The first Complete LED watch by Patent Application Date?

[retroleds]

It appears the earlier(first?) non-mechanical electronic watch and calender was described in U.S. PAtent 3,333,410, filed by A. Barbella on 4/25/1965. Mr. Barbella's patent describes the oscillator, divider circuit, switching features to compensate for leap years and a visual display...doesn't quite make it to digital display. However, he uses the time tested "means for" language, which pretty much covers any future "means for" displaying the results from his clock. The digital clock was done in 1965.

Rich Walton's patent, 3,576,099 filed 4/22/69, describes the use of electro-optical display.

Bergey's patent, file May6 ,1970 , pulled in the LED's to the picture.

Reihl brought in an inverter circuit for the power section - filed 5/3/1971...no earlier watch related patents were found for Mr.Riehl. But he did have 3 for great improvements to digital scales, with memory features,etc. Great stuff.

Bergey and Walton both assigned their patent rights to Hamilton Watch Co. In my mind, Hamilton/Pulsar hold the title to first LED watch cleanly by 361 days.

B.T.W. The magnetic switch for changing time in a watertight electric watch?(remember we already had electric anologues) - R.A. Fiechter filed for that on 10/18/1960.

[The Time Computer]

It?s great to see somebody else has taken the time to research these patents. If I remember you have some experience at this and you are most likely better at it than me. I would like you to please go back and look at Patent #3,576,099, this is the patent I found to be the first LED digital watch but maybe you see it differently. If I am wrong here I will change my research documentation!

I also hope you got the chance to pull up Patent #3,566,602, it?s quite a concept and wouldn?t it be cool to see that one come to life. I actually talked to the inventor (Bergey) a few years ago about that watch. He offered to help develop it with me and I may consider it in the new line of TC watches some day. Changing the light source color would change the display color. Sounds easy enough to do but I now have some experience and know it would be big trouble?..maybe still one day?

Here's the language in the Patent #3,576,099 Decription:

There is disclosed herein an electronic solid-state time piece having an electro-optical display such as an integrated semiconductor light emitting diode structure. The display is provided by four or six digit forming display indicators giving a digital readout of hours, minutes and, if desired, second. The device includes electronic time signal generating circuitry, display drive circuitry and display interrogation and scanning means. A time setting mechanism is also provided.

[retroleds]

Dennis:
Patent Claims(folks, there is a section of a patent application that is called the "claims" - what you are claiming) go from broadest to narrowist. So the last claim or two are the one(s) where the really new "invention" generally comes in. Makes sense...all knowledge is referencial, so you start with what is known and narrow it down. I'm going to look into it some more.

The sad truth may be that some person had the idea, patented it, but did nothing with it. That happens a lot! And THAT is the where we get to raise a glass to the earliest innovators that did, like Bergey, Riehl and Walton. 8)

[Synchroserious]

Good work little1up.Lets not forget the input from an Electronic Engineer by the Name of Crabtree from Electro Data who was not a specialist at darting to the patent office.

[retroleds]

I suspect a totally non-mechanical clock circuit was actually thought out and/or patented in some form, back in the late 1930s. Quartz crystals were already being used for their ability to produce a steady vibration and/or to maximize current flows based on a simular/same vibration. I'm thinking that a look at early patents for LEDs would show some references to possible uses.

I am intent on following this research into the past, as the attitudes surrounding it have been the #1 source for the nastiest "disagreements" on this forum:"this was first", "this has the longest history", "this breaks too harshly from the past of this name" - I've been guilty of this mindset myself. We will be hard pressed to find out everyone who had built a working digital clock in their basement, only to have been stopped from pursuing it or patenting it, by life in general - hell, I was widowed about 4 years ago, I can personally attest to having business plans destroyed by "life happening". I hope to unearth some of those who had the IDEA first, so we can jointly move on and concentrate with a little more sanity on those who actually brought those ideas to market with flair and innovations of their own. Knowing a cake could be baked, and doing it correctly are two very different things.

Arguably, the first, known to the world combination of a clock circuit and LEDs seems to fall quite squarely on John Bergey, at this time.

Final thought: where have all the people who worked for the various watch companies gone? Not a one who is on this forum, or who collects watches? It's cool having a Riehl here; IMO, it's a shame that so much effort is spent "protecting" the reputation of a great product and it's creator....:( Roger Riehl is rightfully a major part of LED watch history. 8)
Peace

[retroleds]

Update:
U.S. Patent 3,194,003, filed November 13,1963, issued to Herbert Polin, assigned to Vogel Corp. in Geneva Switzerland, claims:

" An electronic watch such as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises various units, which for convenience can be termed as an oscillator unit 1, a counting unit 2, a SWITCHABLE UNIT 3 AND A DISPLAY UNIT 4.
The oscillator unit supplies a fixed frequency of one cycle per second; or
(c)A combination of a combination of a frequency dividing circuit."

It goes on to claim(sounds just like the Solsuno)
"The display members may for example, be regularly distributed along one or more concentric circles, reproducing the conventional appearance of a watch face.....OTHER embodiments of the invention may provide a digital display, e.g. "11:06," in which case the display members will be arranged differently"." ACTUAL PATENT TEXT, from 1963 application.

