Prototype?

[bucko170]

I wondered what the thoughts of the forum are on this watch item number 291087411674

The sellers description of the watch.......

This is a really unique red LED watch, unlike any I've seen before...could it be a prototype? Please read the description, for details.

Here we have a really unique red LED men's watch, from circa-1976. What makes it so unique? Well, for TWO reasons:

1) This watch has both the time and date, in BOTH buttons! That's right, it's capable of displaying the time and/or date, by pressing either button! In all my years of watch collecting, I've never seen that, before...sure, I've seen watches which have dual-time capability, and in fact I've got a few of them in my collection, but with those, you'd usually have the date in the right button, only. But, this watch is different, because either button will display both time and date. When I first acquired this watch, I thought it might be a dual-time watch, but if it is, I haven't figured out how to set the buttons to different times.

2) Unlike most LED watches which have a crystal oscillator setup, this watch incorporates a nifty little microprocessor chip, on the front side of its' module! Could this be some sort of prototype watch, that never really made it into general production? And who made it? I have no idea, but it says on the back, "Swiss case, U.S.A. Module", among other things. Other than that, there's no clue as to who made it.

[wzy-hman]

I asked the seller for a shot of the insides and two extra photos have now been included in the listing now. Maybe this will give someone here enough of a clue ....

[charger105]

2) Unlike most LED watches which have a crystal oscillator setup, this watch incorporates a nifty little microprocessor chip, on the front side of its' module! Could this be some sort of prototype watch, that never really made it into general production? And who made it? I have no idea, but it says on the back, "Swiss case, U.S.A. Module", among other things. Other than that, there's no clue as to who made it.

This isn't correct. The module uses a standard quartz crystal with associated oscillator componenets. There is no 'nifty little microprocessor'.
The IC is encapsulated in a package, which is a little unusual on this type of module (often encapsulated in rubber, or even exposed).

Rgds.

[bucko170]

I cannot make up my mind if I have had a watch that displays all the functions from either button before, I think I might have but wouldn't be able to say with 100% certainty.

[jagmad]

I cannot make up my mind if I have had a watch that displays all the functions from either button before, I think I might have but wouldn't be able to say with 100% certainty.

Hi Mick glad you started this one off. I was gonna ask the same questions.
I'm pretty sure I have one some where that does everything from the 2 o'clock,
and date month etc from the 8 o'clock. Or is that usual.

[bucko170]

I cannot make up my mind if I have had a watch that displays all the functions from either button before, I think I might have but wouldn't be able to say with 100% certainty.

Hi Mick glad you started this one off. I was gonna ask the same questions.
I'm pretty sure I have one some where that does everything from the 2 o'clock,
and date month etc from the 8 o'clock. Or is that usual.

Some of the Hughes modules operate as you describe Pete.