My LED watches duo (my micro collection)

[vpn]

Hi everybody! As I've said before, it was just a matter of time (well, minutes! ) before I'd share with you my uber small LED watches collection: in fact I just have two models at the moment! But I'm working to get a third model as soon as possible.

My two LED classics are a Beltime (rebadged as "Bino Video Quarz"), that was given to me by my grandfather, who told me he received it from an american diplomat who lived in my town in the '70s. This watch has a particular story:

My granddad was the owner of a cars garage, and this american diplomat went to my granddad's garage to fix the automatic transmission of his car, a Lincoln Continental (according to what my granddad said). My granddad fixed the transmission, and since he didn't have his wallet so he didn't know how to pay him, he payed the service with his watch, and since that moment, my granddad wore it everyday. Later, around the late '70s (probably 1978), the watch was stored into the basement of my grandparents' house, and it stood there since that year. The watch was discovered only when my grandparents moved to another house two years ago, and they gave it to me as it was, since we didn't know if the watch was still working and if it had any corrosion. I've received the watch from my grandpa without the original wristband, so I've put another one, and I took it to a jeweller in order to put some new batteries. When I went back to the jeweller I've been quite surprised to see the watch working again and keep the time perfectly! He said that it went back to life immediately and he set it for me.

I own and wear the watch since 2010 and the more the time passes, the more I love it, not only because it has a sentimental value for me, but also because it woke up immediately despite it was stored in a very humid place since nearly 40 years. Here are the pictures of the Bino/Beltime!




By the way, I got some questions for you about this watch. I know for sure that's a Beltime, because on the back (which still has the original plastic sticker!) it's written

"Beltime Watch Computer
Belair Electronics
Zurich, Kloten - Switzerland
Stainless Steel Back, Modele Depose"

But I wonder what could be the year of production of this watch and more info about the Bino brand. Everything I know is that Bino is a subsidiary of the italian watches manufacturer Lorenz, so I guess that the Lorenz Group imported this Beltime in Italy and rebadged it with the "Bino Video Quarz" brand? How much rare could be the Bino-branded version of this Beltime? The module (Hughes Aircraft?) is a dot-matrix one and keeps the time amazingly.

Then, there's the second LED watch of my collection, the Elektronika-1. I've bought it on E-bay for a very low price, only 70 Euros. It has some scratches, but it's in good conditions. Like the Beltime, I wear it everyday and I've found it quite reliable, it keeps the time very accurately and it's very robust. The batteries on both watches lasted nearly two years, probably 'cause I don't check the time often

The wristband of the Elektronika has been replaced recently, since the former one was a leather band that worn out. IMHO the new SS band looks very fitting on the watch.




Hope you like my collection guys! I haven't posted pictures of the watches "in action" 'cause I'm too slow at taking pictures. Hope it's not a problem!

[70's_gal]

Nice start to your collection! Good luck with your collecting hobby, and be sure to post pics.


~Sherry.

[vpn]

Thank you Sherry! My wish is to expand my collection with a third model, I can't spend more than 175$, but I hope to find some interesting watches for sale around here, so I can give some company to my Elektronika and my Beltime/Bino.

EDIT: I can spend some more, but not more than 200$

[bucko170]

The Beltime (rebadged as "Bino Video Quarz") with the Hughes dot module will probably date from 1973 or 1974, usually there is a sticker across the quartz crystal on the Hughes modules with a date stamp which gives the year and month of production e.g. 6.73 for June 1973 and sometimes the date in the same format is stamped on the inside of the case back, the Hughes modules are also normally stamped with the location of production around the side of the module.

The Electonika was a Russian produced watch, the Russian's were a little late catching onto the LED market so figure around 1978 as a production date for that one.

Nice start to your collection but I am sure you will find many more to add over the coming months, years.

[vpn]

Thank you for the precious info Bucko! So I guess that the Bino-badged Beltime could be quite rare, since I haven't found any info about this version of the watch anywhere on the internet, the only thing I've found are the Mike-branded versions and the Beltime-branded ones of this watch, but nothing about the Bino version. About the Elektronika, I agree with you, since I remember that the chap who sold it to me on Ebay said that it was from 1978, and it was built in Minsk. I've never opened them by myself so I've never checked out the exact date on the modules.

[bucko170]

Do you know for certain it has a Hughes module? The Hughes modules should have a set button at the 3 o'clock position, the photo's do not show the side of the watch but from what I can see there seems to be a hint of a command at the 4 o'clock position? If this is the case you have a module different to Hughes with National SemiConductor being the most likely, does the case back have screw off battery hatches where the batteries fit?

