Pulsar Calc question.

[retroleds]

"CTE"s request foir help on a "Euro" module got me wondering. I don't know the answer to this, hopefully one of our Pulsar experts will. The "Euro" model - is it only the cut of the case and the different band, or was this supposed to display the date in "Euro" fashion, i.e. d/m/yr?
The only "Euro" models I have had in my hands are ones that came from an American source that has/had access to many different parts - they display the date in American pattern m/d/yr

Seems like I've seen a picture of one displaying in "Euro" fashion? Faulty memory?

[The Time Computer]

Ed, as I am at home today and a visit to the forum, I couldn’t help but lend a hand to a fellow member and now find a few facts about the “Euro” Calculator just might be in order here.

First of all, the “Euro” label is only an a.k.a. somebody (Pulsar Tom) put on this model some time ago. Kind of like the “Greenie” label started about ten years ago by barbie9 when he used it in his eBay description. Things have a way of hanging on sometimes. As we collectors and enthusiasts have accepted the label, I know of no “official” publication or advertising to ever label this late model calculator as the “Euro”. As the 70s and 80s terminology was back then, anything slimmer and sleeker with a contemporary modern look was considered “Euro”. Time Computer, inc. documents referred to this model as the “Small” calculator and the original as the “Classic” calculator.

The Euro was not designed by Jean Wuischpard but by a Swiss designer who designed several other late-model Time Computer Pulsars. The design came out of the Pulsar S.A division of Time Computer in Geneve and was marketed in the USA as well as the rest of the regions around the world.

There is only one Stainless Case design and the 902 Auto-Command module was the only module ever used for this model.

There were three different solid gold designs. There were also two different modules used in the solid gold Euro models with the 902 being the standard. The rare Tiffany & Co. models and some other SG late models came with the 903 module.

For the readers on this forum, this is the first mention ever publicly made of the 903 module. I have never revealed this until now and feel this is a good time and place to do so. As we all know how the 902 Auto-Command works, the 903 is different. The first flick displayed the “Time” as normal but a second flick displayed the “Date”. The user could toggle back and forth until no motion for 1.25 seconds turned the display off. This is one of the coolest features Time Computer incorporated in the IC programming and a real shame it was at the end and so so rare! You literally never needed to push any buttons to get the time or date!

As many of Stainless Euro calculators ended up at the Service Center after the Rhapsody deal, it would be possible a few of the Stainless cases were fitted with the 903 module. If you have a stainless Euro in your collection it might be a good idea to check it . . . so flick away!

In an earlier post by CTE, he inquired about the Euro box. To answer his question, only the Calculator watches sold in the USA were marketed in that big flat type box, including the rare SG Euro Tiffany model. All Calculators sold outside the USA after the SA Division was created came in the “Flip-Top” box designed in Geneve. There are a few “Classic” calculators that were sold outside of the US that came in the Flip-Top box. They are rare and came with a special multi-language instruction booklet.

As for the different date format, I know of no TC model incorporating this option.

[ Site admin. - Thanks Dennis! ]

[cte]

wow!! that certainly answers my question.

actually, before i read this, i was flicking away with the bust euro.. one flick for time, two flicks for date... i am trying it now though, and it just displays the time lol! i think this 902 has some serious issues with me..... :(

[LEDluvr]

The Euro was not designed by Jean Wuischpard but by a Swiss designer who designed several other late-model Time Computer Pulsars.

Just curious Dennis, what other TC Pulsars were designed by Jean W.?

(And any news on a release date for the Inverta!? )

[retroleds]

[quote="The Time Computer"]... the 903 is different. The first flick displayed the “Time” as normal but a second flick displayed the “Date”. The user could toggle back and forth until no motion for 1.25 seconds turned the display off. This is one of the coolest features Time Computer incorporated in the IC programming and a real shame it was at the end and so so rare! You literally never needed to push any buttons to get the time or date!

I have a Classic Calc. with the 903 module - yep, double flick feature!...serial number 725987. Anyone know where these numbers petered out? Was this fairly close to the end. I notice with the high numbered ones they went to Japan for the braclets(cases?).

Glad I replaced the quartz and got it running.

[cte]

903 Classic sounds amazing ed mate. i have been wearing a 901 Classic these past 24hrs for the first time ever.. i thought they would be much too big on... but in actual fact, they are comfortable and a hell of a lot of fun to wear! auto command would be the icing on the cake though... one day maybe.

