Built by a team from the Institut für Flugzeugbau at the University of Stuttgart, icaré 2 is one of the world’s most advanced gliders. Not only does it fly without the use of any fossil fuel, its self-generated solar power allows it to take off on its own, with no winch or other assistance.
Seiko is proud to support the project as part of its “Clean energy, Clear Thinking” initiative. Seiko is the world leader in energy-efficient watchmaking and is determined to lead the watch industry towards a more sustainable future by creating energy-efficient products in the most energy-efficient facilities.
Seiko’s new Solar Pilot watch sets a new standard in aviation watches. Not only does it deliver the rotary slide rule and chronograph functions that pilots require for navigation purposes, it operates on a solar cell that is powered by all kinds of light and will retain its charge for up to six months, even in complete darkness. The watch is fully charged after just five hours of exposure to sunlight in fine weather and never needs a battery change. The uniqueness of Seiko’s solar technology is immediately clear from the deep black color of the dial. Until this new generation of Seiko technology, the dials on solar watches needed to be opaque to let the required amount of light through to the solar cell beneath. Now, thanks to a new generation of high-efficiency Seiko Solar calibers, the dial can be pure black, allowing the pilot maximum visibility of the time data.
Like icaré 2, the Seiko Solar pilot watch is the very latest in green technology.
Source: Seiko
