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Seiko TV Watch is now 20 years Old

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the nothing-else-going-on dept.

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.

4 of 133 comments (clear)

  1. They can't build them again (economically) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    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.

    1. Re:They can't build them again (economically) by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      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!

      --
      Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
  2. sounds cool until.. by Xzzy · · Score: 5, Interesting
    ..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.

  3. I Sold Them! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.