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Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime watch

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cybr

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Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime watch

Post23 Oct 2016, 01:32

I am glad to present here a new story, about my new toy/my newest acquisition- an interesting piece of engineering of the late 80's-early 90's: The Madison (and, in my case, a Madison/Meister Anker - with both logos - version of the watch) FM radio/Calculator/Alarm/Worldtime watch.
meister_anker_fm_radio.jpg

I already know that this Madison quite rare watch is one of the all time favorites of our fellow forum colleague and high level digital watches expert, Kasper:
http://www.newdwf.com/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=8007
http://digihorloges.blogspot.ro/2012/01 ... dtime.html
Thus I will try my best to bring some (hopefully new) information about it, also for him and You, the other readers of this nice forum:

1. When we try to find which was the first radio wrist watch (not to talk about the first FM radio wristwatch), the ultimate book about the evolution of modern/digital wrist watches, the Pieter Doensen's book -"WATCH. History of the modern wrist watch" seems to provide - totally unexpected - only some inaccurate and even confusing information:
http://doensen.home.xs4all.nl/q8.html
For example, in the chapter - Q. Multifunctional Wrist Watches, 8. Watches with Radio or Television - the very famous/almost mythical 1985 Sinclair FM Radio Watch is not mentioned at all :scratch: , even if it seems that about 11000 units were produced! :o
http://www.retrothing.com/2007/02/unreleased_sinc.html
Also the famous Citizen AM/FM Radio D030/D031 watch from the same 1985(?) Year is not mentioned at all in the Doensen book!
http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/nerdwat ... -part-two/
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Watch-Citizen-A ... 1452085695
What should be clearly stated is the fact that an outstanding company like Sinclair (e.g. the producer of famous 80's Sinclair Spectrum Computers with Z80), had in 1985 some clear purposes:"The aim is to design the FIRST/SMALLEST integrated FM Radio Watch IN THE WORLD".. and they somehow DID IT!!!
http://www.retrothing.com/2007/02/unreleased_sinc.html
Anyway, we may never know which company have produced the first FM Radio Digital Wrist Watch (Sinclair or Citizen - cca 1985, Seiko with the 1982 TV watch - even if this one had an external large receiver for VHF/UHF/FM so it was not a self contained FM watch ???), but I had to underline all those above mentioned facts, because in the late years have appeared some claims - based on some misguided posts on some watch forums, that Armitron may have had an (even Stereo!!! :bang: ) FM wrist watch as early as 1981!!!
http://geb.ebay.com/geb/ImportHubViewIt ... 2063702868

2.Now about the Madison FM radio/Calculator/Alarm/Wordtime LCD wrist watch discussed above:
i) First of all it was produced(???)/distributed by an somehow obscure (at that time - late 80's) watch distribution company - Madison Watches NY LTD- but which had some good connections as a retailer with some important watch makers companies and other retailers, in the late 80's and who was probably trying - at that time - to make its own path in digital watchmaking (pls see below), quite different from others and with the advent of technology... :grin1: .
The company exist even now:"Through many years of experience, MADISON N.Y. LTD. has developed into one of the leading exporters for trend-setting, competitive fashion watches. We supply the leading department stores, mail-order houses as well as media houses and sports clubs." http://www.madison-watches.com/menu_sub ... d=1&scid=7
ii) Surprisingly, the above watch was not the only one FM Radio-enabled Watch that was produced (?)/distributed by Madison company. They had also later a metal cased FM radio/Analog Quartz watch (a Sinclair FM Radio watch tribute???) with FM auto-search feature, where the specific logo of Madison FM radio watch (found also on the above mentioned and earlier FM/Calculator watch) may be seen:
madison_ultra_micro_fm.jpg

iii) Inside the Madison's FM radio/Calculator/Alarm/Worldtime watch, was an outstanding piece of engineering for the late 80's-early 90's: The Samsung IC (S)Ka22429 " FM radio on a chip", thus - combining the 8 Digits LCD/Worldtime/Calculator/ module/PCB + a second PCB with FM Radio - this watch may be considered a unique approach for that time:
http://www.promelec.ru/pdf/ka22429.pdf
C360_2011-10-05 23-48-17.jpg

