Resurgence of "retro" digital watches

[Vil_Riker]

I'm increasingly noticing a resurgence of digital watches - some are plastic resin and some are real metal watches. Something like what we used to get in the 70-s and 80-s. CASIO continued to make them and I think I still have one in a box somewhere.

In any case, there seem to be a movement to resurrect the old school designs. I recently bought a calculator watch like the one from the Back to the future movie.

I remember we had melody watches that would play very simple MIDI tunes. I can find these on eBay that are pretty beat up (they are, after all, 40-50 year old watches). Not sure if there are new ones. Good ones go for $1,000+ which is a crazy amount for a $20 watch.

 

[Cujet]

My father received a digital watch as a gift way back when. He did not like the digital style and gave it to me. I had that thing tied to my tool box lid for decades. It finally gave up the ghost recently, prob due to a leaking battery and I chucked it. Darn.

 

[john_pifer]

I remember when I was in elementary school (4th, 5th, 6th grade) in around 1988-1992, the watch everybody had to have was the Casio Data Bank.

In 5th grade, in around 1990-1991, I had one like this. Somehow it got dropped into a lake at Kia Kima Boy Scout Camp up near Hardy, AR

I think you could store phone numbers in the later models, and I seem to remember some even had a feature where they could auto-dial a phone number that was stored, for you, by “playing” the touch-tones into the receiver.

 

[hemitom]

Guy i went to school with had one can still remember the tune "waltzing Matilda"

 

[Vil_Riker]

Looks like I can get vintage Soviet models in decent shape from Ukraine or Belarus at reasonable prices. Not CASIO but it's a little rarer which fits the bill.

 

[Hermann]

My recent quartz digital watches. The Armitron Griffy is from the 70's. Worn 3 or 4 times a year. This is a modern reproduction but still an Armitron
The Casio "Tough Solar" scratched my Solar Watch itch for $23 from the Amazon return warehouse.

 

[joekingcorvette]

I remember the first ones had red numbers and were the cat's meow. I prefer my new Apple watch though. I used to have a bunch of Fossil watches and sold them all on ebay.

 

[hemitom]

My first digital watch was a stars wars watch i received as a Christmas gift in the 70s believe it was a texas instrument . ?

 

[CR94]

I like my Casio F-91W. Reliable, durable, accurate, and does everything a watch should. The band leaves room for improvement, though.
I liked the even simpler F-28W just as well, except its plastic back.
The buttons tended to fail on the metal-case watches I had earlier.

 

[vavavroom]

From left to right, one retro and two vintage quartz watches.

1. Current production retro-style Casio AE1200 modded with a SKXMOD IP stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, and modified dial with much verbiage removed. I wear this watch occasionally, usually when traveling. This watch is an homage watch to the 1983 Seiko G757 Sports 100 (seen in Octopussy). This watch and the Citizen are each on an Italian Bonetto Cinturini rubber strap. The Casio folded link bracelet was garbage and the Citizen resin strap died in the '90s.

2. My late 1980s Citizen Ana Digi Temp that I bought from money made by cleaning the swimming pools of rich ladies. I have been replacing the pusher seals and the case back gasket every 5 years and the watch is still good for swimming. The removable plastic shroud (removable like the one on a Seiko Tuna) is a bit beat up but has no cracks. Citizen still makes similar-looking analog-digital watches with the exact same module. I have a spare module in case the original dies. I still wear this watch a few times every year.

3. My dad's mid-'70s Westime (Swiss Made) that he eventually gifted me. This watch is on the original bracelet. I keep this watch running but I barely ever wear it. When I say it eats batteries I mean it.

 

[vavavroom]

I remember when I was in elementary school (4th, 5th, 6th grade) in around 1988-1992, the watch everybody had to have was the Casio Data Bank.

In 5th grade, in around 1990-1991, I had one like this. Somehow it got dropped into a lake at Kia Kima Boy Scout Camp up near Hardy, AR

I think you could store phone numbers in the later models, and I seem to remember some even had a feature where they could auto-dial a phone number that was stored, for you, by “playing” the touch-tones into the receiver.
View attachment 141743

The very similar CA-53W could be seen in Back to the Future and BTTF2.

 

[Graham Piccinini]

My Casio A168 is still kicking.
Can't remember how many years it's been already. But through tons of salt water, automotive fluids, blood, sweat, industrial chemicals, and endless amount of smashing it against stuff while I work on vehicles - it just keeps on going. Couple scratches on the glass and metal frame, but every true warrior has battle scars.
When, or if, it finally dies - I'll just whip out another $30 for more of the same. A168 is a workhorse and a legend of a watch.
My much more expensive watches and smart watches broke or glitching, and this thing outlives all of them.
A perfect combination of reliability, simplicity, and timeless design.
I can see why it's making a comeback. But for those like me - it never left in the first place.

 

[y_p_w]

My parents still have one of these. Or at least something similar. I tried reviving it with a new battery, but I'm not sure if it was the right size. I think the original came with a mercury battery and silver oxide is supposed to be a reasonable replacement.

 

[Vil_Riker]

From left to right, one retro and two vintage quartz watches.

1. Current production retro-style Casio AE1200 modded with a SKXMOD IP stainless steel case, sapphire crystal, and modified dial with much verbiage removed. I wear this watch occasionally, usually when traveling. This watch is an homage watch to the 1983 Seiko G757 Sports 100 (seen in Octopussy). This watch and the Citizen are each on an Italian Bonetto Cinturini rubber strap. The Casio folded link bracelet was garbage and the Citizen resin strap died in the '90s.

2. My late 1980s Citizen Ana Digi Temp that I bought from money made by cleaning the swimming pools of rich ladies. I have been replacing the pusher seals and the case back gasket every 5 years and the watch is still good for swimming. The removable plastic shroud (removable like the one on a Seiko Tuna) is a bit beat up but has no cracks. Citizen still makes similar-looking analog-digital watches with the exact same module. I have a spare module in case the original dies. I still wear this watch a few times every year.

3. My dad's mid-'70s Westime (Swiss Made) that he eventually gifted me. This watch is on the original bracelet. I keep this watch running but I barely ever wear it. When I say it eats batteries I mean it.

The one on the right is quite rare.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I still have my old Texas Instruments SR-51A Calculator from college that replaced a slide rule (when allowed) . Battery would never make it through a Physics exam I converted it to a carbon 9V.

I was never a fan of digital watches, Never like all the text expressing all of the features as Japaneses brands were wont to do - even in Audio equipment.

It seems easier to tell time by the analogous position of the hands on a dial face. surprisingly Less Thinking.

 

[Hillbilly Deluxe]

Just because some of you nerds have a camera that will zoom in like a microscope, doesn't mean you have to.

 

[vavavroom]

The one on the right is quite rare.

I have only seen one Westime LED watch for sale in the last 15 years. The Citizen with the black plastic shroud also doesn't come up much but similar vintage versions without shroud are out there and modern iterations are still in production, albeit with only 50 m WR.

 

[bdcardinal]

Just because some of you nerds have a camera that will zoom in like a microscope, doesn't mean you have to.

 

[vavavroom]

Just because some of you nerds have a camera that will zoom in like a microscope, doesn't mean you have to.

Just for you, Billy.