mondo-watch

New Function Shows Time with a Flick of the WristTaking cues from the early model designs, this model was given the name Classic. To make room for the tube of mercury that enabled the wrist-activated Auto Command function, the buttons, which had been positioned on the sides of the watch, were moved to the top and bottom, thus completing the design of the Auto Command series. In addition to the pre...

Distinctive Huge Single-piece CaseBuler is a mid-sized manufacturer established by the SSIH Group (now Swatch Group) in Switzerland in 1945. It released a large number of low-priced watches that featured a single-piece case design with no openings on the plastic back portion that touches the skin. The battery was changed by removing the silver bezel on the front, then the red screen, then the modu...

Cuts in Module Size and Power ConsumptionThis women’s dress model featured a round silver case with attached bracelet. Its bangle-like design, which made the red display portion stand out like a precious stone, gave it a feminine look. The average women’s watch of the time was tiny, and thus modules had to be made much smaller for the women’s LED watches being developed. Plus, the need for a small...

エレクトロニクスが導いた革新的腕時計　─LEDウォッチの誕生　1970年5月6日、腕時計に新しい時代が幕を開けた。「針」に変わる時刻表示として、「数字」を表示する腕時計が、アメリカの名門ハミルトンより発表された。「Pulsar：パルサー」と名付けられたその時計は、世界にセンセーションを巻き起こす。記者発表のその席で、当時のハミルトンの社長は、「時を計算して作る時計だ」と誇らしく述べたという。　ハミルトンは、当時最...

The Birth of the LED Watch: Revolutionary Timepieces Led by ElectronicsOn May 6, 1970, the curtain opened on a new era of wristwatches. The famous American watchmaker Hamilton announced a new type of watch that could display the time with only digits and without hands. Given the name Pulsar, this watch would create a global sensation. At the press conference announcing the watch, Hamilton’s presid...

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Thorough Simplicity that Even Eliminates ButtonsThis LED watch was manufactured and sold by the British company Sinclair. While most watches use red LED displays, in this watch the black color of the case is brought out with a purplish tinge. To keep the price down, the watch was entirely made of plastic. The front part of the case below the display served as a piezo switch, and the watch was oper...

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Unusual Design with Eye-Catching ButtonsAs its name indicates, this LED calculator watch was powered by a solar battery. The five-digit, four-function calculator is operated using the 12 buttons that are positioned around the screen and etched with numbers or symbols. The LED display is above center and the black figure of the solar panel is visible below. In addition to this model, a model that a...

The Era's Leading Digital Watch PioneerPulsar is the iconic brand that introduced the first digital watch prototype with an LED display to the world in 1970. From 1971 to 1977, it led the era with both its wide array of models and its functional advancements. It also set the course for multifunctional capabilities made possible by digital displays, with calculator and even heart rate meter functio...

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Multiple Functions Made Possible by Digital DisplayAs its Pulse name indicates, this was the world's first watch that could automatically calculate heart rate. Similar in styling to the Date II, it features a touch sensor below the display. By placing a finger on the sensor, the dots blink in time with the pulse, and the average heart rate is displayed every two heartbeats. This model symbolizes t...

Earnest Effort from an Established German ManufacturerThe Time Commander LED was introduced by the renowned Junghans, established in 1861. The large round button placed in the upper right corner, a look unlike any other watch, was a functional design that offered better operability through ease of pushing. Germany is a global technology leader, and Junghans is known as a developer of advanced tech...

A Unified Look for the Case and BraceletDuring the boom in LED watches, many companies other than established watchmakers entered the market, creating an abundance of styles and technologies. However, only a few companies developed their own LED modules, so most makers were provided with general-purpose modules. Because the functions were the same all around, each maker had to compete in materials...

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A Dress Watch with a Rounded CaseThe previous rectangular case was revamped for a barrel-shaped case connected to the bracelet in this fourth model. The reduced size also gave it a dressier touch. By enhancing the integrated feel of the case and bracelet, Omega attempted to produce a classier and better-fitting watch. However, as lower-priced LED watches became widely available, this model was eve...

An Appliance Maker Enters the MarketThis LED watch was released by General Electric, the world's largest appliance manufacturer. The case and bracelet shape suggest that GE may have outsourced the manufacturing to Bulova. Being a new product with tremendous potential, the LED watch crossed the boundaries of typical manufacturing categories, with even appliance makers such as GE developing their ow...

A Gorgeous Gold-Filled CaseThis gorgeous design symbolizes the energy of American society in the 1970s. The hammer-finish case and bracelet decorate the wrist with dazzle. Many Bulova watches, which were said to have split popularity with Pulsar, featured decorative designs. With watches such as the Accutron, the first watch to use a tuning fork, Bulova became a leading American watchmaker that de...

Distinctive Off-Center Red DisplayThis is the first Hughes Aircraft model, born during the early period of LED watches. Because the Hughes modules place the LEDs slightly above center, the numbers in a round case would also be displayed above center. Thus the red display portion of the case was shrunk and moved slightly upward, which not only centered the display but also gave the watch a distinct...

A Wristwatch-style Calculator from a Calculator CompanyThis authentic wristwatch-style calculator permits four operations on a seven-digit display. In addition to telling the time, it came standard with 36 functions, including alarm, stopwatch, and a 200-year calendar. The included user's manual is 100 pages long. To improve ease of use, a removable stylus for pushing the calculator keys is enclos...

A Luxury Watch Made with Solid Silver and GoldThis early Bulova LED watch was wrapped in a detailed, lizard-like, almost grotesque scale pattern. The materials used for the case and bracelet, sterling silver with solid 14 karat gold trim, were as impressive as the design. Buttons are positioned on both the left and right sides, with the right button displaying hour-minute with one push, second wit...

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World's First 1/100 Second Digital ChronographThe upper LCD display shows time and date, and the lower LED display shows a stopwatch in this hybrid model. The integrated case and bracelet give it a sporty look. It was so popular in the 1970s motor racing world that special-order models sporting the Ferrari logo exist....

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A Dressy Style for a Woman's WristThis ladies’ model featured a mesh bracelet welded onto its round metal case with hairline-brushed finish around the front face. The red glass screen, set flat in the case and square-shaped with arcs in the corners, gives it a jewelry look that made the wearer’s wrist glisten. Size could be adjusted by cutting the mesh bracelet....

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A Business Model with Dual Time DisplayFor frequent world travelers, or people who frequently move within countries with multiple time zones such as the U.S., a wristwatch with multiple time displays is a must-have. While many mechanical watches used 24-hour hands or other means to display dual times, this model is a rare example of an LED digital watch capable of displaying two different times. T...

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Women's Dress Model with an Oblong ModuleThis LED watch uses an oblong, all-purpose module identical to the one used in the women's Benrus on the previous page. The rough, almost unfinished-looking texture on the vertically long case gives it a unique look reminiscent of jewelry. The module in the initial model had only two digits, so hour and minute were displayed separately in sequence. Later mo...