Are digital watches repairable width
Hackaday
Electronics enthusiasts have the opportunity to be on the very cusp of a trend with vintage digital watches (VDW). Vintage digital watches are those watches that from the late 70s and throughout the 80s. Theyre unlike any watch style today, and for anyone around when they made their debut these deliver a healthy dose of nostalgia.
Monetarily speaking, it is not worth the money to pay a watch maker to restore a digital watch but for those of us with basic electronics skills we can put the time and effort into making them run again and be one of the few in possession of functioning VDW. Its a statement as well as a sign of your own aptitude.
Earlier this year, Steven Dufresne walked us through the history of the digital watch. In this article we will dive into the world of vintage digital watch repair.
LED Wristwatches are Hard to Come By
LED watches were the very first digital watches because LED display technology pre-dates LCD tech. The first commercially available LED watch was the Hamilton Time Computer, shipping in 1972, followed by many others. With LED technology American watch manufacturers dominated the digital watch marketin the early 70s.
These early digital watches consume copious amounts of power, burning through batteries every three to six months even when used lightly. Most LED watches feature day, date, month, seconds, and perpetual calendar. Some even feature alpha-numeric segments for displaying the day. It is tough to find working LED VDWs. Plan to either pay a fair market value for a working one or to buy numerous modules (module is the name for the VDW movement) or complete watches to make one work. Given this scarcity, if you can get an LED working you will become king of the geeks.
I bought this watch, made by National Semiconductor, as new old stock (NOS). It was completely dead and suffered from battery corrosion that went so far as to damage bond wires going to the IC. I ended up buying two additional watches to make this one work.
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) Watches of the 1970s
If you want to wear something different consider a mid to late 70s LCD VDW. These watches are fairly inexpensive and easy to service, most of the time requiring only cleaning of battery and button contact terminals.
With 1970s VDWs you can find everything from perpetual calendars, chronographs, alarms, to world timers. In the 1970s the digital watch cases were over-built, big, metal, and heavy. These bold designs hold up well today.
Fairchild, National Semiconductor, Commodore Computer Company, Texas Instruments
The legendary tech companies of our youth have only one thing in common; they each made digital watches in the 1970s. Apparently, the sale price and the cost of goods aligned with the business plans of these behemoths of tech including; Commodore Computer, National Semiconductor, Texas Instruments, and Fairchild Semiconductor.
The Calculator Watch
Michael J. Fox wore one in the most iconic electrical engineering move of all time, Back to the Future. In the film he wore the Casio CA-50. Surprisingly enough you can buy one new today for $18-24.
If thats not cool enough then consider the late 70s calculator watches, many of which feature stainless steel buttons. Of all the watches in my collection the one pictured below gets the most attention. I like to tell my young daughters that this watch has an elf keyboard on it.
But if you think that simple multiply, divide, add, and subtraction watches are not enough for your needs then you should consider stepping up to a scientific calculator watch like the Casio CFX-200 shown below. Look at all of those buttons!
The first Smart Watch, Seiko UC-2000
BASIC was the programming language of the 1980s and if you wanted to run a BASIC program on your wrist there was only one way to do it; with a Seiko UC-2000 and 3000 series watches:
Every serious VDW collector must have one of these in her/his collection. The Seiko UC-2000 is still ahead of its time, not even the Apple watch can run BASIC programs yet.
King of VDW, the Ana-Digi
The king of all VDW is the Analog-Digital (so-called Ana-Digi). The Ana-Digi features both a digital display and an analog display on the same watch. The best part about it is that the analog display is electronically synchronized to the digital display, they both tick in unison! A technological tour-de-force of both digital and mechanical watchmaking.
The VDW Community
The watch collecting and repair communityhas traditionally been focused on mechanical time pieces, but recently Tibi Fleseriuhas generated a tremendous interest and following in VDW through his YouTube channel. Like many others in this growing hobby, I discovered the world of VDW through Tibis channel.
