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rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FACE

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cybr

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rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FACE

Post18 Mar 2019, 22:42

Hi,
I have bought this early Seiko d031-4000 watch, without SEIKO DOT MATRIX display system written on the face!!! :grin1: , made in EARLY August 1980, even if the Doensen's book have stated the launch date as been September 1980 and under Pulsar Seiko's brand, NOT UNDER GENUINE SEIKO :grin1:
https://doensen.home.xs4all.nl/l2.html
Still You may see:
An 1980, EARLY AUGUST SEIKO, NOT "PULSAR" BRANDED D031-4000: :grin1:
PLEASE NOTE that it has not a "DOT MATRIX DISPLAY SYSTEM" on the face, PROBABLY BECAUSE IT IS FROM EARLY August 1980 :grin1:
Image

And the serial number on the caseback, stating 0=1980, 8=August! :mega::
https://www.plus9time.com/seiko-case-back-information
Image

Regards,
:dwf:
Last edited by cybr on 19 Mar 2019, 21:57, edited 2 times in total.
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Adam

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Re: rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FA

Post19 Mar 2019, 11:28

I cant remember seeing a Pulsar branded D031, I'll go and check the ones I have see what the fascia has on it.
http://www.digital-watch.com - online database of 2000+ watches, manuals and adverts from the 70s-90s
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cybr

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Re: rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FA

Post19 Mar 2019, 21:57

Adam wrote:I cant remember seeing a Pulsar branded D031, I'll go and check the ones I have see what the fascia has on it.


Me either :grin1:, because it is mentioned ONLY in the famous Doensen's book and I was not able to find other sources that :
"41 1980 In September, the first watch with a dot matrix LC display is sold by Pulsar, a brandname of Seiko. Caliber D 031."
https://doensen.home.xs4all.nl/l2.html

The D031 was one the most technologically advanced SEIKO LCD watches in the early 80's, thus in my humble opinion it was the obvious choice to be released under SEIKO's main brand...and not under other Seiko's brands such as Pulsar, Lorus or even Yema (since 1988) :-D .

Thanks Adam for the visit...
Best regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Adam

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Re: rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FA

Post19 Mar 2019, 22:06

I do'nt know I think the Y950 & Y951 was pretty cool and they was Pulsar, Alba and weirdly even Dugena.
http://www.digital-watch.com - online database of 2000+ watches, manuals and adverts from the 70s-90s
http://www.vintagelcd.com - Vintage Digital Watches for sale
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cybr

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Re: rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FA

Post19 Mar 2019, 22:45

Yes, you're right about The Pulsar 'Wizard" watches with Y950/Y951 module... very cool watches...indeed

But what I meant to say was that Seiko usually have choosed to launch the "World's First" whatever watch technology mainly under SEIKO brand :-D, not under other brands under Seiko ownership.

Just some examples from LCD watches:
1973 The first watch in the world with a LCD screen, fast enough to display the seconds (cal.0614A). - branded SEIKO
1975 In June, Seiko markets the world's first digital LCD chronograph, calibers 0634A and 0634B. - branded SEIKO
1978 The world's first 'LC Digital Quartz Memorybank', the FX 003 (caliber M354), stored with useful dates from 1930 up to the year 2009. Seiko launches a watch with memory the M53. - - branded SEIKO
and some examples from in the 80's when Seiko owned indeed multiple other brands:e.g. Pulsar, Alba, Lorus, Lassale, Yema etc
1980 - the world's first digital LCD with a DOT MATRIX SYSTEM watch D031- - branded SEIKO
1982 - World's first TV watches - - branded SEIKO
1983 - World's first recording or talking digital watch, the M516 - branded SEIKO
1984 - World's first digital computer watch, the Seiko Data 2000, later the UC 2000 and the RC 1000 - - branded SEIKO
etc etc

And Yes, there were plenty of COOL and technologically advanced watches released under Pulsar or Lorus or ALBA brands, such as The Pulsar 'Wizard" watch Y950/951, Alba game watches, The 'Biorhythm' watch Y772 by Pulsar. etc etc, but usually they were NOT "World's First" in watches technology.

That's what I meant to say in my previous post: containing a World's First DOT MATRIX technology, "in my humble opinion it was the obvious choice for D031 to be released under SEIKO's main brand"...
Regards,
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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abem

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Re: rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FA

Post21 Mar 2019, 01:46

Wow, nice find!!

The lack of additional writing on the face makes this variant even more elegant than the standard D031, which was already a rather elegant, minimalist watch (for the time). Thankfully that awful trend of writing a catalog of every single feature on the face of the watch eventually died down. I've seen a number of models using this same model in various shapes and sizes but none are quite as nice as the original Seiko model.

-abe.
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Pulsar77

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Re: rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FA

Post21 Mar 2019, 19:23

Good list, but I think that you forgot the C153, M158 PanAm.
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cybr

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Re: rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FA

Post24 Mar 2019, 23:26

abem wrote:The lack of additional writing on the face makes this variant even more elegant than the standard D031, which was already a rather elegant, minimalist watch (for the time). Thankfully that awful trend of writing a catalog of every single feature on the face of the watch eventually died down. I've seen a number of models using this same model in various shapes and sizes but none are quite as nice as the original Seiko model.
-abe.


Thanks Abe for the comment,
I could not agree more with Your statement: :Prost:
It is not only the watch that PRESENTED - as a proof of concept -and as A FIRST demo in every electronic fields and applications, the revolutionary DOT MATRIX LCD technology in 1980, a demonstration that has been soon later followed by the FIRST LCD portable computer built by EPSON (a SEIKO's brand/division at that time!!! :grin1: ) - the famous EPSON portable "laptop" HX 20:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epson_HX-20
It is also an example of a very elegant and minimalist design - as You so kindly mentioned, a design meant probably to underline even more such a REVOLUTIONARY dot-matrix LCD technology! :mega:

I know that it is hard to believe, but REGARDING every SMART DEVICES with LCD screens we are using today, ALL OF THEM are based on that DOT-MATRIX technology invented by SEIKO IN LATE 70'S and presented FOR THE FIRST TIME - as a proof of concept - ON THIS SMALL AND ELEGANT LCD WATCH OF 1980!!! :mega: :grin1:
Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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cybr

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Re: rare Seiko D031-4000 dot matrix, WITHOUT "dot" ON THE FA

Post05 Apr 2019, 23:46

To really see how important was the Seiko Dot Matrix display AND the watch demonstrating it , You may need the results of the next approach of this technology:
The most advanced - at that time- AND the (almost) FORGOTTEN Seiko Epson HX 20 FIRST portable computer with LCD/= FIRST LAPTOP?, from 1981:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epson_HX-20

and its presentation on the Byte magazine advertising, in 1982:
Image from:
https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1982-12/1982_12_BYTE_07-12_Game_Plan_1982#page/n281/mode/2up
Image

Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)

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