iv) Whatever we may like it or not, it was the obscure Madison Watches company (and NOT the advanced SEIKO, CITIZEN, CASIO etc) the one which was able to provide in the late 80's-early 90''s a novelty like the FIRST digital LCD watch with Worldtime/Alarm/Calculator and FM Radio on the same device!!! (Not to mention that the calculator buttons are placed circulary around the bezel, as in the first Citizen Calculator watch from 1978!!!) :grin1:

v) Finally, Madison seems that was ready - in early 90's - to share its unique at that time FM Radio/Calculator/Alarm/Worldtime watch with other retailers, such as Meister Anker/Quelle, thus my NOT very common and above presented watch have appeared on the market, with both logos of Meister Anker AND Madison (pls look at the blue symbol on the upper left side of the watch!) :-D

If You want more information about this quite interesting and unique line of watches, please let me know.
Regards,
:dwf:
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post23 Oct 2016, 09:34

As always, great information, but I have a feeling the symbol you're talking about (for Madison), may instead be a symbol for "world time". It's a pretty widely accepted symbol for the earth/world. Unless there is Madison branding on the logo that I can't see?
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post23 Oct 2016, 12:58

Thank You for the interesting reply and opinion.
In my humble opinion, The World Time logo You're talking about is somehow different (a Globe with many/all Meridians and Parallels!) from that of Madison's registered design of WT logo (having 2 minor variations where the Globe has only two (v1) or four (v2) of the globe's Parallels +Equator and only one Meridian!), a quite particular "WT-like logo" presented with some minor variations on both their FM Radio/Calculator/WT and their later Metal Cased FM Radio Watch.

PLEASE REMARK that the metal cased FM RAdio watch even DO NOT had a World Time feature (!!!), thus - in my opinion - that specific Madison's WT-like logo should NOT be confounded with a regular WT logo, especially because it seems that Madison have used that particular logo - as a part of their branding - even on their watches WITHOUT World Time feature(!) , as one may find by looking at the picture below!!!:
regular_madison_WT_logo2.jpg


Basically, as an educated quess, I think that at a moment in time the particular Madison's version of WT logo (v1) present on their FM/Radio/Calculator/WT watch, became later - with only some minor modifications - a Madison "Registered" Logo (v2), thus stamped on some other Madison Watches, watches even without WT features (!!!), as the metal cased FM Radio watch presented above!

One may see the "regular" WT logo with Meridians and Paralells all over the Internet and in many variations ( e.g. the "classic icon" world time sign icon/universal time globe symbol classic at the URL below), but I was not able to find that particular Madison version of the "WT -like" logo on other watches than the ones designed/produced by Madison - company that eventually shared later some of their "designs" to other retailers brands, such as Meister Anker, Euston etc, but with that particular Madison's "WT-like" logo still present there, together with the logo/name of that specific retailer - in my case Meister Anker's logo: :-D
http://www.123rf.com/photo_44000380_wor ... rld%2Btime
44000380-world-time-sign-icon-universal-time-globe-symbol-classic-flat-icon-colored-circles-vector.jpg

Regards,
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post23 Oct 2016, 15:51

This is all speculation on my part, because I know nothing about your watch, so please don't be offended, it's not my intention, but I think the "earth" symbol on your watch is to indicate that it has a "world time" function, the same way that on the other side of the Meister anker symbol, there is a bell, which I'm sure indicates an alarm function on the watch.
World time symbol:
World time.jpg


Alarm symbol:
Alarm.jpg


The "world time" symbol on your watch is not very different from this universal symbol for the World Bank, that I found on Google:
https://www.popularresistance.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/world-bank-logo-e1390969603168-1024x629.jpg

Is there no branding on your watch, stating "Meister Anker" or "Madison"?
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post23 Oct 2016, 16:50

Sorry to jump in, but I'm lost. Which watch are we talking about?

If it is the top watch with the buttons round the outside. Isn't this just a Meister Anker with World Time and Alarm either side of the Mesiter Anker logo? It does state it has world time just below the lcd panel. I may be wrong but thats what it looks like to me. It would look odd to unbalance a design with two company logos and then a function 'alarm' logo. Anyway just my thoughts, I may has misunderstood the discussion.

