such an awesome video, thankyou.
Thanks for very expertized review and informative content, and also thank to many useful comments from commentors, I just wonder about the solar powered recent days since I just replaced the battery yearly for my watch. Thanks for technology, then I will trust on solar powered and will buy one.
my first tough solar lasted seven years before it had any issues .still have it but bought a new one
Can't battery be replaced ?
@@maximus3233 i might do that seing i really like that watch
Did you get it working again? Just curious
I had a solar watch. after one or two battery replacements, the battery is no longer available in the market. I had to replace the battery with a non rechargeable one, and it worked.
You only addressed the "Solar" portion of "Tough Solar"....does it meet the standard for shock resistance ? is it as tough as a G-Shock ? Kind of disappointed.
Casio refers to their solar technology as “Tough Solar” without going into detail about what’s tough about it.
For over 8 years, I've owned a CASIO DB-E30 digital watch featuring a tough solar panel, which has been functioning flawlessly except for the illuminator. Whenever I attempt to use the light function, the display goes blank, and the time resets. Seeking a solution, I took it to an authorized local CASIO watch service center, where they identified the issue as a faulty capacitor. Unfortunately, they informed me that due to the model's outdated nature, the capacitor cannot be replaced.
could you please review the RED G-SHOCK Square on your right wrist?
I've been thinking to get one but just not sure how will it look from couple of feet away. Thank you.
Okay. th-cam.com/video/SRZ-cHrEhfk/w-d-xo.html
My Tough Solar is gonna arrive this Friday or the weekend, I can't wait! Apple and Samsung can learn a thing or two...
Super Sonic which model did you buy? I love these Casio Wave Cepters / tough solar watches and have several.
How's your tough solar after 5months?
@@jamesbattista1466 I have the Casio STL-100H and it’s still going strong! It’s very very beat up from working, it’s been frozen, had hot oil splashed on it and it’s still going strong! The battery hasn’t gone down from the high charge state!
I have a F-91W and the battery lasted like 18 years, probably you are going to say the consumption is not the same but still
I can tell this guy loves watches. He is wearing one on each arm.
Why nut lol
I think that is the GW2310 on your wrist. I have the newer model of that watch but I did not like one feature so I sent it to Casio and they built me a model using that watch frame that they do not even sell in stores. I just wanted to ask you why do you wear two watches.
You are correct. I was wearing a GW2310. Right now I have more than 60 watches. I often wear two just so that they don't stay in the case for too long. Also, I've started to enjoy being able to look at either wrist to see the time.
Citizen watches use capacitors, Casio use Titanium Cobalt rechargeable batteries. When buying your battery, Casio doesn't require soldered tags, other brands do.
Good to know. It’s getting to the point where it seems like Casio doesn’t want the average customer to know what kind of battery is used even in their least expensive watches. They seem to only want us to take these watches to an authorized service center for any service, including simple battery changes. Hmmm.
been using for 7 year casio tough solar.still running without replacing battery.affordable and tough.aq 810
Just got my tough solar protrek out today after 5 months. Since last 8 hrs it’s on my wrist but still no movement.. pls guide me
If you can, set it outside in direct sunlight for an hour or two to really jump-start it. That’s what I would do. After that you could likely keep it going with normal lighting if you wear it in your everyday conditions.
Capacitors can go through vastly numerous recharge cycles than rechargeable batteries might outlast human lifespan!
These watches are programmed to work with the correct date setting through 2099 so I guess they’ll outlast me.
Hello ! I have G-Shock gw-m5610 from march 2020. I never have problem with battery . Last Week tuesday the battery indicator was on M (medium) was Cloudy weather . Wednesday was sunny weather , the battery grow up on H(high) . Now is on medium again from 2 days.. is cloudy weather from thursday last week. It’s normal ? Sorry for my English ... thanks ^_^
Yes
Sometimes indicator H can show only 75-80 percents you need to put in to charge for 7-8 hours
@@julianasbatarginas3930 oookay , understood, thanks a lot bro ^_^
Thank you for the video.
Greg what the heck is tough solar then? I need more than an explanation than its a rechargeable battery or a capacitor....why is it "tough?"
www.casio-watches.com/technology/en/technology/tough-solar/
Greg Anderson - Elmer the Clep ty
I was thinking the same thing. All the casio gshock line is considered tough. It's a expression of casio.
The Citizen Eco Drive battery lasts approximately 20 years ...
So I can keep my citizen promaster until I'm 58 year's old
ouch that cheap solar casio last that long ?
i better start thinking excuse how to get new watch .
thank you for video .
I would not take a solar watch to your local jeweler. I posted my g-shock to Casio and asked them to swap the rechargeable battery which they did for 20 dollars! So check with manufacturer, they sure things will have the right tools and parts to do it. I'd say that a 300-dollar g-shock deserved a 20-dollar treatment at its birth cradle! Don't be cheap!
Excellent idea.
Might just be a capacitor that functions as the battery for this. A normal rechargeable battery would never last for more than a year and they would certainly not survive the "tough" G-Shock expectations.
He really is wearing 2pcs of watch on both wrists! 🤣
howe would you otherwise controll if one watch is off ?..
That's what happens when you have watch addiction
He just wants to be fair to his wrists...
Fantastic video!
My Protrek Tough Solar PRG 505T just lost its power.. 2012 - 2024.. about time to get a replacement battery..
Not bad. My oldest Tough Solar G-Shock is an MTG-900, still going without a battery change since 2006. We'll see how much longer it can last.
always look forward to your videos. thanks
Thanks. It's always nice for me when another video is finally ready to post.
thank you Greg!
Battery spec is on the case.
I have Casio gravitymaster grb-100 for almost 8 months it was in box. I took it out today it is out of charge.so what should be my next move to charge it should leave this into sun for a day?
Can anyone help?
Yes, please put it somewhere that has lots of light. Be careful not to allow the watch itself to heat up very much. You can make the watch turn on again even with indoor lighting. I made a video about reviving a Tough Sonar watch with a drained battery. th-cam.com/video/4StC6fKpIZs/w-d-xo.html
Keep it out in the Sun for a few hours and it should start working
"What if i leave my solar-powered watch in a draw for 6 months?"
What if you leave your automatic watch in a box for 2 days? Or you don't replace your battery in a quartz for 2 years? Solar rechargeable is the best case scenario if you need a reliable watch.
Review casio g-shock GW-2500b please
Can't concentrate with what Greg is saying.
The GW-B5600AR on his Right keeps distracting me, no wonder why its the Sith Watch
if solar watches recharge by itself , then why battery replacement is required ?
Eventually the battery is expected to wear out. But if it’s used correctly it can last a long time. My oldest Tough Solar watch is still working after 16 years without a battery change yet.