intric8

I have an embarrassing confession to make.

I have a strange obsession (fetish?) with incredibly vintage and/or nerdy watches.  Watches so geek-laden, I might only wear them in public while wearing a long-sleeved shirt.  I focus mostly on watch designs from the 1970s and early 80s, which I appreciate for their clean lines and understated modernism.  I must admit a strong nostalgic attraction as well.

My most recent acquisition is a New Old Stock (NOS) Seiko A159 (to be precise, an A159-4029 T) digital Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) men’s wristwatch.

Somehow, this museum-worthy relic sat in a display case or box or coffin completely untouched for the past 32 years, never to be worn, or scratched, or nicked, or anything – until now.  It’s almost like a rare fruit fly that was thought to have been extinct decades ago thanks to man-made global warming is suddenly rediscovered.  Hovering lazily over my banana.  Incredible!  (Slap!)

In any case, for those out there interested in this type of timepiece and its origins, I thought I would share some of my research findings in addition to the photos I’ve taken (if you wish to reuse my photos for personal use, please ask permission first).

Ohhhh, James …

First off, the Seiko A159 has mistakenly been reported by some as a “James Bond Movie Watch.”  From what I can tell, this is technically not true.

According to one source, the watch was used in some promotional marketing materials to introduce the new relationship between Seiko and the 007 brand prior to the 1977 release of “The Spy Who Loved Me.”  I have not been able to verify this, but it is an interesting anecdote, if true.  If anyone has any of these materials, I would love to see them.  Nevertheless, it was never in the movie, or any other Bond film.

The watch made famous in the campy spy classic is in fact the unforgettable Seiko 0674 5009.  You remember, it’s the watch that ironically stamped out a secret message from HQ on narrow fortune cookie paper rather than alerting 007 on the digital screen of the watch.  Can you imagine trying to load the paper into the back of that thing?

The 0674 is quite rare these days and hard to find in excellent condition for less than $300.

Regardless of the A159′s suspect linkages to 007, it is still considered by some to be part of Seiko’s 1st-generation of LCD digital watches, which first hit the market in 1973.

The History

Prior to Seiko’s partnership with the Bond franchise in the late 70s, the movies had primarily been dominated by Rolex, although the it was by no means a monogamous relationship.

“By 1977 quartz prices had fallen to the point where they were accessible to anyone, and Hattori [Seiko] initiated one of the earliest examples of high-profile product placement via the popular (and evidently endless) James Bond film series … Roger Moore’s iteration of the character wore six [emphasis mine] different Seiko timepieces [if the A159 was included, it would be seven], appearances that were paralleled by extensive print ads featuring James Bond and his Seiko. Most of the Seikos James Bond wore were the flagship LCD watches of the period, and their latest development were quickly shifted to film.”

Having been born in ’77, the A159 was likely the end of that 1st-generation, right before the 1980s pummeled Seiko and its stock share price, as well as any remaining significant monetary value of stand-alone LCD digital watches from a public perception standpoint.

LCDs were, and still are, deemed fashionably acceptable when part of an analog/digital combo, or in pure sport or exercise related watches, but rarely as elegant fashion pieces particularly at the mid-level price range.  Due to their ease of manufacture, LCDs became “cheap” and easy to obtain.  With the LCD watch approaching four decades, the once cutting edge technology lost its ability to capture or impress the world’s imagination long ago.  Pan left, enter nostalgia!

There have been a multitude of  James Bond watches spotted over the decades (around 50), including Seikos.  With the exception of the occasional laser beam equipped watch, humorous 007 gadget watches appear to have taken a bit of a hiatus for several years.

As you can see, the Bond franchise has been dominated by the highly respectable Omega brand since 1995 (owned by the Swatch Group, which have also taken the Olympics away from Seiko under the Omega flag) .

The Seiko 007 list:

• 1973, Live and Let Die, Hamilton Pulsar ‘P2 2900′ LED.  Not a Seiko at the time, but an interesting LED history, nevertheless.  Hamilton, a once innovative US-based watch manufacturer from the 1890s-1970s, has been a subsidiary of The Swatch Group since 1984.  The Pulsar brand is now owned by Seiko, however, “positioned below Seiko, but above Lorus.”  These days, Pulsar watches are mainly analog.
• 1977 ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ Seiko 0674 ‘Ticker Tape’ wristwatch, mentioned above
• 1979 ‘Moonraker’ Seiko m354 Memory Bank ‘Plastique Explosive’ Wristwatch
• 1981 ‘For Your Eyes Only’ Seiko H357 Analog Digital Display with scrolling LED message bar (now they get it!) and two-way radio
• 1983 ‘Octopussy’ Seiko Liquid Crystal TV Watch
• 1983 ‘Octopussy’ Seiko G757 Sports 100 (the ultimate collectible) Homing Device/Hidden Microphone Monitor

The Manual

Back to my A159.  The watch arrived to my San Francisco Bay Area abode  after a long journey all the way from Budapest, Hungary – by blimp, no doubt.  It did not come in an original Seiko box, nor did it come with the instruction manual.  There are only 4 buttons, yet the usability of the buttons and the watch face labels is nonexistent, except perhaps for the quaint bulb-driven light (which works).

I contacted Seiko customer service to see if they had any of the manuals in their archive, and they politely sent me a full-color scan in PDF format, which you may also download from me if you’re so inclined (you won’t find it on their website).  The manual says it is for the A159 and its 1st cousin the A158.

Help yourself.

I’ve currently got my radar up for this jaw dropper, circa 1971.  But for now, I think I’ll close the blinds and put on my virgin Seiko A159.