KineticRepair.com   

      The #1 Most Trusted Watch Repair Professionals
SEIKO KINETIC WATCH - FAQ


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 About KineticRepair.com

How to spot a BAD place to send your Seiko Kinetic watch.

Read the TRUTH about Kinetic Watch Repair!

 How do I send my watch for a repair?

 What 'service levels' are kinetic watches diagnosed to require?

 How much will it cost?

 Kinetic Capacitor or Lithium Ion Energy Storage Unit.  What's the difference?

 How do I know you can properly replace my Seiko watch gaskets, seals and/or o-rings?  (crown, pusher, caseback)

 I have a Sportura, Arctura, Coutura or Kinetic chronograph watch.  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?

 I lost my original Seiko Kinetic Owner Instruction Manual and need another one.  Where can I find one?

AVOID the Scam Artist & 'Truth Benders'
  • Anyone that offers ONLY a one-year warranty.  That's about as long as a new battery will last in a poorly serviced watch, and these hacksters know it.  That's why they only offer a 'one-year' warranty.  Why risk having to send it off to have it serviced again EVERY YEAR?! 
  • Free shipping or free estimates.  'Free' means they WILL take short cuts with your repair, damage your watch, swap out the good components in your watch (if you refuse their estimate), or any number of nefarious things to rip you off and pay for all that Google advertising, free shipping, free estimate, free this and free that.  Free = 'Total Watch Botch'   
  • Any watch repair you are tempted to purchase on E-bay, Craig's List, etc.
  • A Self-Repair - that's right - you may be your own worst enemy.  You will only break your watch and it will cost more to properly service.  If you can't resist, then go ahead and break it.  We automatically charge full/complete service on any watch with signs of tampering.  And we are really good at finding signs of tampering during our diagnostic estimate process.   
  • Anyone who claims to be 'ETA Certified.' ETA, a fine Swiss company of the SWATCH Group that offers high quality, 'refresher' training - designed for previously properly trained watchmakers, does not certify watchmakers.  ETA is NOT a formal watchmaking school (nor does it pretend to be), and there are no 'graduates' in the sense that one legitimately 'graduates' from high school, a technical school, college or university.  If this is their only claim to fame, stay away.  
  • Any company that keeps moving its 'shop' location to different towns and/or states.  Why do you they move around so much?  Visit an Internet 'way back' machine to search the company's 'contact' or 'about' history, including where they have been formerly located.  Try the way back web site at http://wayback.archive.org/web/.  Type in the company's website URL in the search box.  Just scroll back through the years and you will truly be amazed.  You don't want your watch at such a shop when they decide to pack up and move again.
  • Any company that has isolated and repeated claims of being an 'expert' or prominently advertises that they will 'expertly repair your watch.'  'Expert' in this context is usually a code word which serves to imply that they have no genuine watchmaker education.  These companies are only an 'expert' at coming up with malarkey to explain why a customer's kinetic watch won't work correctly both before and AFTER they attempt a repair.  'Expert' = 'Stay Away.' 
  • Any company who appears to have copied our business model , diagnostic language, pricing structure, service levels or website infomation.  We are happy to know that we have been such a unique part of their 'learning curve,' and would like to offer them, or any other fake 'watchmaker' that has viewed our web site and had an 'Aha!' moment, a special, super-authentic GRADUATE certificate (click here for your FREE certificate).  Happy Hacking!

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The TRUTH About Kinetic Watch Repair!

We know why your Kinetic watch no longer works properly!
  • Is your Seiko Kinetic watch capacitor not charging as it should?

  • Does your Seiko Kinetic watch stop during the night? Does your power reserve indicator only show '5' or '10' seconds of charge, no matter how much you 'shake' or 'swing' the watch to charge the capacitor?

  • Is your second hand 'stepping' in two-second increments indicating a low charge?

  • Have you already had your Seiko Kinetic watch repaired only to have the original problem come back in a few weeks or months?

  • Were you told your Seiko Kinetic watch needed an expensive, new movement?

At KineticRepair.com we know exactly why your Seiko Kinetic watch is broken.  We can properly and expertly repair your auto-quartz watch, and restore its function to factory-performance levels.




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A correct repair begins with an accurate 'diagnosis' or 'estimate' of what is wrong.  In the above photo you see a Seiko Kinetic watch being tested for 'consumption,' which is precise measurement of the electrical demands of the watch movement while it is running at 1.55 volts as supplied by the test instrument.  In the Seiko auto-quartz 'kinetic' watch, these demands are normally met by a portion of your movement that generates electricity and a devise that stores the energy for use by the watch's integrated circuit (IC).




