Seiko Kinetic Questions

KINETICREPAIR.COM

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ABOUT US, PAYMENT INFO. & KINETIC FAQs

About KineticRepair.com

Why should I "trust" your company with my watch?

What service level do I need: Basic, Intermediate or Complete?

How much will it cost?

HELP! I sent my watch to another company and they ruined it!

I have a Kinetic Chronograph. What type of service does it need?

What might cause my kinetic watch to fail to hold a charge?

My watch required intermediate instead of basic service. Why?

I tried to replace the capacitor myself. No go. Can you fix it?

How do I pay for my Kinetic watch repair?

How do I send my watch for repair?

Can I drop off my watch at your facility?

The "hype" about Pressure Testing & Gaskets!

You received my watch, but it was not repaired immediately. Why?

Do you honor your warranty/guarantee?

New Capacitor Information!

How long will the repair take?

Want to know everything you can about your Seiko Kinetic (how to charge it, keep it charged, etc)?

About KineticRepair.com

KineticRepair.com is a family-owned, full-service, professional watchmaking facility specializing in the proper repair of Seiko Kinetic watches. Our watchmakers are professionally educated and trained in the servicing of kinetic, auto-quartz watches. Click HERE for our contact information.

Your watch must be mailed to us with a prepaid ESTIMATE fee of $25.

Our competitors may NOT require you to do this, but WILL charge to send the watch back to you if you deny their service fees.  Some of them claim to repair all Seiko Kinetics for a flat fee of $XX dollars. They can quote you a low-ball repair fee because they may not actually diagnose and/or repair your watch to factory standards. They may NOT dismantle your watch to properly clean, inspect and repair it, as many of them lack the training and equipment to do so. Their "repair" consists of overhauling your capacitor (basically replacing your watch's high-tech battery), or "gear adjustments as needed" (meaningless as the gears in the Kinetic can NOT and should NOT be adjusted). You are being ripped off.

If they can't "fix" your watch with a quick capacitor swap, they may try to repair it by spraying the movement with a "one-shot" cleaner. When this fails to work, they may tell you that your watch needs a "new movement." Seiko now charges watchmakers with parts accounts $70 to $95 for new movements. Seiko does this to try and put a stop to these "movement swappers."   What your watch actually needs is not a new movement, but proper servicing. We offer this type of repair through our intermediate and complete service levels.

Kinetic watches which require more than a "capacitor overhaul" to function properly, require disassembly, cleaning and lubrication. This is a genuine "overhaul." Most of our competitors are NOT properly trained, skilled or equipped to do this to your watch. They are literally banking that you will pay them to merely swap your capacitor and clean off the grunge, or swap the movement. A new capacitor may run your watch for about a year before it slows and stops again. They then hope that you decide to buy a new watch, or forget where you sent it for repair, or hope that you will send it back to them for more of the same. Many of you do!

                   Why risk having it done wrong?

Your Seiko Kinetic watch may require complete disassembly, cleaning and lubrication to operate properly. We offer intermediate and complete service levels capable of performing these tasks.

Our company offers three (3) unique repair levels designed to meet the specific requirements of Seiko Kinetic watches in need of service. We do this because of our professional experience with kinetic's auto-power generating quartz watch technology, and our knowledge of what wears out and goes wrong with an older kinetic movement. We also know how to resolve these issues so your watch operates as intended by the manufacturer.

Our limited repair warranty is 1 year (12 month capacitor) for basic service,
1 & 1/2 years (18 months) for intermediate service, and 2 YEARS (24 months) for our complete service.

No ONE, not even the manufacturer, will warranty your Seiko Kinetic watch repair for periods in excess of one year. Many offer only six-month warranties. This is curiously the length of time a fully charged capacitor may run in most of the Seiko Kinetics, even when the watch has a problem that was not corrected during the repair!

We can offer longer warranty periods on our intermediate and complete service levels because we know our repaired watches will operate trouble-free for at least this length of time, if not for as long as you originally owned them before problems became evident, often five years or longer!  This is NOT hype. It is fact, and it is backed up by our loyal customers.