Tibis interest in VDW started at a young age,
What got me started in VDWs is that Ive always been a watch guy but never into mechanical watches, I was into the likes of altimeter watches and compass watches so some nerdy electronic device in your watch It tells time but also does this. I eventually wanted to add a digital watch in the collection but wasnt pleased with todays new products so I ended up in looking what was in the hay day of digital watches. And here I am 5 years later with an obsession :). Moreover I have always been into electronics especially early miniaturization technology.
Tibi describes the atypical VDW collector,
She/He is a watch enthusiast foremost but he is not one to aspire to Rolexes, JLCs or Patke PhillippesShe/He does not aspire to what we call haut horology pieces
She/He usually has a side hobby or more involving vintage electronics, gaming or computingShe/He likes to tinker or at least knows a little more than changing a battery on a watchShe/He is a nerd whether we are talking watches or electronicsShe/He had some part of his life in the 70s to 90s
Sound familiar? You have a home in the VDW community.
How to Repair a VDW
There is no way around it, sooner or later your watch will break or you will want a piece that requires repair to make it run. Fortunately most VDW repairs are well within the abilities of the readers of Hackaday. As a reference, you will want to get a copy of The Digital Watch Repair Manualwhich is the best repair manual on repairing digital watches. Once you have familiarized yourself with how VDWs work I suggest you watch this video on how to service a common VDW, most VDW repairs are not even this involved:
Combine both traditional mechanical watchmaking skillsand now you can repair an Ana-Digi as shown in this video. And here is how to repair the Sieko UC-2000 whos most common problem is damage to the inductive communications coil used to load and read data to/from the watch.
Where to Buy
Once you have found your VDW muse and are itching to buy one for your collection, here are my suggestions;
Buy a new one:
The easiest way to get into VDW is to buy a new one. Casio continues to manufacture numerous models unchanged since the 1980s including the calculator watch CA53W, the ubiquitousF91W, the Casino Royale and others. With a new watch you will not have to worry about getting it wet or doing repairs.
Buy new old stock (NOS):
Get the experience of owning a new watch from the 1970s. Millions of digital watches were manufactured and some of these were never sold. These watches were shelved, never to be uncovered again until the advent of online auction sites. Today you can find many examples of NOS VDW watches.
Buy used:
Theres nothing like the character of a used watch. As strange as it may sound, watch collectors like to leave the scratches on the case and the gouges in the crystal of their vintage pieces because it tells a story. In other words, the wear on your watch is akin to the wear on a good pair of jeans. So do not worry about the scratches and scuffs. A fully operational watch with wear is a desirable look these days.
The Future of VDW
The value of things vintage watch has skyrocketed in recent years. I cannot even buy late 40s Bulova movements without paying about 4x what I had 7 or 8 years ago. Similarly, digital watches are on the verge of mass-interest by the greater watch community. According to Tibi:
These gems are in finite numbers, they dont make them anymore at least not the way they used to. Mechanical watches are still being produced today in many forms and prices but digital watches not so much
Dont Forget to Wear Your Vintage Digital Watches
For the first time as hackers and electrical engineers we can be at the forefront of fashion. Wearing a VDW is an achievement because youre able to make it run again. Its a statement as well as a conversation piece because nobody wears 1970s and 80s digital watches anymore. For these reasons and more lets not forget to wear our digital watches.
17 Toughest Watches On The Planet in 2022
For most products, durability (or quality in general) is directly proportional to the price. This is often true even for watches since the shock-resistant cases, lightweight metals such as titanium, and durable watch components all add to the price.If you search online for the toughest watches, youll often land on lists of luxury watches. While these amazing timepieces are nice to admire, most of our readers are not looking to spend thousands on their next watch. The good news is that there are actually lots of tough watches that are also affordable!For this list of best watches, we compiled tough yet reasonably priced recommendations. Towards the end, we do work our way up in price range and finish the list with a few very tempting watches, but focused mostly on relatively affordable picks.
