This one is for the likes of you people that can't live without a watch, and don't take this personally or as an offense, since it's your choice what to wear. Seiko looks like being set to release a new series of watches, named "Hybrid," which will take advantage of photovoltaic cells, but with a difference.

If in the past, the company was hiding, masking (call it whatever) the photovoltaic cells, by stacking colored resin plates, then this time, Seiko has used transparent plates, so that the PV cells can be seen. This is supposed to emphasize the design of the watches, so that they will attract young people, in their twenties, that are reported to have a higher concern about ecological issues, but what they don't know is that they will also attract geeks that are into this kind of things.

As for the name of this model, Hybrid, it is said to highlight the combination between ecology and design. Speaking of that, the company designed the panel and dial parts to fit within the shape of the PV cell, rather than cutting the PV cell to fit in the already done design of the watch. That makes me think about speaker design, which can also be done somewhat this way - either build the cabinet around the speaker, or find a speaker suitable for the cabinet design.

Seiko Watch will be releasing ten types of wrist watches that will range in pricing from approximately $215 to $283. Fully charged, each of the models will operate for around six months, which is outrageously more than enough, unless you live at the North Pole, where the night lasts for six months, and even there - get your timing right (ha-ha! timing) and you will have the watch operating until the first day of daytime.


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