We are the only Seiko Kinetic repair site on the web with high-quality photos of what we do in our facility to your watch. The others don't post photos because they are worried that their web page will 'load' more slowly, and you might not want to wait for their "Google landing page" to fully appear, or you might not like what you see.

We think you should see what is being done to your watch.

We also do not utilize paid "Google" advertising for Kinetic repairs, like the competition, because we don't need to. Ask yourself why they have to pay big bucks to attract your attention? This usually implies that they have to charge you more for the repair, or charge you very little and repair more watches, in which case they are tempted to take short cuts in the repair process.

When you become one of our customers, you will NEVER want to send your watch to anyone else for repair.

We are swamped with repair requests from word-of-mouth advertising. This speaks for itself. Reading through our website, you may think that we are elitist. "How can you attract customers with an attitude like you have?" How? Easy. Because we are truly good at what we do. There is no smoke and mirrors, only quality watch repair. What a concept! We actually fix your watch!

We can also replace crystals, crowns, bezels, bracelets and other parts on most Seiko Kinetic watches, but only on those sent to us which require intermediate and/or complete service.

If you have questions, please email us at service@kineticrepair.com. Thank you.

KineticRepair.com utilizes Seiko-factory charging and diagnostic equipment (left photo). We utilize Witschi test equipment to analyze your quartz watch's time-keeping accuracy (center photo). We also use a variety of pressure testing equipment to verify your watch's water-resistance rating.

What "service level" does my watch need?

We offer three service levels - Basic, Intermediate & Complete:

BASIC - Most "5JXX" and "5M4X" models: If your watch has never been serviced and is less than five years old, is reasonably clean, with NO water damage (rust, fogging of crystal and/or spotting/staining of the hands or dial), NO damage or wear to the crown or pusher, has NEVER been repaired by another company, and has a functioning bracelet and clasp, then it is a good candidate for basic service. Current repair time frame for basic service is two weeks.

If the watch is almost ten years old or older - and never had proper service, and/or is extremely dirty, and/or has a sticking power reserve button, and/or a broken crown (winding knob), and/or is an "Arctura" type kinetic, a chronograph kinetic, or a kinetic with a caseback which has four screws on the back, or is a "5M6X" series, you may need intermediate or complete service.

Get Your Kinetic Repair Estimate!

Approximately 20% of the watches we receive qualify for basic service. Beware of those telling you that capacitor replacement is the ONLY service most Kinetic watches require! At least 80% of Kinetics require more than a capacitor to return to proper functioning. And BEWARE of the "imitators" of our business model offering you three-levels of service. All they are effectively doing is replacing your capacitor and charging you more.

We are not interested in telling you what you want to hear to get your business, but we are interested in FACTS. Facts help to properly repair auto-quartz watches.

INTERMEDIATE - Same as basic except your watch has been serviced or opened before by any other service center or repair shop, and/or is noticeably dirty (has gunge and/or grime build up in the small crevices of the watch case and/bracelet, has a non-functioning pusher or crown, etc. Other scenarios are possible. Approximately 40% of the watches we receive require intermediate service.

Current repair time frame for intermediate service is four to six weeks.

COMPLETE - This is the correct service level for watches that are almost ten years old or older, and/or have water damage/rust/fogging of the crystal, and/or damage or cracking of the crystal, and/or damage to the dial or hands, has a broken/sheared crown, or that the miscreant at the mall or the con artist at "xyz Internet watch repair" tried to "fix" but damaged, etc. This is also likely correct service level if any parts are loose inside the watch, or if your capacitor has leaked its contents inside the movement. While this service level may seem expensive, it is the BEST long-term value for your watch, and still less expensive than purchasing a new Seiko Kinetic. Approximately 40% of the watches we receive require complete/full service.

Current repair time frame for complete service is six to eight weeks.

And do NOT believe the "hype" of the "copy-cat" Internet repair sites advertising "executive" service or "gear adjustments" for your kinetic.

THEY ARE RIPPING YOU OFF!

