Complete Mystery, Water Powered watch, no battery

[VID]

Hi...
I am a newbie in this forum, I?m a watch collector, I am just wondering if anyone out there has any info about this watch, it is a complete mystery to me, I could not find anything like it in the internet search, the watch work with water, has no battery you just pour water over the watch and set the time and date et voila it works, I will be grateful for any info

[fronzelneekburm]

Seen these often in the 80s here in germany. I remember I had a calculator that was powered with water, it didnt last for long, probably some misture got into the IC. When I disassembled it I found that it had a battery built in. Dont know much about the tech and I am probably wrong - but I think its a scam. I mean if you can use water instead a battery then why arent there more applications for it? I think it would be quite usefull for boat and beach accessory. Like a radio powered by water that you can take to the beach.

[fronzelneekburm]

Okay, my curiosity has costed me 6,30 Euros again... :?

I have bought a water powered clock - I just assume it must be the same tech as for the watch and calculator.


http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... 8902352875


Its german, but the seller claims the watch is mysteriously driven by "water and other electrolytical liquids". Well I may be wrong, but I think most batteries also contain electrolytical liquids.

But the seller assures: No Battery, no solar cells. We will see. I will post here as soon as I have discovered the myst of the water powered electronics.

[VID]

I have not opened the back of watch because there is no screw or snap on the back of the watch to open. There is few SCRATCHES at the back where the previous owner tried to open the back of the watch, Marking on the back (INT'L PATENT PENDING PCT REG NO 87 00058) but honest it was not working until I poured water over it.

[Diginut]

I dont own one of these water watches, BUT isnt this likely to be somesort of bi metal electolytic reaction giving just enough volts (but no current) to drive the LCD module ??

EG, get a 2 zinc nails or similar, 2 copper coins, insert them into 2 lemons, and joing them all up, and you will get 1.8volts all day long.

Same type of reaction can be made with potatos and other fruits. Even milk, salty water, ionised water etc all works. You can experiment with loads of different household objects and ligquids just so long as the two metal electrodes are different metals.

As for the water watch, it looks like it might have a tiny bank of 3 water based electrolytic cells making 1.5 to 2 volts when wet. LCDs only need 5-10 microamps which is no problem.

[fronzelneekburm]

Seems that Diginut is absolutely correct. I have got the clock today and opened it, there is some copper contacts touching zinc contacts in the part where you fill in the water. Nothing more. Thats the trick.

I am thinking much about it... Such a cheap and easy trick, probably even a very old one. There must be some kind of drawback... How long does that power the clock? When you seal the clock filled with water, so nothing can vaporize - then how long will it last, how much energy can be gained with that tech?`

Most of you probably already know everything about it, but I am still kinda fascinated by the simplicity of that energy-source...

[VID]

The watch lasted powered up for 2 weeks without charging it with water.

[h00hbt]

Well, heres something different.

http://www.electronickits.com/kit/compl ... un-285.pdf

/H