We need to refine the question: first digital watch to market or first digital watch fully conceived and revealed to the world. Many inventors, since the late 1800's, have received the monthly patent gazettes, which describe the patents that have been issued......many historians say that Edison was a primarily an "improver" of other folks patented inventions, more than having his own original, broad-scale ideas. But there is no shame in making an improvement - first is not generally Best!

The most recent issue of "Watch" magazine lists : Hamilton as first LED watch, Citizen as first "Solar Powered" watch, f.y.i. :?

[dot matrix]

The most recent issue of "Watch" magazine lists : Hamilton as first LED watch, Citizen as first "Solar Powered" watch, f.y.i. :?

Shows what they know. I only read it for the pictures.

[The Time Computer]

It goes on to claim(sounds just like the Solsuno)
"The display members may for example, be regularly distributed along one or more concentric circles, reproducing the conventional appearance of a watch face.....OTHER embodiments of the invention may provide a digital display, e.g. "11:06," in which case the display members will be arranged differently"." ACTUAL PATENT TEXT, from 1963 application.

Little1up,

I see you have been busy again.

In reference to U.S. Patent 3,194,003??I would agree this invention is classified as a ?Digital Watch? but when I found this invention in my research I disqualified it for several reason. First it utilizes an ?electro-luminescent? display. Basically, I believe this is a backlit display using a illuminated membrane lighting specific digits on a dial from behind a disc. There are some similarities to the Solsuno watch in that the digits are arranged around the perimeter of the watch face but the Solsuno utilizes LEDs and in the form of dots.

Secondly, I narrowed my research to "digits of light in a row" to simplify it to a watch of interest of this forum. IMO, to include this watch, one would have to include the Jump-Hour watch which goes back to the late 1800s. One may even have to include a watch with fixed numbers on the dial with luminescent paint?but that?s me. Clearly in the description the inventor referred to a display showing 11:06 but only in a broad sense, no examples was shown? Finally, there was no actual watch, just the theory that it ?could? be done.

As you know solid-state technology was not new in 1963, it was the miniaturization into a wristwatch that would be significant. This invention only mentions that it ?could? be done but doesn?t show ?how? to do it. Too broad for me as I see no drawings of a watch? There could certainly be something I missed, I need a bit more time to evaluate this complex patent and it?s claims.

[retroleds]

Dennis:
I am under the impression that ALL electrically powered lights are electro-luminescent devices, i.e., they use electricity to create lumens(light). I agree that the real question for us is who brought the first LED watch out to the market, not who made the first non-mechanical, digital timepiece, and certainly not who conceived of the first non-mechanical digital timepiece. I'm thinking that neither Bergey,Walton or Reihl should get the "hat tip" for first with the concept or even first with a prototype - the Polin patent indicates he sold the idea to a swiss company, so it was probably more than just a concept.

Imagine, by December 1963, a guy was already trying to patent the idea of having a magnifier attached directly to an "electro-luminscent semiconductor"/LED....which he assigned to General Electric. The first visible spectrum LED was discoverd by Nick Holonyk of G.E. in 1962, the first LEDs(invisible light spectrums,infa-red) were designed in 1955.

Re:"Watch" magazine....I was at an airport last Sunday, and flipped through it at the newsstand while I waited for my daughter's flight to come in....not something I would spend money on unless really bored.

[The Time Computer]

Littl1up,

Your correct about the ?electro-luminescent??I should have said ?electro-luminescent material? as indicated in the patent description. This clearly is a layer of lighting material?sorry about that.

I agree that your research supports a much wider perspective. I agree if the range of a "digital watch" was widened your research indicates that the first digital timing devices point to these patents. However, IMO these are not the ?Digital LED Watches, as we know them?.

I also would comment that when I was ready to file my patents I wanted to file them under the company name. The US Patent regulations requires at least one name of person be on the patent application. Also, corporate law states that when there is an invention by an employee, the patent belongs to the company of employment. This is the case with Bergey and Walton and probably the case of Mr. Polin as he probably just worked for that company. I also don?t see any evidence of a wristwatch and would think the world would have a hard time accepting the Polin patent as the first digital watch without a watch.

As mentioned in all of my posts on this subject, my perspective is in the interest of who is directly responsible for the LED Digital watch on my wrist as well as the watches that I believe is what the folks on this forum are interested in and collecting. I created a box per say tailored to my perspective to simplify my research knowing that there were many inventions outside the box. I realize others including yourself have a different take, and that?s fine with me. Your time and energy for researching this should not go unnoticed!

[retroleds]

Thanks Dennis:
I agree that the really pertinent question regards first LED watch to adorn our collective wrists, not a design in some intelligent guy(or gals) drawer. My late father was a good example of this irony ,designing slide rules and other thing late into the night, but having a personality which stopped him from doing much with any of them, except selling some gear plans, very cheaply under an "emplopyee suggestion plan", to his employer General Motors, in the early 1970's.

My vote is STILL for Pulsar/Hamilton as first realistically available, Synchronar's as an unique, close "also ran".