Adam
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post23 Oct 2016, 17:59

I am glad that we may have here a nice debate and I am not offended at all :grin1:
@PG101
1. I can see Your viewpoint and probably You're right that at least at the beginning - and most probably even for the first producer of this particular type of watch - which is - almost without doubts - Madison Company in the late 80's, that logo may have meant initially also a symbol for a WorldTime watches.

2. But, my viewpoint is that Madison Watch company soon have had registered that symbol and another very similar symbol as a REGISTERED Design of their company, even with Madison name on the symbol as I have shown above.
A REGISTERED DESIGN may include
" the features of a shape, configuration, pattern or ornament applied to an article by any industrial process. If you register a design, you will be protecting the external appearance of the article [....] By registering a design, you obtain a right to ownership and the right to prevent others from using the design without your permission.".
http://www.ipos.gov.sg/AboutIP/TypesofI ... esign.aspx


3. [b]Thus what I want to underline is that as opposite to the NON-REGISTERED "bell" symbol with a universal significance of ALARM, the so-called "World Time" logo is a REGISTERED DESIGN at some point by Madison Company.[/b]
What we may speculate is that, when other watch retailers (e.g. Meister Anker, Euston, Zeon etc) have probably asked some Chinese factory (maybe even the one owned by Madison in Dongguan, where the first version of this watch was probably produced???) to produce the same watch for them, the producers may have been forced OR not to put that "WT-like" registered Madison symbol on EVERY such a watch and EXACTLY in the same PLACE as in the original design, a things that was not possible without Madison's permission.
For the other retailers (Meister Anker, Euston etc) that symbol was probaly only Yet Another WT symbol, but for Madison (the owner of that registered symbol design) was most probably an assurance that those who tried to produce such a watch with that design and symbol without Madisons permission can be sued :grin1: Also this may look as a prove that such a watch is a copy of the ORIGINAL Madison design, made WITH Madison Permission'.

One may ask: WHY all these efforts for a watch made in China?? And the answer is that this watch was - MOST PROBABLY - THE FIRST WATCH IN THE WORLD WITH FM RADIO/ALARM/CALCULATOR/WORLDTIME and consequently a technological wonder for the end of the 80's!!!

So this was the reason why I have called my watch a MADISON/Meister Anker one. Basically it is a COPY of the original MADISON watch made for the Meister-Anker/Quelle retailer!

4. Hopefully I have found a nice picture of a similar watch made for the UK based retailer ZEON, a watch that may underline my above mentioned viewpoint. This watch was made in China and probably was one of the last early 90's copy of the original Madison Design. Please look at the below photo: ALL the watch functions (alarm, world time, calculator are written in RED)
The only words WRITTEN IN BLUE, are the NAME of the retailer (ZEON) and that REGISTERED DESIGN (WT) LOGO showing probably that this watch was produced WITH Madison permision!
In other words, based on what we know about Registered Design we may safely say that this watch is a watch produced for ZEON under the original design of Madison watch company :-)
zeon-radio-calculator-alarm-and-world-time-watch.jpg
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post23 Oct 2016, 18:21

Hopefully this image will explain better my above mentioned viewpoint:
madison_registered_design1.jpg
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Last edited by cybr on 23 Oct 2016, 18:35, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post23 Oct 2016, 18:35

Ah I get it now. Unusual though, for a company to brand their watches externally after they rebrand them for another company.
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post25 Oct 2016, 15:05

Super duper info..thx :-D

this is a bang & olufsen watch with the same design as your metal micro fm watch :O`~

i removed the bracelet cause the rubber was broke..still havent found an replacement.
Image

just for fun.. radio fm watch from commodoor

Image

:dwf:
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post04 Nov 2016, 01:17

Thanks Kasper for Your kind reply and also for showing us the rare B&O watch from Your outstanding collection.
It seems that it is not a Radio Watch (despite its similar design with Metallic Madison Radio Watch), but instead it is a (infrared) Remote-controller for some specific B&O's music/radio players!!!
It was made cca 1993-1996 - and it seems that was designed(???) by the famous Jacob Jensen Danish designer - thus it is featured also in Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum collection! :)
https://auction.catawiki.com/kavels/432 ... h-9750-new
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Jensen

The bad news are that - most probably - You will have to wait quite a long time until You'll be able to find a proper and genuine strap/bracelet...since the strap is proprietary and the watch is quite rare and sought after...