[retroleds]

Not a big fan of the Pulsar flick personally - too agressive a flick for me, then again, I've had some nerve damage in my left arm. I like the Gillette(La General)"tip" probably about the best....Birks is a little less of a "flick " than a Pulsar. Litronix flicks (rare) are fairly smooth "tips", IMO.

The "tip" units can be retrofitted to many different modules, if a person wants to dink around with it.

[cte]

ive only ever tried the auto c on the euro ive got.... for my taste it works real nice... one gentle roll of the wrist upwards (about 1 inch), and there is the time... i wish all pulsars had auto command tbh. great feature.

[Diginut]

So is the ‘903’ an new classification 32 years since it was released ??!!!

I’ve been collecting for 30 yrs, and this is the first time someone’s used that new label, and I have found no reference to it in any of the vast pulsar documentation I have.

Also, in the past I have owned 3 Stainless Steel Euro calculators, and ALL 3 had the time then date double flick feature, which is no different to activating the button twice, so its no major leap in technology.

However, what is interesting is the ingeniously simple description for how a pulsar wrist flick functions, as described in their 1973 patent. The inertial switch inside the module isn’t mercury that parallels the normal activation switch, but is in fact a tiny ball bearing inside a conductive metal sleeved tube with a contact point at each end of the tube, which needs a 3 stage event to occur within 0.500 seconds in order to display anything.

It does this by logically gating the three sequential on/off signals from the ball bearing with the timed square wave coming off the existing divider chain, and if the user completes the action in the required time, then bingo, the time (and then date !) displays. This is more elegant than other designs where it’s merely a mercury switch that has to be giggled once, therefore leading to all sorts of unwanted activations. Pulsars solution is simple, and works very well for displaying the time only when you want it.

Other watches I’ve looked at, such as the Gillette Reflex, have a more truculent system perhaps to avoid infringing pulsars patent, but none the less it always feels more unreliable and my one in particular needs a very specific and annoying movement to work.

If you have a pulsar with a ‘sticky’ or reluctant wrist flick, the inertial part can be replaced. But with the Pulsar the action should always be a fairly simple and reliable movement, much more so that the othes IMHO.

Meanwhile I’ve gone back and checked my other Pulsar calcs to determine if they too have this newly christened 903 module, and my current SS euro calc DOES have it (again), my 18kt Euro calc has not because it’s a 901 module, and my SS USA style calc has a 902 with the single action wrist flick that works all the time everytime.

My ideal watch would be a Euro Calc with the 902 (or 903!) module, AND a Dot Matrix display. The vast majority of Pulsar Calcs have the normal solid bar display, but a few early Calculators did have a set of dot matrix digits. I’d really like one of those. Maybe it should be called the 900 module (as they were too early to have the wrist flick) !!!


Anyway, I’ve got work to do … :)


.

[The Time Computer]

The Patent (#3,742,699) you mention is for the “Concept” of using an inertia switch to control a digital display. However, the metal “tube & ball” switch was never implemented in any Time Computer watch. You will also see mention of “Other Programming possibilities” but this invention only mentions activation of Time. Your technical description is for a switch that never existed?

You will find paragraph 6-7 in Patent #4101963 describes the “Mercury” inertia switch used in the 902 Calculator model. This is the same switch used in all Auto-Command models and was not an invention of Time Computer but was deigned and patented by Hermetic Switch, Inc.. Furthermore, programming revisions to the IC and “Inertia Switch Control Logic”, not the switch controls the double action found in the 903.

I will agree that there are no physical records of the 903, only information gathered from the late Mr. John Gelson and Mr. Robert Reese, both whom were involved in the development of the TC Calculator watch. I think the best evidence is that it exists!

As the 901 didn’t have the AC and the 902 was the next module number used in order of development, I think the 903 module number only makes sense, agree? In retrospect, I like your suggestion of the 900 for the Dot-Display!

This (900) module was only in used in the first 100 Limited Calculator watches as well as the Prototype Classic and pennant Calculators.

Ed mentions he has a Classic with the 903, this would certainly be possible as many of these late-model calculators and modules were around in the end. The service center would have replaced a dead module with the stocked 903 as it has the same button configuration and would be the proper module.