NOTICE: New dials, hands, bracelets, clasps, crowns, pushers and/or sapphire crystals are not included in the pricing of any of the above service levels. Inquire when sending in your watch if you desire these parts to be installed. In general, bracelets (when available) start at $75, clasps (when available) start at $45, dials (when available) start at $40, hands (when available) start at $15, sapphire crystals (when available) start at $45, crowns (winding/setting knobs) start at $20, and pushers start at $15. We may also contact you to require that these parts be installed, in addition to the service you have requested and prepaid.

Our estimate fee for all watches is a non-refundable $25.

NO OTHER COMPETITOR requires YOU to pay BEFORE you send them your watch. Why do we require this? Because we are that good, and this SLOWS down our inflow of watch repairs SO THAT WE CAN DO A QUALITY JOB ON YOUR WATCH REPAIR.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CHOOSING THE CORRECT SERVICE LEVEL:

If your kinetic watch was "repaired" within the last year at one of the "kinetic repair rip-off shops," and is now failing to hold a charge, the basic service will NOT fix the problem. If installing a new capacitor did not correct your watch's initial problem (failing to hold a charge), then simply installing another new and fully charged capacitor will not correct the real problem. The problem may be associated with a dirty gear train - which is diagnosed and repaired with our intermediate kinetic watch repair service. If the problem is associated with your watch's charging circuitry, then the service level that will diagnose and definitively correct this problem is complete kinetic watch repair service.

Our basic service will ONLY install a new capacitor, it will not correct a dirty gear train or failed circuitry.

Your watch will be diagnosed for the proper service level when it arrives with your prepaid estimate and completed repair/shipping authorization form.

Your watch may require additional service, such as intermediate and/or complete, or a new crown or pusher. We will email you an invoice of the proposed repair total. If you refuse the invoice for repairs, your $25 estimate will pay to ship your unrepaired watch back to you.

How much does it cost?

We normally charge $89.95 for basic service, $124.95 for intermediate service and $169.95 and up for complete service. If we are having a SALE, then these prices may be lower. Visit our service level pages for more information and current sale pricing on our three levels of service (Basic, Intermediate and Complete). These prices do change depending on our sales/promotions.

To determine what service level your watch MIGHT be diagnosed to require, visit the FAQ "What service level does my watch require?"

HELP! I mailed or took my watch to another repair place, and now it does not operate properly. What can I do?

If you have reason to believe that another repair facility improperly repaired and/or damaged your watch, we recommend that you send your watch to us for an estimate and diagnosis. We will formally evaluate the "repair" attempt made by ANYONE, and if we find evidence that someone else has botched your watch, we will notify you of this IN WRITING. For an additional fee we can also provide notarized statements of damage and/or improper service. In addition, we can suggest many very effective strategies that you may utilize to force THEM to pay for your watch's proper repair.

Read more about who to AVOID having your watch repaired by. CLICK HERE!

What "service level" does my Kinetic Chronograph (Sportura or Arctura) require?

We can service your kinetic chronograph; however, we do not have a specific service level for the 7-series kinetic chrono movements. The Seiko Sportura and Arctura Kinetic Chronograph watch operate on the same technology as the basic kinetic watch. However, these kinetics also include complex mechanical components which operate the separate "stop-watch" functions, in the same way a true mechanical chronograph operates. Due to this additional complication, the fact that these watches retail for prices starting at $700 (and up), the need to service the chronograph pushers (buttons) and to potentially replace chronograph hands, this watch requires a $50 estimate. Service for these watches starts at $159.95.

To purchase a Kinetic Chronograph Estimate, click HERE!

What may cause my watch to fail to charge?

ANY (or a combination) of the following can cause failure to charge:

The original-style capacitor is leaking and defective.
The lithium ion cell is improperly conditioned/defective. Yes, your watch may have a lithium ion cell in place of a capacitor. There is nothing wrong with your watch if it has a lithium ion battery serving as the "energy storage unit."
The gear train (wheels that turn your watch hands) and their respective pivots and bearing points have either dried up or evaporated oil or an obstruction, and the "consumption" of your watch (a measure of the energy requirement to drive the circuit, train of wheels and watch hands) exceeds the ability of the energy storage unit to keep up with this demand. This condition can only be repaired with our intermediate (or higher) level service.

