Armitron Pocket LED - Now with Pics Added

[jeff___H]

I recently acquired a goldtone Armitron LED Vest Pocket Watch in very nice condition. The only information I could find about it is a picture of it on ledwatches.net:



I followed the link from that site to here.

I am wondering what I have - when it was made, etc., as well as what it may be worth. It was purchased as part of an estate auction and is still in a gold and burgundy plastic box with burgundy lining. It has some generic paperwork on basic operation, but is of no help regarding battery replacement (which it needs).

I can take and post additional pics of it.

Thanks for any assistance!

[bruce wegmann]

My Quasar and CompuChron PWs both take 386 cells, so I would think those are your best bet. If the battery compartments seen too deep for them (by a millimeter or more), than you might need 357s, but for a functional test, the 386s will work. Value...if fully working, $150-200, depending on the mood of the buyer, phase of the moon...all that stuff. There should be a recessed setting button somewhere along the outer edge; successive presses should toggle you though all the possible setting modes...time, month, date, DOW.

[retroleds]

Bruce is correct - 386s. It's a vastly different beast than most of the pocket watch LEDs, as you see, the display is parallel to the stem, instead of 90 degrees from it. It will probably have a 26mm Collins module with a white plastic chassis. Hopefully it works, the movement is not the easiest to find. The release for the lid is also the button for activating the display - another difference from most LED pocket watches. Nice find.

[jeff___H]

My battery issue at this point in time is - how do I gain access to it? I don't want to start digging and scarring the case up by doing the wrong thing. I am not seeing any telltales for popping the case apart.

[retroleds]

My battery issue at this point in time is - how do I gain access to it? I don't want to start digging and scarring the case up by doing the wrong thing. I am not seeing any telltales for popping the case apart.

THe back snaps on. The back has that little bit of curve/radius at the edge - the very first seam where that radius runs into the side is the entry point (I hope that is clear). It is a very good fit (I have one of those around here, hard to give up on a perfect case with no movement) - you will want to take a fairly sharp knife, sometimes even a razor blade/knife, and push straight in with the blade parralell to the seam. The object of a case knife is not to get in the "crack" and then pry - proper methodology is to think of the case knife (or razor blade) like a wedge. Pushing straight in, with a good grip on everything, will rarely cause the knife to jump and scratch you or the watch. Look around that seam for the what appears to be the best starting point, push, rotate 10-15 degress and push again. At some point it will give suddenly - maintain focus, this is where you stab yourself otherwise (which is why you don't pry).

[jeff___H]

THANK YOU! That worked perfectly. I will pick up new batteries for it tomorrow and hopefully have some pics of it fully functional afterwards.

[jeff___H]

It's... alive

[LEDluvr]

"It's alive... ALIVE! "
Congrats Jeff__H.... we all know it's a great feeling when one of these old jems comes to life.




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[retroleds]

Congrats...that really is one of the nicer digital pocket watches in both form and function. I like the pop-open cover, it's covert.

[Kasper]

Jeff...pictures always welcome

[jeff___H]

Will get pics the next chance I get. I like to shoot watches in natural light, and between the weather this week and getting home at dusk, I haven't had a chance yet.

[jeff___H]

Finally - a few pics.

[jeff___H]

I did not shoot any of it while I had the back cover off. I don't think it had ever been off it before. It is very clean, inside and out.

[Kasper]

Thats very nice..if i was a gentlemen in a suit, i would wear it.

really nos, love it.

[LEDluvr]

Very nice catch there Jeff__H - you did good.

[bucko170]

Great catch Jeff, cool watch in a really nice condition.

It would look very dapper in the top jacket pocket Hmm I wonder did Armitron make a matching monocle