This photo shows a state-of-the art, Swiss Witschi Analyzer Twin, being utilized to detect and display a just-serviced Seiko Kinetic watch's electrical consumption in microamps or 'thousandths of an amp.'  The reading shows .753 microamps, and is normal for this movement.  This critical electrical test, performed both BEFORE and AFTER the servicing of an auto-quartz watch, is the ONLY way to know if both the charging system and new Lithium Ion Energy Storage Unit will perform properly.  We are confident that many of the places advertising to 'repair' kinetic watches are NOT performing this test.  How do we know this?


The partial movement and component part in this photo came from a watch which had been serviced by a competitor three months earlier.  All that was done to this watch was a replacement of the capacitor with a new Lithium Ion Energy Storage Unit at a cost of $6X.XX (with free estimate & free shipping!).  The owner sent the watch back for warranty service and was told he had "failed to maintain a proper charge, damaged the 'battery,' and voided his warranty."  He was then told he could spend another $125 for a 'new movement' to correct the 'problem.'  This customer was misled and ripped off.   Let's examine why this is so

The new 'battery' in this customer's watch did truly fail within three months, but NOT because the owner failed to 'keep it charged' or to 'condition' the new lithium 'battery.' 

On the contrary, the new Lithium Ion Energy Storage Unit (LI ESU) in this watch failed because the 'hack' who worked on this watch failed to diagnose the REAL problem - HIGH CONSUMPTION caused by OLD, DRIED GREASE.  The consumption was so high that the owner could not possibly generate enough kinetic energy to keep the LI ESU charged.  High consumption is just one of reasons why a Kinetic watch may not be running OR charging properly

Old, dried grease creates high levels of friction that your watch's integrated circuit continuously try to overcome by requesting MORE power from the capacitor or energy storage unit

Many 'watchmakers' are either unaware or choose to ignore this problem, and simply install a new 'battery.'   Your watch WILL run again, but only for a few weeks or months before the new 'battery' is drained by HIGH consumption, and your second hand starts to 'step' in two-second increments, or your watch STOPS completely.  When you send the watch back to these 'watchmakers' they may then try to 'spray clean' your assembled movement.  But you can't spray clean this thick dried, old grease.  You will then be told that your watch needs a  'new movement' that YOU will be asked to pay MORE forYOU ARE BEING RIPPED OFF! 


The BEST way to properly repair this problem is dis-assembly and ultrasonic cleaning, reassembly and lubrication - all of which we do at KineticRepair.com with our exclusive 'intermediate service.'



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About KineticRepair.com
  • KineticRepair.com is a family-owned, full-service, professional watchmaking facility specializing in the proper repair of Seiko Kinetic watches. 
  • Our company is a business and/or professional member of the NAWCC, WCPA, BBB, JSA, JBT, McAfee SECURE & TRUSTe
  • Our watchmaker is professionally educated and Swiss trained in the servicing of auto-quartz watches.
  • Our repaired watches carry limited warranties up to 3 years! 
  • We are the ONLY website exclusively dedicated to kinetic watch repair that shows actual pictures of Seiko Kinetic watches in all phases of diagnosis and repair. 
  • We do NO paid advertising, which means YOUR repair money is spent on your repair, and NOT on marketing.
  • We do not do thousands of repairs each year, preferring to focus on QUALITY and NOT quantity.   
  • We have pioneered many new methods in the efficient and effective repair of kinetic, auto-quartz watches, including diagnostic service levels to insure the correct repair level for your watch; specialized cleaning techniques to truly disinfect your watch; and the use of new synthetic, high-pressure oil in one critical area of your gear train to increase your watch's service life. 
  • Click HERE for our contact information.


CLICK HERE For Your Seiko

Kinetic Watch Repair Quote!


Beware of the Competitors who offer you FREE stuff!

Their website states, 'call us for a free estimate,' or they will ask you to complete an UNSECURE form to request a 'free estimate' with 'free postage' or a 'free shipping box' or a 'free' lunch.  Yep, there is no such thing people - AND there is NO WAY to tell you the exact cost to repair a watch without actually examining what is wrong.  Oh, and the 'free postage' is WITHOUT any insurance for your watch.  You have to pay for that.  Minor oversight.

One of our customers related this account to us of what happened to her when she decided to send her watch to a Freebie Watch Repair Sweat Shop.

"Hello, I have a Seiko Kinetic watch that is not working.  How much will it cost to fix it?" 

The foreign-accented person at the Total Watch Botch
Repair Sweat Shop answered, "Our normal fee is $XX.XX with free shipping.  Do you need a free label to send us your watch?" 

Her response, "Why yes, but don't you need to know anything else about my watch?" 