Best Tough Watches on the Planet
Citizen Promaster Tough BN0217-02E
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From one of the pioneers in watchmaking in Japan, Citizen, we have listed the Promaster Tough BN0217-02E. As one of the models from the Promaster Tough series, it was designed and built with durability in mind. For one, it comes with a monocoque case, a two-piece construction design that foregoes the need for a case back. Its extremely durable, shock- and magnet-resistant.More so, its stainless steel case is coated with Super Titanium, making the component anti-rust, scratch-resistant, hypoallergenic and five times harder than the ordinary stainless steel. The dial window, moreover, is made of anti-reflective sapphire crystal; while the black strap uses Cordura ballistic fabric.On the dial, you would find super LumiNova hands and markers that are not only luminous in the dark but can also function even in extreme temperatures. It also has a date window at 3 oclock position. More so, this model uses Eco-Drive technology so it can be powered by any kind of light and doesnt need any battery. For the movement, it uses Caliber E168. This timepiece is water-resistant for 666 feet, so its suitable for swimming, showering, and snorkeling.
Luminox LeatherBack Sea Turtle Giant
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Going back to analog watches, we have the Luminox LeatherBack Sea Turtle Giant.The timepiece comes in black with green accents. Its dial shows large Arabic numerals for hour markers, while on the bezel are smaller Arabic numerals for 5-minute marks. It also has a date window at 3 oclock position.For enhanced durability, it boasts of the combination of a Carbonox and white fiberglass compound with crown protection, along with the leatherback for its watch case. Then for a long-lasting dial window, it uses tempered scratch-resistant mineral crystal. It also comes with a black webbing strap with a brushed stainless steel signature buckle.This timepiece is proudly Swiss-made and uses Ronda 515 HH6 movement. It is also equipped with Luminox self-powered illumination and is rated 10 ATM for water resistance.
Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Watch
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Next is an automatic watch from Hamilton the Khaki Field Titanium Watch. It may seem simple and straightforward, yet it offers absolute functionality and durability. As such, the case is made of titanium with a sapphire crystal dial window. It is water-resistant up to 100 meters. The black strap, on the other hand, is made of synthetic cow leather with a 20mm lug width.The black dial features a luminous three-hand analog display with Arabic numeral hour markers and a date window at 3 oclock. These are powered by caliber H-10 automatic movement thats equipped with intricate snail and pearled patterns.
Luminox Master Carbon Seal Limited Edition
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The Luminox Master Carbon Seal 3803 C Limited Edition Watch also features the Carbonox case, making it lighter, more durable, hypoallergenic, and more scratch-resistant and heat-resistant. On the blue carbon fiber dial, youll find Tritium hands and luminous dots. The bezel also indicates a 60-minute scale in white/orange. Its analog display uses a Swiss quartz Ronda 715 Hh6 movement. It is also ideal for water sports and activities as it is rated 30 ATM so it can still be used up to 300 meters deep.
Casio G-Shock DW5600E-1
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Worthy to be listed first on this list is the Guinness World Record holder for the toughest watch, the Casio G-Shock DW5600E-1. The world record was earned last October 30, 2017, when the said timepiece was driven over by a 24.97-ton truck. Proving its toughness, Casio G-Shock DW5600E-1 was not broken and was still functional even after the challenge.Aside from the proven shock resistance, Casio G-Shock DW5600E-1 is also water-resistant for 200 meters. It is great both for your outdoor and water activities. It has a 45mm black rectangular watch case and black resin strap.It also uses EL backlight with afterglow so you can read the display under any light. Its also built with a multi-function alarm, countdown timer, stopwatch with elapsed and split time modes, an auto-repeat function, an hourly time signal, and an auto-calendar thats been pre-programmed until 2039.
Timex Mens Expedition Acadia Full Size Watch
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From another well-known brand that offers quality yet affordable watches, weve listed the Timex Expedition Acadia. It comes with a 40mm black resin case covered with a scratch-resistant acrylic crystal dial window. The dial is black showcasing large print Arabic numerals with smaller digits to represent 24-hour military time. It also has minute indices and a date window at the 3 oclock position. It is also built with the brands signature Indiglo light-up and the hands are luminous to enable you to tell time even in the dark.More so, it comes with a 20mm leather and fabric strap and tack buckle clasp. It has been tested against and made to withstand various elements that you may encounter in various adventures. And of course, it is water-resistant up to 100 meters.
