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Interesting 1975 NOS Vanica LED watches-DOT NS WM01 module

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cybr

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Interesting 1975 NOS Vanica LED watches-DOT NS WM01 module

Post05 Mar 2019, 03:18

Hi,
I have recently acquired 2 very interesting NOS vintage BLACK/PVD VANICA LED watches, both sporting a quite rare National Semiconductor NS WM01 LED module!
Why are those vintage LED watches interesting?
1. Because they were produced under Hong Kong based VANICA brand, owned by Interrading Ltd., a Hong Kong Manufacturer and exporter of all kind of electronics . Owner: Jimmy Leung, cca 1975, which was btw the year when VANICA Electronics brand was most present on the market
https://www.radiomuseum.org/dsp_herstel ... y_id=11623
2. Because they were made using a quite rare DOTTED LED DISPLAY from the USA National Semiconductor NS WM01 LED module, having only Hour:Minutes:Seconds function, but also being one of the first and well known LED modules to display DOTS instead of lines! :grin1:
3. Because they are BLACK/PVD METAL watches - not as the later 70's BLACK PLASTIC LED watches :grin1: , with a Metal Black/PVD bracelet, rare enough in mid 70's AND ALSO reminding us in the present about the design of the later Seiko BLACK PVD bracelets from Seiko DATA 2000 watches of the mid 80's! :grin1:

The 2 nice and NOS VANICA LED watches of cca 1975:
Image

The National Semiconductor DOTTED NS WM01 LED module inside of those watches:
Image

The very specific DOTTED (6 or 9) numbers/seconds, from an EARLY NS WM01 LED module on the VANICA watch:
Image

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

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Re: Interesting 1975 NOS Vanica LED watches-DOT NS WM01 modu

Post05 Mar 2019, 10:22

Need a sharper pic of the display. Will show that the segments are NOT done with (circular) dots, but four pairs of hyphen-shaped bars. I believe some models of the Compu-Chron watches used a similar display
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cybr

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Re: Interesting 1975 NOS Vanica LED watches-DOT NS WM01 modu

Post05 Mar 2019, 12:01

Thanks Bruce for clarifying this. :Prost:
Obviously You are right and I am sorry if I let the wrong impression that the "dots" on the NS WM01 modules are CIRCULAR :oops:
As Bruce has already underlined and as one may see in the following photo, the segments are NOT done with (circular) dots, but four pairs of hyphen-shaped bars, thus giving an unusual "dotted-like" aspect for the LED display.

And the NS WM early modules may be easily identified by looking ALSO at the specific 6 or 9 number, as one may see in the photo below:

An sharper image of a NS WM module on a nice vintage Lip Roger Tallon LED watch - cca 1975, from https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/kZUAAOSw ... -l1600.jpg
Image
Regards,
:dwf:
Every watch should have its own story...consequently, a watch collector has to be a good storyteller :)
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retroleds

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Re: Interesting 1975 NOS Vanica LED watches-DOT NS WM01 modu

Post16 Oct 2020, 22:46

The MW01 came in two variations(got some out to look at them).
One has a clear plastic face plate - those are segment. That one has a slightly different hub(battery holding part), most notably the slot where the button contact slip in . The also have a differnt board -brown back and substantially longer copper pieces for the battery contact.
Black faceplate - those have the "dot-likes".

Sorry friend, those are not particularly rare in either variation. Ok, I guess rarity is relative. Oh - nice watches in any event.

Lovely, now I have to figure out how to get a picture on here. Damnit, I'll do it!
(Same movements, flipped in place - the black_faced has the "1" but it is faint on the sticker - quite clear on the movement at upper right corner of front)
WM01_2.jpg

WM01_1.jpg
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