I hesitate to sound old and grumpy, but needing a charger (a different charger!) for everything I use is extraordinarily annoying. And then I think watches, supposedly the analog oasis in this tech-enabled desert. Manual watches need daily winding, automatic watches need to be worn to stay wound, and regular quartz watches need a battery change a couple times a decade. I hate all this as well. What’s the answer? Solar-powered watches.
These watches, pioneered by Citizen’s Eco-Drive tech, harness the power of the sun (any light source, really) to convert it into energy that powers a quartz watch’s battery. It’s a feat of engineering, real sci-fi stuff. If they could make my phone and computer light powered, we’d be cooking.
Here, we have six solar watches that have not failed us yet. They are affordable (mostly under $500) and as low-maintenance as it gets. They make us feel safe, too, knowing that even if all our other items die, even if we don’t know where we are or how to get out, at least we will always know the time.
Speaking of engineering feats, it’s really Citizen we have to thank for solar-powered watches. Citizen launched Eco-Drive tech in 1976, and it did made solar-charging actually fast and reliable. That functionality is still going strong in a bunch of watch styles, but we’re partial to the classic Addysen with its substantial stainless steel watch bracelet and chic navy watch face.
On a tactical field watch—one with its nylon or silicone straps and durable build—solar power feels right. Vaer’s C5 Field watch is meant to be a beast that won’t let you down when you need it: Six hours of sunlight rack up to six months of power reserve, but the watch is extra efficient at converting lower-level and ambient light into power. It’s low-maintenance and a respectable 40mm size. We’d trust it in the wilderness.
Orient’s Stretto Solar Chronograph is a substantial 40mm watch that feels fun to wear regardless of whether you’re using those chronograph features at all. Orient uses Epson solar tech to power it, which runs on both artificial and natural light. (And it keeps up to 6 months of power reserve.) It works well, looks good, and is a favorite in the bracelet watch, chronograph lane.
If there’s one watch that really exudes solar timekeeping, it’s a Timex Expedition. And this North Field one is everything we love in a Timex: a 41mm size, reliable quartz movement, tactical nylon strap you can swap out easily, a date window, four-month power reserve, and 100m water resistance. Plus, it has both anti-reflective crystal and luminescent hands so you can actually see the time in both high light and no light. It’s casual, cool, and a fair price.
There are many a Casio G-Shock that use the brand’s Tough Solar tech to convert light into power, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. We like this one, though, for its substance and utility. It’s a big boy at 44.4mm, and it has functions galore: both analogue and digital time-keeping, water resistance up to 200 meters, and a time-and-place locator. Plus, you can connect it to your phone via Bluetooth if you so choose.
OK, technically this one is a little higher than $500. But for a smaller (39mm) watch that is solar-powered and slick enough to double as a dress watch? Those extra $75 are worth it. This one hides its solar capabilities well under a classic steel bracelet watch and in a navy blue watch face. Chic as hell.