The photo on the left shows a 5M43A Seiko Kinetic movement with its rotor and capacitor bridge removed. The red arrows are pointing to the border of the capacitor (beneath a red insulator) to point out the leaking capacitor "gew" which is both fluid-like and solid. The photo on the right shows the capacitor and insulator removed to reveal the capacitor gew and its proximity (closeness) to the charging and time train gears (under the area marked in yellow). Should ANY of the capacitor gew migrate under this bridge and into the tiny gears, the watch will experience problems with either charging, or timing (run slow or stop) or both. The competition claims that few of the kinetics they work on require anything more than "replacing the capacitor." However, leaking capacitors are a VERY common problem in older Seiko Kinetic watches. This means that the competitors are leaving (at the very best), some of this gew in your watch, as it is sticky and very difficult to clean out of the watch. No foreign particles of ANY size can be left in a kinetic/quartz movement if it is expected to operate as intended. The only way to know that the movement is free from this contamination is to completely overhaul (disassemble and clean) the parts.

I tried to replace the capacitor myself. But I think I messed up my watch. Can you repair it?

Yes we can. Your watch will require complete service. No exceptions. End of story. If you don't like this, don't send the watch for an estimate. We will NOT refund your $25 estimate fee because you don't like the fact that the watch YOU botched requires complete service. You have been warned.

How do I pay for my estimate and/or repair?

You may pay by either:

1. Paypal utilizing the secure shopping cart.

2. Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express utilizing the shopping cart.

WE DO NOT ACCEPT PERSONAL CHECKS FOR KINETIC REPAIRS, and you may NOT pay by calling. Kinetic repairs MUST be paid for utilizing the secure shopping cart.

How do I send my watch for repair?

1. Purchase a Kinetic Repair Estimate.  AFTER you purchase the estimate, check the email you specified when purchasing the estimate, as you will be sent a download link to our repair/shipping authorization form. Print out the form, complete the left-hand side, and enclose when you mail your watch.  Watches arriving without this form will have service delayed and/or denied and/or forfeit the estimate fee.

2. To package your watch, place it inside a zip lock bag, wrap with bubble wrap, and enclose in a small cardboard BOX (no envelopes), such as those provide for FREE by USPS when utilizing Priority Mail.

DO NOT SEND US YOUR ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER GIFT BOX!

The above are pictures of 'gift boxes.' DO NOT SEND your watch to us in your 'gift box.' If you do, we will throw it away. We do not store these boxes. We throw them away. If you send the box to us by mistake (i.e. can't 'read'), and we have NOT yet thrown your box away, the cost to have us locate and return your 'gift box' is $30.

3. Then mail it to the address specified on the repair/authorization form.

Send your watch via our recommended carrier (currently ONLY USPS PRIORITY MAIL).   'USPS' is the POST OFFICE!!!   We do NOT recommend FedEx, UPS (United Parcel Service) or USPS "First Class" mail as they may not pay insurance claims on lost or damaged watches. Be sure to insure your watch with USPS for the value you declare on the repair form.

Be sure to send the watch via a trackable means, such as delivery confirmation. We do NOT answer phone calls or emails stating, "Did you receive my watch?" Please TRACK your watch delivery using the carrier YOU choose when sending it. You will receive an estimate for repairs via email within a few days of us receiving your watch. We will ship your watch back to you via ONLY USPS Priority, insured with either delivery and/or signature confirmation.

If you need additional information on sending in your Kinetic watch for repair, email us at service@kineticrepair.com.

Can I drop off my watch at your facility?

Due to security issues, we no longer allow Seiko Kinetic watches to be dropped off. We apologize if this causes you any inconvenience. However, considering the high price of gas, shipping your watch is typically much more economical. In addition, we do not employ a receptionist to take your watch, and the process of answering customer's in-person questions has proven to be overly "time" (AKA money) consuming. If you have trust issues regarding doing business with us, you will still be a paranoid person when you leave our facility or this web page. We fix watches, not personality problems.

