LCD Pulsars: 3140-2 & 5140-2

[T-bird]

Sorry, it is not about the watches themselves, but to inform all Pulsar collectors that these two rare models are available NOS for good prices. Check the Digital Watch Marketplace section - and again, sorry for the intrusion...

Al. :D

[Greg Ratcliff]

Thanks Al for posting the ad. I also have Pulsar ladies models 2926 and 2927 for sale if anyone is interested. They are NOS just like the LCDs. I have 1 model 2912 also. My dad used to be the production manager for Pulsar before they went out of business. We aquired the watches after 3 years of servicing warranty repairs for Pulsar, after the name was sold to Rhapsody in Philly. Email me with any questions at gsratman1@netzero.net. Thanks, Greg Ratcliff 8)

[Supersonic]

I have bought two LCD Pulsars from Greg and can say they were perfect and excellent value for money.

Thanks Greg.

[collector]

Picked up three Pulsars (3140-2; 5140-2 and a 2927-2) from Greg earlier today. All three are in absolutely MINT NOS condition!!! His watches are truly OUTSTANDING.

Trust me, you will not be disappointed with his watches!!!

[Greg Ratcliff]

Thanks for the nice replies. I just got home from my hunting trip. Any of the guys who contacted me by email at gsratman1@netzero.net before I left can get back in touch now and I can fill your orders. Thanks, Greg Ratcliff 8)

[holly35]

what are the technical details on these?
quality of the finish?
electronics and production.
are they to the same standard and g/f as the earlier pulsars?
cost when new and are they the only pulsar lcds from lancaster?

[collector]

Accuracy Update:

I picked up my 3140 and 5140 LCD Pulsars from Greg over 45 DAYS ago and accurately set the time when I got them. I am totally amazed by their continued accuracy. I have regularly checked the time TO THE SECOND, on both, against my Junghans Mega Radio Controlled Watch's (which I know are 100% accurate). NEITHER LCD has deviated as much as 1 second over the last 45 days!!!! I truly am amazed!!! Other than my Junghans radio controlled watches none of my other watches, Kinetic's, LED's, Seiko LCD's, Accutrons are as accurate. These have turned out to be my favorite Pulsar watches - even over my P2's, Date Command; and Sports Pulsar.

Yeah, I know the kick of pushing the button and seeing the red display light up is not there, but I personally value accuracy more.

'Just amazing the engineering put into these LCD modules. Shame Pulsar could not continue.

[Supersonic]

Steady on, better than a Date Command, No - never - impossible. I think I'm going to lay down in a dark room!

[bruce wegmann]

I have a pair of these. too [stainless and GF], and they also keep excellent time. Don't forget, these were late 1977 watches, and the technology was still in the rapid-development part of the curve [there have really been no fundamental improvements in quartz timekeeping technology in the last 20 years]. Even within the mere five years the LED era spans, look at the difference in sophistication between the first P2 modules and the last touch-command ones [as in the Sport model and the Limited Edition Dress, which also had the Auto-Command feature]. If the LCD had never been developed, we would probably have some very clever designs in our vintage collections...but it was actually invented first, and had engineering problems not delayed its' introduction into the market, we would never have seen LED watches at all. I do seem to remember being told that the modules for the Time Computer LCDs were not made in the U.S. ...

[retroleds]

You hit it on the head Bruce - better quartz crystals. Better specs, less deviation from burn-in, less fluctuation from temperature. It's why I never harvest old crystals unless they are an odd one...

[collector]

Follow up question for Ed, Bruce or anyone else;

I understand what Ed and Bruce are saying, but, why would a crystal / LCD made in 1977 keep such great time? Why are most newer ones, i.e. even those manfactured this year not as accurate? Some examples; Ones in the newer LED's; i.e. Adidas, both the 602 and 603, and Fossil. (The ones I had before I sold them were not accurate time keepers). Newer quartz watches even name brands are not as accurate (based on my wifes and my collection of over 75 newer type quartz watches).

Again, I am just wondering why the difference - if a crystal made in 1977 can do it why not the ones manfactured today?

Thanks!!

[retroleds]

I'm wondering how long those LCDs will be "dead-on"....if they've never been ran, they haven't gone thru any burn-in. All the manufacturers give different deviations for first year...anywhere from +/- 3 ppm to 15 ppm(someone else can do the math...I'm tired from X-mas shopping, but I did pull out my electronics cataloge.) And then there is the frequency tolerence: anywhere from +/- 20 ppm to +/- 100 ppm! And some have a very narrow operating range(some cheaper ones have a bottom range of 0 degrees c. , others go as low as -40 c. Many of the newer modules don't have a trimmer, so there is no way to compensate for the aging of the crystals. For replacements about the best you can do is purchase crystals with lowaging, low frequency tolerence and a wide operating range.

