How to read a Seiko SKA power reserve

The PR button is standard with all Seiko Kinetics with the 5M-series caliber. It’s not a very accurate means of gauging the reserve power of its internal rechargeable lithium ion cell (not to be confused with a capacitor). Seiko’s recommended procedure to check the remaining power is to wait for the second hand to point to 12 o’clock and push the PR button.

The reserve power is measured by the how far the watch’s second hand moves in an arc. Depending on the amount of remaining power, the second hand will swing to the 5, 10, 20 and 30 second mark. If the watch has between 75%-100% worth of power, the second will swing 180 degrees to the 30-second marker.

The second hand will freeze momentarily until the time catches up and the hand will resume its normal timekeeping. You can only press the PR button twice until second hand starts ticking

At full charge, the internal storage cell will power the SKA013P for six months. The diagram below clearly illustrates how to read the watch’s power reserve.