[vpn]

I honestly don't know if it's a Hughes module, but the setting button is just below the time button, as you can see in this picture:



Hope the picture helps!

[bucko170]

The set button looks to be too low to be a Hughes module......open it up and reveal all!

[vpn]

I must confess that I fear a bit to open it, 'cause it'd be the first time but I'll give it a go! I'll post pictures of the module when I'll do it!

[bucko170]

The typical button orientation of a Hughes module (albeit a two button command module).



I think yours will prove to be a NSC module.

[vpn]

So I guess that mine could be a NSC then... (well, until I open it) were the NSC modules as reliable as the bullet proof Hughes ones? I'm not an expert of LED watch modules so I'd be glad to know more about.

[richard_uk]

"Like the Beltime, I wear it everyday"

Do you wear one on each wrist?

[vpn]

"Like the Beltime, I wear it everyday"

Do you wear one on each wrist?

I wear a different watch per day, but I don't know what people would think if I go out with both watches on my wrists. They might think I'm a supernerd or I have a DIY dual time watch.

[bucko170]

The watch should open up easily enough with a little care, if it is a NSC module then it will probably have a sticker (usually silver) identifying it as a NSC.
The NSC modules are just as good as the Hughes modules IMHO they are also easier to repair should they go wrong as the quartz crystals uses a 32.768Hz frequency and are still available to purchase today whereas the Hughes modules used a higher frequency QC (786.432Hz) which are no longer produced, although spares salvaged from old defunct modules can still be found.

[vpn]

Interesting details, thank you Bucko, you're opening a whole new world to me. I'll check out carefully the module when I'll open the watch as I don't have enough time to do it at the moment. The good thing is that after it was left for nearly 40 years in a humid basement, it started working immediately after the new batteries were put into the watch.

[bucko170]

Your building up the anticipation, I am looking forward to seeing the photo's.

[vpn]

Hmmm in fact you're not the only one as soon as I have some time to do it, I'll open the watch and take some pics. Now that you've talked about the NSC module and the silver sticker... If I remember correctly (I haven't opened it but I've seen it open the last time I've took it to the jewelry to change the second pair of batteries after its "rebirth"), there was a silver sticker on the back of the module. There were some serial numbers on the silver sticker. I'll have to check out when I can!

[bucko170]

A couple of typical NSC modules....

[abem]

Neat watches - I like the story of the Bino. The thing about collecting is that there's always going to be someone out there that can afford more and fancier watches, but having a watch with a personal story is truly unique and much cooler than just having a pricey watch.

Bino sounds so very Italian. "Video Quartz" - Ha! - funny in a 70s retro way. It's in pretty good shape too - the crystal looks like it's probably acrylic so if you ever want to remove the crystal and polish it up, you could probably have it looking almost as good as new.

-abe.

[vpn]

@Bucko: BINGO! After I've seen the picture of the module on the right, I've instantly remembered the sticker. It's identical to that one, so I think we've solved the mistery: it's a NSC module!

@Abem: Glad you like my micro collection! That Beltime/Bino has a lot of value for me. I don't know if it can be collectible enough today (probably the Bino badge doesn't make a difference, I've heard that Beltimes aren't very valuable today), but I've been always fascinated by the story behind that watch, and everytime I check the time, that watch puts me a smile, 'cause I remember when it started working again after a long sleep that lasted for nearly four decades.

[bucko170]

@Bucko: BINGO! After I've seen the picture of the module on the right, I've instantly remembered the sticker. It's identical to that one, so I think we've solved the mistery: it's a NSC module!

@Abem: Glad you like my micro collection! That Beltime/Bino has a lot of value for me. I don't know if it can be collectible enough today (probably the Bino badge doesn't make a difference, I've heard that Beltimes aren't very valuable today), but I've been always fascinated by the story behind that watch, and everytime I check the time, that watch puts me a smile, 'cause I remember when it started working again after a long sleep that lasted for nearly four decades.

NSC mystery solved

The Electronika has the unusual feature of using the numbers 1 to 7 to represent the days of the week.

I agree with Abe the greatest value of any item is the personal value and not monetary value.

[vpn]

Definitely! And you've contributed to enlight me about the world of LED modules. And yep, the Elektronika-1 is a nice little watch. Sturdy and reliable, it works like a charm and keeps the time amazingly!