The "hype" about pressure testing & gaskets:

Pressure testing is a service designed primarily for DIVE WATCHES (rated at 200m or more). If you are not scuba diving with your watch, the basic service is ALL your watch will require to restore its rated, standard water resistance. In addition, almost no watch repair facility will guarantee, in writing, that your watch will be warrantied against damage caused by water. Why? Because the consumer/end user may do any number of things that compromise the water resistance security that has been restored and tested during a repair process. If you don't believe us, start asking around, and look for this in writing. Read the warranty exclusions, carefully - if the business even HAS a written warranty! And don't believe the hype designed to "close the sale" of the repair. If you want hype, shop elsewhere.

And gaskets . . . these are the rubber o-rings in your watch. Gaskets require replacement ONLY when they are deformed (have lost their original shape) and/or are dry or brittle. Otherwise, the gasket's ability to work is based on its proper dimensions, lubrication and seating within the watch's case parts. The quality of lubricant also influences the LIFE and FUNCTION of the gasket, or how rapidly it will decay and become brittle.

Finally, many "internet" rip-off repair shops are now claiming they will "ensure the water resistance" of your watch. Yet, they provide no HARD evidence that they are ABLE to PROPERLY pressure test the watch (such as proof of equipment), or HAVE pressure tested the watch (such as a printed receipt of the pressure test results). Why is that? Simple, they are being dishonest. In most cases, they do not have the required, MODERN equipment and/or training to properly pressure test your watch. The minimum investment necessary to purchase ALL of the modern equipment to properly pressure test a dive watch is $13,000. You can view some of our equipment on this web site, OR you can visit our watch pressure testing page at THIS LINK. And if you think this information is a bunch of "hype," you can read the professional article on watch case water resistance verification written by our owner and watchmaker, John W. Safranek, which appeared in AWCIs "Horological Times" magazine at THIS LINK.

End of the "hype" game.

You received my watch, but it was not repaired immediately. Why?

Shipping a watch to us is very easy, if you follow our instructions. Pay the estimate fee, download and complete the form. Then mail in your watch.

However, if you skip these steps, you will have a problem.

If you mail in your watch without a prepaid estimate and/or without the repair/shipping authorization form, your repair will be delayed.  If you send a watch without the mandatory prepaid estimate and shipping form, and wish to decline service, the cost to ship your watch back to you is $25. If you refuse to pay this fee, the watch will be mailed back to you via COD for $30 (Cash on Delivery - you have to pay the postman $30 to get your watch back as this is our charge to stand in line at the wonderful third-world US post office to mail your watch COD).

Do not send us a watch unless you are willing to pay the non-refundable $25 estimate fee. This reasonable fee pays to diagnose and send the watch back to you if you decide that you do not really want to have it repaired.  On the other hand, if you decide to have the watch repaired, the estimate fee REDUCES the cost of the repair.

We do NOT estimate watch repairs for free. No one does.

When you send in your watch for an estimate, we forward you, via email, an invoice for repairs. This invoice will specify the time frame of your repair, generally 1-3 weeks depending on the service level required. The repair time frame begins AFTER you pay for the repair and not before. So if you delay in paying for the repair, your watch repair is also delayed.

If the email address you specify on the shipping form is not legible, or is incorrect, or you have your email SPAM settings turned to a high level, you may miss our email repair invoice. This will delay your repair as no repairs are conducted unless prepaid by you. We do not call customers to remind them to pay. We use email.

In other cases, your watch may need a special-order part which may require more than the standard repair time to be received from overseas. In most cases we will notify you by email of a delay beyond the time frame specified in your repair invoice. So make sure your email is working!

Do you honor your warranty/guarantee?

Less than 5% of our repaired Kinetic watches have been returned for warranty service. If you find that you need to return your watch to us for our warranty service, or you believe something is wrong with your repaired watch, PLEASE visit our Warranty Assistance page for information on how to return your watch for a warranty evaluation. NO OTHER WATCH REPAIR COMPANY HAS A DEDICATED PAGE FOR WARRANTY RETURNS. If we have made a mistake (rare) we will make it right, and pay to ship the repaired watch back to you. If we find that your watch qualifies for warranty repair, it will receive top priority.   We will stand behind our work, 100%, and do our best to make you happy.


