Greetings fellow vintage LED watch aficionados!
Back in 1976, Novus designed this nifty store display that demonstrated the Novus LED watch by cycling through the display outputs (i.e. time, date) automatically.
Pictured above is the 1976 store demo featuring a popular 1970’s space-age model. Early versions of this watch featured a highly polished stainless steel bezel contrasted with a duller brushed stainless case. Subsequent versions were two-toned (gold and brushed stainless), though I much prefer the original design. Having found a non-working early version in excellent shape on ebay, I placed the winning bid with the intention of acquiring a less desirable vintage timepiece containing a good National Semiconductor module for use in the Novus.
When the watch arrived, I was quite pleased with the condition of the case, band and buttons. I carefully removed the back, took the module out and immediately recognized the N.S.C. WM-01 dot display module, which is the same module housed in my Mercury Time watch from the same time period. I carefully lifted the module from the case, and it too appeared to be in excellent shape, with no signs of corrosion due to moisture or battery leakage. There was, however, the proverbial purple elephant in the room staring me straight in the face: the inside of the snap-back case cover lacked battery contacts yet the module had no battery clip attached to it. At that moment it dawned on me that the watch was likely long ago stored with the batteries/retaining clip removed to prevent leakage. Anxious to test out my hypothesis, I fashioned a battery clip from heavy guage Reynolds aluminum foil, installed 2 fresh Energizer silver oxide 357 batteries and viola!
My ebay seller could have sold this as a perfectly working vintage dot display watch for lots more $$$
As with my other watches containing vintage N.S.C modules, the display is quite vibrant, works perfectly and still concurs with the atomic clock after approximately 40 years.
(Photos taked indoors with window glare on the right side.)
Vintage '70s LEDs until the end of time!
Jason
Back in 1976, Novus designed this nifty store display that demonstrated the Novus LED watch by cycling through the display outputs (i.e. time, date) automatically.
Pictured above is the 1976 store demo featuring a popular 1970’s space-age model. Early versions of this watch featured a highly polished stainless steel bezel contrasted with a duller brushed stainless case. Subsequent versions were two-toned (gold and brushed stainless), though I much prefer the original design. Having found a non-working early version in excellent shape on ebay, I placed the winning bid with the intention of acquiring a less desirable vintage timepiece containing a good National Semiconductor module for use in the Novus.
When the watch arrived, I was quite pleased with the condition of the case, band and buttons. I carefully removed the back, took the module out and immediately recognized the N.S.C. WM-01 dot display module, which is the same module housed in my Mercury Time watch from the same time period. I carefully lifted the module from the case, and it too appeared to be in excellent shape, with no signs of corrosion due to moisture or battery leakage. There was, however, the proverbial purple elephant in the room staring me straight in the face: the inside of the snap-back case cover lacked battery contacts yet the module had no battery clip attached to it. At that moment it dawned on me that the watch was likely long ago stored with the batteries/retaining clip removed to prevent leakage. Anxious to test out my hypothesis, I fashioned a battery clip from heavy guage Reynolds aluminum foil, installed 2 fresh Energizer silver oxide 357 batteries and viola!
My ebay seller could have sold this as a perfectly working vintage dot display watch for lots more $$$
As with my other watches containing vintage N.S.C modules, the display is quite vibrant, works perfectly and still concurs with the atomic clock after approximately 40 years.
(Photos taked indoors with window glare on the right side.)
Vintage '70s LEDs until the end of time!
Jason
"We are showroom dummies"- Kraftwerk