Best regards,

PS. I am still waiting for (at least :-D ) a "virtual" Belgian beer :Prost: , if I have properly identified Your green and white "helmet" unknown watches, in our quite nice debate and challenges about Spaceman/Helmet inspired/Space Exploration related watches topic... :grin1:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post04 Nov 2016, 23:31

PPS. I am now extremely curios to see a picture of the case back of Your Bang & Olufsen watch with an infrared remote function...
Is there ANY mention of a registered design from B&O??? :scratch:
So pls pls pls...post (at least) a picture of that case back... ;-)
Many thanks in advance,
Kind regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post21 Dec 2016, 22:11

Update: I've found one and bought it !!! :grin1:
I was so curious/intrigued about the other Madison FM Radio watch mentioned above- the Registered Design MADISON ULTRA-MICRO RADIO WATCH - that I spent some time documenting it online.
It seems that it was:
1. The second FM radio watch (cca 1989-1991) with a METAL CASE, after the very famous Sinclair Radio watch (1985). Also with a REGISTERED DESIGN. (please see the above posts).
2. But it seems to be the first such metal cased FM Radio watch with an Auto-Search feature.
3. It appeared with 2-3 years EARLIER (cca 1989-1991) than now famous Bang & Olufsen Beowatch 9750 (made cca 1993 to 1996), that has a very similar look/design but it is only a AV/TV Remote watch, not a Radio Watch! :scratch:
And it seems that all the online searching was worth it, since - totally unexpected - I even have found one for sell, thus in the photo bellow it's my own and recently arrived piece of this very rare and uncommon Ultra-Micro FM Radio watch :nikolaus:, that I may review later:
madison_ultra_micro_radio_watch_m.jpg

:dwf:
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post22 Dec 2016, 18:50

Congratulations on your purchase! If I read your postings somebody seems to be very happy. Andf I finally know where Ventura got their shape for the Spark MGS. Thanks for sharing!
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post23 Dec 2016, 00:52

Thanks Hanno for Your kind words.
Yes, I am quite happy about my unexpected purchase, because I will always like/collect watches that may have quite a good STORY behind them :), even if they may be relatively unknown or even cheap... :-D
And I was quite surprised that not only the B&O/Jacob Jensen have found some "inspiration" from this uncommon watch, but also the famous and expensive Ventura Spark MGS shape it is quite similar to this earlier and not very known watch - but with a REGISTERED DESIGN (thanks a lot for the comment!). :grin1:
On the other hand, I am the one that really need to thank You and other "Jedi Masters" :) of this high quality forum, for letting us to learn from You all and also for the possibility to ask such many knowledgeable users of this forum to help us when we really need some help...
So I want to wish a sincerely Merry Christmas to You and all the "cyber-friends" from this outstanding community,
Best regards,
:dwf:
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post14 Jan 2017, 16:29

I didn't forget you, but had a very busy period in the shop at home.

Here are the shots :
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

and yes..i want one to..so if you find another...please tell me :-) and more shots if possible. Incredible find and story.

:dwf:
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post16 Jan 2017, 17:30

Many Thanks Kasper, for all photos.
So, after all, there is no mention of a REGISTERED DESIGN label on the B&O Beowatch 9750 caseback... :grin1:

I will post more photos of the Madison Ultra-Micro Radio watch ASAP.
Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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Re: Madison/Meister Anker- FM radio/Calculator/Worldtime wat

Post27 Jan 2017, 13:29

Some additional photos of my Madison Ultra-Micro FM Radio watch:

I. The upper part of the caseback has the Registered Design mention and the Ref. Number 19035C2, while the lower part has the Madison Reg. Logo and also the Sun Design mention:
Image
II. Finally, on my hand: :grin1:
Image

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

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