Pulsar (watch)
Encyclopedia
Watch
A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...
and a division of Seiko
Seiko
, more commonly known simply as Seiko , is a Japanese watch company.-History and ongoing developments:The company was founded in 1881, when Kintarō Hattori opened a watch and jewelry shop called in the Ginza area of Tokyo, Japan. Eleven years later, in 1892, he began to produce clocks under the...
Watch Corporation of America (SCA). While Pulsar was the world's first electronic digital watch, today Pulsar watches are usually analog. They generally use the same movements as the lower-end Seikos such as the 7T62 quartz chronograph movement.
History
The first Pulsar was a brand of The Hamilton Watch CompanyHamilton Watch Company
The Hamilton Watch Company was originally formed to produce high quality pocket watches and wristwatches mid-range and luxury. Hamilton would become a corporate conglomerate diversified in other operations...
which announced that it was making the watch in early 1970. It was developed jointly by Hamilton and Electro/Data, Inc. In the spring of 1972, the first Pulsar watch was marketed by The Hamilton Watch Co. (the parent company, not the Hamilton Watch Division). With an 18 carat gold case, the world's first all-electronic digital watch was also the first to use a digital display — created with LEDs. A button was pressed to display the time. The first Pulsar initially sold for $2100 ($ in dollars).
In 1975 a digital Pulsar with a built-in calculator (operated with very small buttons) was introduced.
Seiko Corporation acquired the brand in 1978.