Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Rare 1977 Pulsar Calculator Watch Full Set
- Maker / attribution
- Pulsar (maker)
- Date
- c. 1977
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Unrecorded in source
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- stainless steel
- Auction house
- LiveAuctioneers auction archive
- Lot
- Item 217891655
- Credit line
- Auction lot record: lot 328, Exclusive Watches and Exclusive Pens, Sphere Auctions LLC (2025), via LiveAuctioneers
- Catalogue title (original)
- Rare 1977 Pulsar Calculator Watch Full Set (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 217891655), this is a wristwatch by Pulsar, dated c. 1977. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: stainless steel. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Lot description — Sphere Auctions LLC
A rare and iconic vintage Pulsar Time Computer Calculator digital wristwatch, circa 1977, in mint condition and fully working. This stainless steel model features the famous red LED digital display above a full numeric calculator keypad—one of the earliest multifunction digital watches ever produced.This particular example is complete with its full original set, including:Inner and outer boxesInstruction manualCertificate of ownershipPower cell certificateWarranty insertOriginal stylus penThe caseback is marked with serial number 730788, matching the original box label.Manufactured by Time Computer Inc., USA, and originally retailed for $550, this model represents a breakthrough in wearable technology and is increasingly sought-after by collectors.Condition: Mint, fully functional, bright display, crisp keysCase Size: Approx. 40mmBracelet: Original signed stainless steelMovement: LED digital quartzYear: 1977–1979Serial Number: 730788
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Quartz, digital and electronic watches
Electronic watches arrived in three steps. The Hamilton Electric 500 (1957) was the first battery-powered wristwatch, still with a balance; Bulova's Accutron (1960) used a tuning fork. On 25 December 1969 Seiko released the Astron 35SQ, the first quartz wristwatch, closely followed by the Swiss Beta 21 group. In 1972 Hamilton's Pulsar introduced the LED digital watch, and LCD displays soon made digital watches cheap.
The 'Quartz Crisis' that followed devastated the Swiss mechanical industry, which lost two-thirds of its workforce between 1970 and 1984 before recovering with the Swatch (1983) and the luxury mechanical revival. Solar, radio-controlled, kinetic and connected smartwatches continue the electronic line.
What to look for
- Battery hatch in the case back and calibre markings with 'Quartz' or a crystal frequency.
- Display technology: LED (red, push-button) versus LCD (always-on).
- Tuning-fork hum and a smoothly sweeping seconds hand on Accutrons.
- Model and reference numbers, often printed on the back.
Dating clues
- Electric balance watches: from 1957.
- Tuning-fork watches: 1960–c. 1977.
- Quartz analogue: from December 1969; LED digital: 1972–c. 1978; LCD from 1973.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Read next:Seiko calibre 35A (Astron)
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