Seiko Spring Drive : How it works

[dpkong]

After a passionate discussion with JOS2012 at the MWF dinner, this is what I found.

http://people.timezone.com/library/rdnotebook/200509073623

[JOS2012]

hi donald,
that night you brought up the capacitor issue and an eventual replacement. From the article you kindly posted, the control ic circuit shows the reference quartz crystal oscillator but I don't seem to see any capacitor..
GS states that they are committed to keep parts for at least for 10 years after ceasing any GS model production.
So if one day Spring Drive production should come to an end in the next 10 yrs, I should still have parts over an additional 10+10 yrs…the very first SD started sometime in 1995 I think.
I've googled the internet, reading hundreds of articles on SD, so far there is only 1 report of a SD model where the auto winding could not reach full 72 hours but no issue from 1995 till now on any other SD issue itself.
The winding is the conventional mainspring wound by the magic lever.

I find it hard to accept that GS will refuse to replace/repair the SD in those Credor Sonnerie/Minute Repeater (only 3 pieces made per year) that is being sold for > RM 1M even after 20 years...

[dpkong]

Capacitors are a cheap replacement.



From the control circuit, it seems that there are at least 3 that look like capacitors (light brown). The crystal (or quartz) is the silver metal can part. Capacitors like these usually have a very long lifetime (barring premature failures).

I would think that Seiko would have perfected the QC and the electronic module would have a very long lifespan.

[JOS2012]

Hi donald, interesting stuff.
I do hope that the pic shown is of an early prototype n not the current final version as the movt looks very crude.
The pics on d web n also those seen thru the GS SD casebacks dun look anywhere as crude..

[dpkong]

Hi donald, interesting stuff.
I do hope that the pic shown is of an early prototype n not the current final version as the movt looks very crude.
The pics on d web n also those seen thru the GS SD casebacks dun look anywhere as crude..

The article did say these were the early (or prototype) models so the later models may have some difference. The search continues....