I have owned a SEIKO Kinetic PREMIER watch for one year. I was lulled into buying it because of the technology: hibernation mode if not worn, perpetual calendar, leap year adjustment, 0.4mm thick ultrasonic motor, energy storage unit/ i.e. its battery to last forever, no need to ever open the watch to replace the battery (i.e. no risk to damage the "water resistant" seal).

Right out of the box the promised "months" before it would go into the "sleep" or "hibernation" mode was only one week. I read on blog sites it takes 25,000 wrist movements to fully charge the new MAXELL Lithium-ion battery (with the old capacitor it was only 800). If you do not wear the watch daily, with the above 25,00 required movements, good luck that it will EVER be fully charged. Result, a possible premature 'death'. Per these blog sites some of Seiko's new Li-ion batteries would last only 5 - 6 years. (Note, the cost of having the battery replaced is ~ $100.-)

I wonder what all the buzz is about "recharging kinetically": TIMEX also sell a watch with perpetual calendar, its Li-ion battery to last 10 years. You return the watch after 10 years, TIMEX exchange the battery, and return it to you (at NO CHARGE).

Given its battery issues, SEIKO's Kinetic technology may end up "a dead branch on the wrist watches' tree of evolution". When and if my KINETIC Premier should fail, I will not bother to have it repaired.