Casio Mens G-Shock Stainless Steel GST-S110-1ACR
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Casio G-Shock Stainless Steel GST-S110-1ACR boasts of a watch case and bezel made of stainless steel along with a black band made of resin for reinforced toughness. It has a built-in solar battery so you dont have to worry about replacing or recharging.Th ani-digital dial displays an easy-to-read using large silver hour markers and two luminous hands. The digital display shows world time, stopwatch, countdown timer, and five daily alarms. This G-shock also has a full-auto calendar, daylight saving time feature, hourly signal, and a battery level indicator.
Victorinox Swiss Army Mens I.N.O.X. Watch
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Boasting titanium toughness is the Victorinox Swiss Army Mens I.N.O.X. Watch. The watch case is made of sandblasted titanium with a smooth, matte finish. Along with the durability, such material is also lightweight and hypoallergenic. Its dial window is made of scratch-resistant, triple-coated, anti-reflective sapphire crystal. It also has a removable translucent protection bumper. The strap uses rubber with a chain-link appearance to provide comfort and a flexible look suitable for an everyday watch.The dial presents an analog display with embossed markers, hour and minute hands. The blue second-hand matches the rubber strap. It also has a date window located between the 4 and 5-hour markers. Although using a quartz movement, the timepiece is Swiss-made and put through 130 extreme endurance tests. It is also rated 20 ATM for water resistance, so it is safe up to 200 meters deep. It is also covered by a 3-year limited warranty.
Casio G-Shock Master of G (GG-1000-1A3JF)
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Casio G-Shock Master of G Mudmaster GG-1000-1A3JF is a bulky option from Casio G-Shock that has both digital and analog displays so you can easily tell time. The Master of G Mudmaster seriesis also shock-resistant, mud-resistant, and water-resistant for 200 meters.It has a built-in compass and thermometer. It also features world time for 48 cities, a stopwatch with elapsed and split time mode, a countdown timer, and five daily alarms. It also uses an auto LED backlight with an afterglow so you can still read the display even in the dark.
Marathon Swiss Made Military Field Army Watch
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From the last bulky timepiece, we move on to the more sleek design of the Marathon Military Field Army Watch. It is a field watch built specifically to meet military specifications. It is designed for general infantry, so it comes with a notably lightweight yet high-impact fiber shell case and sapphire crystal glass. It is proudly Swiss-Made, from La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland.On the dial, youll find Margalo-painted markers and hands. This particular paint is characterized as photoluminescent, meaning it charges under a light source to glow in the dark. The timepiece also uses a high-torque quartz movement, specifically an ETA F06 3-jewel with an end-of-life indicator. This timepiece is rated 3 ATMs in terms of water resistance.
German Military Titanium Watch GPW Day-Date
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Next on the list is the German Military Titanium Watch. It is built with durability suitable for the Infantryman of the Future and German KRK (Crisis Reaction Forces) Soldier. It uses sandblasted grade 2 titanium for its watch case, making it lightweight and comfortable to wear as well. More so, it features an anti-reflective sapphire crystal for its dial window.The dial uses German Utilitarian Design, with luminescent hands and hour markers. At the 3 oclock position, youll also see a day and date window. The timepiece is equipped with a reliable Swiss quartz movement and is water-resistant for 200 meters.
Garmin Instinct
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Next on the list is Garmin Instinct. This entry on the list may seem like a bit of a surprise since the brand is more known for releasing sport-specific watches and GPS; this model definitely makes the cut as a tough watch. The Garmin Instinct is a GPS watch specifically built to survive the abuses of harsh environments.It meets the US military standard 810G, ensuringits toughness for thermal, shock, and water resistance.In addition, it packs a 3-axis compass and barometric altimeter. It can also access navigation satellite systems GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo for better tracking functions.The Garmin Instinct can also serve as a fitness watch to monitor your heart rate, activity, and even stress. You may also connect it with your smartphone for notifications and to connect with the Garmin fitness community online.Garmin has since developed a Solar powered version of the Instinct, Fenix 6, adding up to two weeks of battery life, making these rugged and durable watches even more appealing.You read more about the solar collection on the Garmin website.