Sweat Shop person's response, "No, just send it in with the free label that I am e-mailing you." 

So I sent it in.  Two weeks later it came back - Free shipping!  Yippee!!!!  And it was running and showed the correct time!  Such a deal.

But then tragedy struck.  Two months to the day after I received it back, it stopped working.  I called the company. 

"Please send it back so we can take a look at it," was the foreign-accented reply. 

"Can you send me a 'free label' to do that?" 

"We only offer free shipping for new repairs." 

"Oh, okay, wow."  I sent it back to them.  SURPRISE!  The company e-mailed me back to state that it would cost another $105 for a new movement, as this was not part of the original repair.  But they would warranty that for one year too!  Such a deal (heavy sarcasm).  That is why I sent it to KineticRepair.com.  Your website made me pay for an estimate up front, and I could tell from all the information on your website that you knew what you were doing.  I was so happy to get my watch back running like new again.  Thank you so much for restoring my confidence in getting my watch repaired."
 

Monica L. - San Bernadino, California - May, 2009

We repaired this woman's watch for FREE just for relaying this story to us.  That's right.  And two years later it is still working!

RIP OFF ALERT - Like 'Free' Stuff?  So do they.  By sending your watch to these businesses, you may be supporting illegitimate businesses who do not pay their fair share of taxes and utilize undocumented workers.

No competitor will require you to prepay an estimate fee, but they WILL charge $30 to send the watch back to you if you deny their surprise, increased service fee.  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, and putting genuine watchmakers out of business.
 

If they can't "fix" your watch with a  quick capacitor swap for a new 'LI' cell, 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.  One of our competitors actually stated on a watchmaker forum that we were 'stupid' for servicing these movements the proper way.  Stupid is as stupid does.  It takes us 30-45 minutes to service one movement, properly we might add.  Honestly. 

Kinetic watches which require more than a new 'energy storage unit' 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 six months or so before it slows and stops again.  These same unethical competitors hope that you decide to buy a new watch, or forget where you sent it for repair, or that you will send it back to them for more of the same.  Many of you do!  60% of the kinetics we service have been to some other shop one, two and/or three times - and all repair attempts have failed - giving the customer the impression that their Seiko watch is unreliable.  NOT TRUE.  These watches are very reliable if they receive the correct type of periodic maintenance. 

                   Why risk having it done wrong?


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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 movementWe 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, 2 YEARS (24 months) for our complete service and 3 YEARS (36 montsh) for complete service plus


No ONE, not even the manufacturer, will warranty your Seiko Kinetic watch repair for periods in excess of one yearMany 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 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!

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

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 contact us at this link.  Thank you.



CLICK HERE For Your Seiko

Kinetic Watch Repair Quote!




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 levels" are kinetic watches diagnosed to require?

When your watch is received we perform a detailed diagnosis to determine the appropriate service level needed to repair your watch, and return your auto-quartz kinetic movement to factory-level performance standards. 

The service levels we may diagnose a watch to require are:

BASIC
INTERMEDIATE
COMPLETE
COMPLETE PLUS

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 may be diagnosed to require basic service.  The definitive test for basic service is a test of your watch's consumption.  If it is within specification, and there is no other issue with your movement (such as a bad coil, bad circuit, water damage, sheared charging rotor, etc.) then it will be diagnosed to require basic service. 
Twenty percent (20%) of the watches we diagnose require basic service.  The 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.  




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
- If 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, or tests positive for consumption, then it may be diagnosed to require intermediate service.  Most 5M6X model watches and 'Auto-Relay' kinetics require this or a higher level of service. Approximately 40% of the watches we receive are diagnosed to 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 or an even higher level of service called Complete PLUS


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


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 order to effect a proper repair or to obtain water resistance.
 
Our repair quote fee for all kinetic watches is $25. 

The repair quote fee REDUCES the cost of your repair because we perform WORK on your watch before you pay for the repair.  This WORK is the diagnosis, and we don't work for free.  Be careful of any repair business that claims they will NOT charge you for an estimate.  Doing a thorough and accurate diagnosis of any watch is WORK.  If they tell you the estimate is free, we bet they are doing NO WORK on your watch.  You are being set up for a surprise or a bad repair.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON OUR EXCLUSIVE 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 LI energy storage unit, 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 four our accurate diagnosis and to ship your unrepaired watch back to you.



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What gaskets require replacement in my Seiko Kinetic watch, and how do I know you are replacing them?

Please take a look at photos from watches serviced in our facility, which clearly demonstrate what is involved when servicing crown, pusher and caseback gaskets in your Seiko Kinetic watch. 


