With smartwatches an other wearables seemingly taking over the market for wrist wear, it is refreshing to see a new take on the normal wristwatch. According to the Wikipedia article, “History of Watches,” wristwatches have been around since the 16th century:

The concept of the wristwatch goes back to the production of the very earliest watches in the 16th century. Elizabeth I of England received a wristwatch from Robert Dudley in 1571, described as an arm watch.¹

Aside from various changes in movements and power sources, the wristwatch is essentially unchanged since then. However, in 1996 Citizen introduced Eco-Drive, ultimately changing the wristwatch industry for good.²  Eco-Drive is a line of wristwatches by Citizen that are “powered primarily by either natural or artificial light. The Eco-Drive system eliminates the need and cost of battery replacement — as well as battery disposal. As of 2007, the company estimated the drive system had eliminated disposal of 10 million batteries in North America.”³ While Eco-Drive represents a major shift in wristwatch manufacturing, until very recently the technology was only available in high-end watches ($200+). No longer:

Q&Q Watches, a company that is a part of Citizen Watch Co., recently released an incredibly affordable line of watches that utilize the same Eco-Drive technology. The Q&Q Smile Solar Watches are all priced at $40. One full charge will power the Q&Q watches for upwards of 3 and a half months. Pretty remarkable for a $40 watch.