Suunto Traverse Alpha
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Another tough smartwatch is the Suunto Traverse Alpha. You can immediately infer that it is built for the outdoors with its rugged look. This Finland-made timepiece comes with a knurled stainless steel bezel, a glass fiber reinforced composite with a stainless steel-coated case, a water-repellent nylon strap, and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass.It also has various navigation features as it accesses GPS and GLONASS satellite systems. It has shot detection technology and an automatic breadcrumb trail.Suunto Traverse Alpha uses rechargeable lithium-ion, lasting 14 days when in watch mode only.
Casio Pro Trek PRG-270-1 Tough Solar
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Heres a more advanced model from Casio the Pro Trek PRG-270-1 Tough Solar. It is a digital sports watch thats been packed with a load of features and functions.First, it has a triple sensor the altimeter, barometer, and compass. It also comes with an auto-calendar that has been pre-programmed until 2099, five daily alarms, world time for 31 time zones, and a countdown timer. It also has a daylight saving feature, an LED backlight with afterglow.Pro Trek PRG-270-1 Tough Solar is water-resistant for 100 meters, resistant to low temperature, and solar-powered, and it can last up to 9 months even without exposure to light.
Marathon Watch Swiss Made Military Watch with Tritium
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As its heading indicates, the Marathon Military Issue WW194027, this Swiss-made military standard watch is built to meet the US military standards making it exceptionally durable for search and rescue missions.This is a professional-level dive watch with 300-meter water resistance and highly luminous Tritium for visibility in low-light or underwater use.The 35mm watch case is made with 316L surgical-grade stainless steel, and the dial window is 3mm thick and made of scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. The black strap is vulcanized rubber with a tang buckle clasp. It is also equipped with Tritium gas tubes for self-illumination of the timepiece for up to 25 years.This divers watch uses ETA F06 high-torque 3-jewel quartz movement with an end-of-life indicator.
Suunto 9 Baro Titanium
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For the active ones, you might prefer the Suunto 9 Baro. It is a durable smartwatch designed specifically for athletes who go through arduous training and love extreme adventures.This smartwatch offers three intelligent battery modes performance, endurance, and ultra. With this feature, the Suunto 9 Baro can last up to 120 hours even if GPS is turned on. This watch also features a barometer and heart rate tracker, and it can also record all your activities to see your progress every time. More so, it has a storm alarm, weather trend, and sunset/sunrise times so you can wisely plan your activities.
Garmin MARQ Adventurer
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Last on the list may be quite a bit more expensive than the others, but it is still worth mentioning. Were talking about the Garmin MARQ Adventurer. It is a modern tool watch built to be as tough as you are in every adventure that youll take. Its also packed with loads of smart features to guide you through every activity and record pertinent statistics.Among others, it has access to various navigation satellite systems GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo to keep you on the right path. Its also preloaded with topographical maps to help you locate new places. It has an oxygen level sensor, heart rate, hydration, and respiration trackers to monitor your health during activities. It even keeps a stress score based on your heart rate.Of course, it is also preloaded with various sports profiles to track and record your sports activities accurately. It even has advanced performance metrics that could be your guide during training.It is not just smart, it is also certainly tough. Built with a titanium case and bezel with a domed sapphire crystal window. The strap is durable Italian leather, and it has a 10 ATM (100 meters) water resistance rating.Closing WordsWe hope that this post shows that you dont have to spend too much to have a reliable, tough watch. With the wide variety available in the watch industry, you can indeed find the best watch for you that will also fit within your budget. With that, if youve also noticed, the list we have here shows you different types of watches.We have tactical watches, divers watches, field watches, and smartwatches even. If youre still looking for a watch after going through the list, you might be interested in our reviews on Tactical Watches, or maybe OCR Watches orSurvival Watches, which are also rugged and tough.Featured Image: PxFuel