The inaccurate modern ones - I'm thinking cheap crystals and no trimmer.

don't store watches you don't plan on wearing with batteries in them - why age them more than necessary? Unless you plan on adjusting the trimmer(if they have one).

[holly35]

back to my original questions regarding these..what retail price had they?
what boxes were they supplied in?
also if these were released only months before the collapse of pulsar was the quality of the electronics and watch bands and cases compromised?
is the case and band in g/f up to the standard of gold of say the pulsar dress model?(the band does look similar)
i just find it hard to believe that pulsar would have spent as much time with the quality of the watches at this late stage?
a cheap watch to make a quick buck?

[Lordpulsar]

I'm sure I have an original price tag that says $150 for one of these..

[digibloke]

There's a picture on oldpulsars.com of an elderly Jean Wuischpard wearing a GF one of these.

Kind of sums up why the LED industry went under whilst at the same time giving the 5140 LCD a big thumbs up from a very talented watch designer.

And if Simon's right about the $150 price tag then it wasn't a "cheapo" watch.

[bruce wegmann]

The Time Computer LCDs, along with the Green Dress model and the PRM [Pulse Rate Monitor], were Pulsar's last efforts to regain some of the dwindling high-end market share. Ferocious competition among the LED manufacturers had driven the price of an Led watch below $20 by 1977, and Pulsar hoped that the novelty or name recognition would keep them in the running. But it was too little, and too late, and Time Computer closed their doors in November 1977, just five and a half years after they burst onto the forefront of timekeeping technology in April 1972. I think it's fair to say that TC never made a "cheap" watch; quality was their hallmark, right to the end...

[holly35]

check out the updated oldpulsars.com web site
dennis has full details of this rare and important pulsar watch
this will surley become a much sought after watch having such a finishing history behind it ..and if its good enough for jean to wear its surley good enough for us!
and at $200 for the g/f model originaly it wasnt a cheap watch
i am particuarly drawn to the beautiful g/f 5140-2 with its bronzed background display against the g/f case and bracelet.
this watch has now been listed on dennis's web site and will now command the respect it deserves .
highly desirable make no mistake!

[collector]

I just checked out the oldpulsar web site. Dennis references the mesh band as a "10K Gold Filled Mesh Band". The mesh band on mine is stamped "Time Computer Inc. 14K Gold Filled Stainless Hinge USA". (Has a 10/77 date stamped on it.) 'Just sent Dennis a question as to if there was more than one model band.

FYI - Holly35 is right - this 5140 is a super attractive watch. I am more than happy that I picked one up!!!

[holly35]

very interesting regarding thak 14 k g/f bracelet.what doeas it say on the case?
you know its interesting when you look at the world of collectable and desirable items.usually its a companies initial product and their last that draws most interest and desirability.
in pulsars case this obviously is the beautiful p1.the watches inbetween are also very beautiful but its the impact the p1 made that draws interest.the 5140 lcd is also of equal importance,true it didnt make thre initial impact but its the watch pulsar bowed out with.
tecnologicaly their most advanced and up to date product this was their end of the road item.this watch now draws the interest it deserves.
think for a moment if you will....of all the watches jean could have chosen to wear ..and lets face it he had the pick of the entire pulsar line up he chose not the p1 not the p2 not the p3 or 4 ..he chose the pulsar 5140-2 lcd.there speaks volumes about this watch.a watch that even some collectors among us never new existed.pulsar 3502-2s leds were not pulsars last watches the 5140-2 lcd was.

[bruce wegmann]

The bracelet on the LCDs was identical to the one used on the LED Mens' Dress Model [I can recall seeing a stainless Dress watch with the mesh bracelet, so they are fully interchangeable]. Only the cases and modules were "new". The crystals were the latest synthetic-sapphire laminated design, and as scratch-resistant as anything put on modern watches [they are showing their age now, though; the adhesives used to join the layers have begun to deteriorate, and most now show some signs of delamination...it's hard to find a really perfect one]. A top-quality design and engineering effort, even by todays' standards. For the first two years I collected Pulsars, I was unaware these existed; it's good to see them finally acknowledged and appreciated.

[Greg Ratcliff]

I sent Dennis the info on the different bracelets. I checked through about 100 GF 5140-2 that I have and came up with I think 10 different bracelet configurations. Most of them do say 14K on the bracelet or L20 micron GF. If anyone is interested in either the 3140-2 or 5140-2 let me know. I still have quite a few of each model left. Bruce, all the ones that I am selling have no delamination of the time screen. My email is gsratman1@netzero.net Greg Ratcliff