Seiko TV Watch is now 20 years Old

TheGreatOrangePeel writes "In 1982 the Seiko "Television Watch" became available to buy. Now, 20 years later, the watch has become a bit of a rare item to find. When it was available new, it contained the following: 1-1/4" LCD Screen on wristwatch, Shirt pocket receiver, Case, Earphones, Owner's Manual." Apparently the small wonder is still the smallest TV commercially produced.

Comments

They can't build them again (economically)

[Anonymous Coward]

My organization is known for studying the viability of certain technology products, including televisions.

We've found that the next place a TV makes sense is within cell phones. With phones getting high quality displays, it's relatively inexpensive (power/space/$) to add a television tuner.

We found smaller devices were not economical, due to the fact that most people already carry around a cell phone as a device.

We've also found that cell phones are displacing the sales of watches, as most modern cell phones have a server-synchronized clock built in.

Over time, we find that the cell phone will shrink into a watch-sized device - but that will take at lesat two more generations of development. Battery life and size is, as always, the limitation.

Re:They can't build them again (economically)

[Reality Master 101]

We've also found that cell phones are displacing the sales of watches, as most modern cell phones have a server-synchronized clock built in.

I stopped wearing a wristwatch a long time ago for just this reason. What's also interesting that I never though of before is that we went from pocket watches -> wrist watches -> and now back to pocket watches!

Re:They can't build them again (economically)

[cmowire]

They've done it, Mr. Troll, but who uses them right now? How long did it take to go from wanting a pocket computer (Sharp Wizard, various Radio Shack pocket computers, Newton, etc, etc, etc,) to actually HAVING a usable pocket computer that caught on (PalmPilot, iPAQ, etc.) for widespread usage? At least 10 years.

This is what I am referring to -- the time when it goes from geekazoid toy to part of life for a good percentage of non-geeks.

sounds cool until..

[Xzzy]

..you read the article and realize the thing had a walkman-sized reciever you gotta carry around too (source site was hosed, that's a mirrored copy).

Seems to me one of the other portable TV's would be a lot more convenient, especially considering the improved screen size. Which you know, is probably a real darn good reason why it never cought on. ;)

Still, having a resolvable display in the early 80's was doing pretty darn good, even if it ended up being little more than a neat hardware hack.

Re:sounds cool until..

[Anonymous Coward]

If you wore that today, people would think you were a wired suicide bomber. Strange cables everywhere...

You need a small transmitter for a small watch.

[User 956]

Combine this with the world's smallest TV transmitter, and you're all set.

I Sold Them!

[Anonymous Coward]

I was a salesman at Bel Air Camera in Los Angeles
in 1982 and I remember selling these silly things.

Actually I remember selling ONE. It was bought by
David Hearst... Patty's brother. He wandered
around Westwood looking at the stupid thing and
bumping into people.

Computer Watch

[BoxJockey]

This reminded me of a watch I had long ago...It was a PDA/Organizer Computer Watch. It actually had a version of GW Basic in the rom, and 256k of RAM, I believe. Here's a british version on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item =941378559