Precision technique and Swiss tools are utilized to properly reinstall your watch hands following full service of kinetic watches. Note the correct movement holder, hand press, tweezers, hand removers and finger cots employed to insure the job is done without leaving any damage or marks on your hands or dial.

Why was my watch returned unrepaired?

We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone, at any time and for any reason. If you are a rude, demanding person and/or become insulting and/or angry when requested to follow simple instructions, you have found the wrong place to send your watch for repair.

If spending $25 plus shipping to have your watch estimated for repairs bothers you, do not send us your watch. Send it to one of the numerous Internet "capacitor-swap" repair sites; take it to the foreign nationals at the shopping mall or jewelery store where your watch may get "botched" or "hacked." When you are fed up enough, send it to us and we will gladly charge you more to repair it properly than if you had sent it to us to begin with. This is not a scare tactic. It is the result of unskilled, foreign-labor, and/or unethical repair tactics attempting to perform highly-skilled tasks that they are ill equipped and ill-trained to do.

If you send us your watch without the required $25 estimate fee, we will request that you pay the fee before diagnosing your watch, and after you pay we will forward a repair authorization form to you to fill out before we complete the diagnosis. If you refuse to pay the $25 fee, your watch will be returned to you COD for $30. This means you will have to pay the postman $30 to receive your unrepaired watch back. This policy is posted all over the website, and is in our terms and conditions. If these terms are not to your liking, please do NOT send us your watch.

Again, we can and do take this tone with potential customers because we are only interested in having customers that can appreciate genuine professional watch repair. This begins with a firm understanding of how we operate.

Updated Capacitor Information:

KineticRepair.com will ONLY install the NEW Lithium-ion power cell on all Kinetic watches sent for repairs. The old-style capacitors (most likely in your watch now) have been DISCONTINUED by Seiko. And BEWARE - your kinetic watch may receive a "budget" capacitor from our competitors. These budget capacitors are not the type recommended for replacement by Seiko. The new-style Lithium Ion power cell in the 5M4X series requires that your capacitor's insulator and bridge also be replaced. KinticRepair.com replaces all three required components.

Only genuine Seiko parts such as the one pictured above left, and the new-generation Lithium ion power cell are utilized in your watch repair. Seiko refers to these as "energy storage units" and NOT batteries. Note the 5M series power cell (above right) which requires that the metal bridge and insulator (unique to the new L-ion cell) also be replaced. "Budget" capacitors utilized by many of our competitors do not include the new bridge and insulator, and can cause operational problems in your kinetic watch.

How long will my Kinetic watch repair take?

The time frame for repair depends on the level of service that your watch is diagnosed to require!!! Basic service usually is completed within one to two weeks after you pay your repair invoice. Intermediate service will require four to six weeks and complete service may require six to eights weeks for proper servicing. Some older Seikos may take longer to repair if special order parts (crystals, clasps, crowns, etc.) are necessary. We do not repair Kinetics in 1-3 days like the other competitors. If you want a rush job, send it to them.  If you become frustrated enough, like so many of our other customers, you will eventually send it to us for proper repair. We will be waiting to please you. You will be glad that you waited for us to do it right.

Want to know everything you can about your Seiko Kinetic (how to charge it, keep it charged, etc)?

The BEST source for technical information on your Seiko Kinetic is the Seiko Operational Guide web page. Few watch repair sites will provide you with this original, genuine information.  We think you will find that the Seiko Factory Operation Guides for your Seiko watch are easy to understand, and will answer ALL of your Seiko Kinetic questions about charging, maintenance, etc.

In order to locate the correct Seiko Instruction Manual for your Kinetic watch, you will need to know the eight (8) digits of your watch's model number. The model number is a hyphenated, eight-digit code that can be found on your watch's case back with the aid of a magnifying glass. For example, many of you have either a "5M42-0A67" or "5M43-0B76" Kinetic watch. When you click on the link (BELOW), simply enter your correct model number on the Seiko website, and click 'enter.' Happy reading!

GO TO SEIKO OPERATIONAL GUIDES

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