I find parity for the 903 in the 503 Auto-Command module used in the Men’s Touch Command Dress. As all 502 modules were prepared for the new smaller Hermetic mercury switch, only the last of the watches were equipped with the 503. After a discussion by phone some years ago with the inventor of this switch, he described it as the most difficult and painstaking product Hermetic ever built. Hermetic couldn’t deliver this new switch until it was amost over, simple as that. All tooling for both switches have been destroyed so don't get any hopes up of getting any replacements from Hemetic Switch, Inc. (Been there, done that)

[retroleds]

The inertial switch inside the module isn’t mercury that parallels the normal activation switch, but is in fact a tiny ball bearing inside a conductive metal sleeved tube with a contact point at each end of the tube, which needs a 3 stage event to occur within 0.500 seconds in order to display anything.

It does this by logically gating the three sequential on/off signals from the ball bearing with the timed square wave coming off the existing divider chain, and if the user completes the action in the required time, then bingo, the time (and then date !) displays.
.

It seems the 903 is programmed for an additional 2 stages of switching, as the date only comes on via flick if the time is currently displayed and you "flick" a second time , same as pressing the button a second time. The circuit registers the switch went to off/open position(stage 4) and then went back to on/closed(stage 5) whilst the time was displayed.

If a two switch tube was used, it could have been like a 3 way light switch(where two switches can each turn a single circuit on or off) - the circuit would only need to count the time interval between switching(on1 - on2) to declare a valid "flick"? Yes, no, maybe so?
Several answers and thoughts = Darn Good topic!!

[bruce wegmann]

I just tried the A/C on my Euro Calculator, and sure enough, it went to date after the time. It takes a well-timed second wrist-flick to get the desired result, but with a little practice, it is very reliable. I'm already beginning to think this is not a particularly rare module [on this model, at least]. And it's easy to see how early watches could end up with later modules, if they came in well into the warranty period for repairs. Come on, everybody with a Euro Calculator, give it a few shakes, and let's see what percentage has this feature [nothing like a little empirical research to get to the facts]; same for the Limited Edition Dress watches, too...

[Diginut]

Like I say, I still own one SS euro calc, and owned 3 in the past, and all 4 had the time then date A/C feature.

So yes, lets get as many people as possible to try out wrist gesticulations in response to TimeComputers post, and report their findings. Hopefully this will reveal the percentage of 903 modules in euro calcs ..

It seems so far that most if not all SS euro calcs had this feature. Fascinating !

[The Time Computer]

my 18kt Euro calc has not because it’s a 901 module

Is this just a misprint or did you mean a 901 “Classic” style calculator sold in Europe in the Flip-Top box? There was no 18k “Euro” style calculator made with a 901 module. This is not to say somebody couldn’t peal back the magnetic rubber layer inside covering the keys and swap the = & + buttons to convert a 902 to a 901.

Meanwhile,

As for percentage, I have had dozens of SS Euro Calculators in hand and I can say with certainly that all Euro calculator were not assembled with the 903 module. Only about 30% of the ones I have or that have gone through my hands had the 903.

I have also had quite a few 18k Euros come through here and only one didn’t have a 903?

In the case of the 901-902 transformation, the 901 modules were used up before the girls on the line started building calculator watches utilizing the 902. The same scenario would have taken place involving the 903. It would be in my opinion that the SG models got the new 903 and 902 modules left over went into the SS models. This might explain my experience with the high percentage of SG models having the 903.

As mentioned previously, the Service Center ended up with hundreds of the SS units. Some completed (no box or papers) and some not yet assembled. Not knowing if they had any spare 902 modules, they certainly had the remaining stock of the new 903s. There would have to been some 902 completed units in there because many of the units sold on eBay did not have the 903!

This large stock of calculator watches sat for years with no interest from buyers. In the late 80s and early 90s the Japanese fired up the new LED craze, the demand for Pulsars became very lucrative for those involved. I know for fact that these SS units were assembled and sold in huge lots. I know of a shop in Miami with over 25 still in stock. I know that 10 years ago these watches were plentiful on eBay until that stock was sold off.

The biggest mystery for me as a collector & historian is why there is no user manual for this Euro style calculator? I do not have one in my collection and have never seen any manual with sketches of the small (Euro) calculator, only the large (Classic) style.