# kinetic energy generated by watches!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-energy-generated-by-watches/211844>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 7, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-energy-generated-by-watches/211844 "2003-11-07T06:15:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jamesb333](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@jamesb333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jamesb333)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-energy-generated-by-watches/211844/1 "2003-11-07T06:15:26Z")

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How do kinetic watches work exactly?

More importantly, precisely how much energy can such a mechanism produce 😕

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**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kinetic-energy-generated-by-watches/211844/2 "2003-11-07T06:32:36Z")

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Kinetic watches work by using the energy from your normal arm motions during the day. When your arm accelerates, it causes a tiny generator to spin, which charges a capacitor. In theory, such a mechanism could produce any amount of energy, depending on how big you build it. Of course, you’re limited by the strength of the arm it’s on.