It is time to get nostalgic to give us an idea of how we have arrived at the current moment that crosses the smartwatch industry, taking a look at what could be considered its direct grandfather: the Hamilton Pulsar Time Computer.
A few days ago we witnessed the new event Galaxy Unpacked of samsungwhere all the reflectors were monopolized by the new generation of smartphones with flexible screen.
Yes, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 are very attractive terminals with qualities that seem to define the future of this branch of the sector.
But at the same time we also welcome the new Galaxy Watch 6, which are equally shown as the most proactive in this segment where progress has been made by leaps and bounds in recent years.
I feel this is the perfect occasion to remember a legendary watch that had its origins in the field of science fiction and that largely defined what we now know as any smartwatch.
Hamilton Pulsar Time Computer: the watch that defined the future of the smartwatch
The Hamilton Pulsar Time Computer, in a relative sense, could be considered the world’s first digital clock, launched on the market in the remote year of 1972 by the company that gave it its name: Hamilton.
It was an American company with a long history, founded in 1892 and specialized in high-quality watches with precision in all its components.
This reputation was maintained for more than a century and by the second half of the 20th century it was one of the top manufacturers in the market, a close equivalent to what is now Samsung, Apple or Fossil.
It was in such a context that cult film director Stanley Kubrick approached them to design a special relative “props” watch that would appear in his next film: 2001: A Space Odyssey.
That springboard and the creation of a working prototype were the springboard to make the Hamilton Pulsar Time Computer an icon of the space age and technology.
It was the first commercial product to use an LED display showing the time at the push of a button. Something ridiculously common today but non-existent in those days.
The LED display was in its own way a revolutionary innovation, for the simple grace that it now made it possible to see the time in complete darkness.
As we can see, the watch had a rectangular shape and a metallic appearance, which gave it a futuristic and elegant air, which made it easier for celebrities like Roger Moore, Elvis Presley and more to use this model.
The watch was not cheap and had a cost of US$2,100 of those of that time. And yet it can be considered the cornerstone of the smartwatch.