The photo on the left shows both generic and genuine factory crown and pusher gaskets.  Gasket #1 is typical of what the competition puts back in your watch - IF YOU ARE LUCKY.  We only install gasket sizes #2 and #3, which cost WAY more than #1.  The photo on the right shows an actual pusher gasket on a watch that has NEVER been serviced.  Note that it has RUST - NEWS FLASH - this RUST got there all by itself with no help from some other 'watchmaker' who 'wiped the gasket channel.'  All it took was sweat, water, oil, dirt and TIME.   


The photo on the left shows the SAME rusted pusher AFTER ultrasonic cleaning.  Note how the original, factory gasket is flat and compressed.  The photo on the right shows the SAME pusher with a new, factory gasket installed.  Note the correct CURVED profile of this gasket.  Seeing is believing. 


Left: The pusher channel has to be hand cleaned with sharpened peg wood, then (right) the reconditioned and pre-lubricated pusher assembly is replaced.  No 'corners being cut' here.


The c-clip is replaced using the proper tool.  Next, the crown and stem are cleaned, inspected and a new factory gasket is fitted. 


Competitors claim that your caseback's gasket channel can't or won't rust unless someone fails to clean the caseback.  This is misleading.  We see casebacks with factory-installed gaskets that have never been opened by anyone, which are RUSTED due to the simple fact that your body's sweat, oil, skin cells, dirt, etc. WILL find its way into this caseback-gasket area and can cause rust to form - as is clearly depicted in the photo on the right.  Again, NO ONE opened this watch to cause this surface rust, and it is easily removed by proper cleaning during any of our basic, intermediate or complete service.


A new caseback gasket is lubricated and fitted and then the caseback is properly torqued. 


The properly cased and sealed watch is then dry-pressure tested to its water resistance rating.  This is how we service the gaskets in a Seiko Kinetic watch.  We hope you have enjoyed these photos!


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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). 

*NOTICE - These prices can change depending on our sales/promotions, and do NOT include shipping and handling charges which are calculated during check out.

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



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What "service level" does my Kinetic Chronograph (Sportura, Arctura, etc.) 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 and Coutura watches 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 great deal of additional WORK.  Service for these watches starts at $159.95. 

What may cause my Seiko Kinetic watch to stop working, and/or  fail to hold a charge?

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


1. Defective, leaking and/or exhausted original-style capacitor.
2. Defective or exhausted Lithium Ion Energy Storage Unit.
3. High consumption of your watch movement.
4. A foreign national at the jewelry store or 'fix-it-fast' place 'worked' on it.

Let's examine each possibility, and take a closer look at the problems!

  • 1. Defective, leaking and/or exhausted original-style capacitor.

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 original-style, genuine 'capacitor' (surrounded by 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.  Many competitors claim 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 these 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.
  • 2. Defective or exhausted Lithium Ion Energy Storage Unit - Your lithium ion energy storage unit (LI ESU) is at the end of its serviceable life (approximately 4-7 years), was improperly conditioned, and/or is defective, and requires replacement.   Your watch may have come with the 'new' lithium ion ESU in place of the original-style capacitor.  The LI ESU behaves differently that a capacitor in that it takes longer to reach higher charge levels.  However, it can hold more 'power reserve' (time to discharge) than the original capacitor.  Of course, this assumes that your watch does not have high 'consumption,' which will quickly drain the new LI ESU, and/or cause it to become defective.  See more on high consumption below. 
 
  • 3. High consumption of your watch movement - 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, depicted in the photo below, can only be repaired with our intermediate or complete service levels.



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.   


How do I pay for my estimate and/or repair?
We require payment by credit card in our secure service cart which allows you to safely use any major credit card
.  We are a genuine business and accept all major credit cards DIRECTLY from our customers.  We have passed all the required credit checks to have a verified merchant account.  This means that we have a Federal Employment Identification Number (FEIN) and PAY TAXES.  The other companies who do NOT directly accept credit cards may NOT be paying taxes!  Thank God this will change in 2012 with the 1099-k requirement.  Goodbye bogus internet watch repair businesses.  No more hiding behind a non-verified, non-business Paypal account.  You are busted, gone, bye bye!



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Kinetic Watch Repair Estimate!



How do I send my watch for repair?

Easy.  Purchase a Kinetic Repair Quote.  AFTER you purchase the quote, check the email you specified when purchasing the repair quote, 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.  For security purposes, we no longer allow drop offs of Seiko Kinetic watches at our repair facility.  Thank you for you cooperation.


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I lost my original owner's manual.

You may obtain an electronic copy of your original owner's manual, or find questions concerning the operation of your Seiko watch at the manufacturer's website, located at THIS LINK.