Syncroquartz aka Microma aka Intel

[fronzelneekburm]

I recently revived an old Syncroquartz. Afaik these were OEM versions of Intel's "Microma" line. I found the module fascinating, especially the quartz crystal. Never seen an "open" crystal before. Reminds me a bit of these high end glass bottom analog watches...

[richard_uk]

There was an LED which used that crystal, I think it was Litronix?

[richard_uk]

Some more info, they were actually used in quite a few LED brands..

http://www.ledwatches.net/articles/Stat ... ystals.htm

[elceedee]

Congratulations on reviving this difficult movement! (it looks difficult due to its 'welded' plastic closing points)
That open crystal looks stunning!
Once again, beautiful! Maybe you can post a picture of the final result.

[abem]

Hi.

I've seen these crystals a few times in the Texas Instruments Star Wars watches. They are pretty neat. Apparently the transparent window allowed the frequency to be adjusted by laser trimming the crystal. It seems that the metal film on the crystal would be vaporized by a laser to adjust the frequency:
http://www.google.com/patents/US3969640
http://www.google.com/patents/EP2180596A1

I understand that later digital watches gave up trimming the quartz oscillator entirely and just adjusted the accuracy by recording an offset in read only memory that specified the deviation from the target 32,768 Hz. This seems like the definition of "kludge".

-abe.

[Kasper]

i've seen a few like that.

this is an old Belgian (Swiss) lcd Pontiac.



and a Microma

[simone]

Never seen before....

[wzy-hman]

From the 1976, Sep 23 issue of Henderson Home News, a local Nevada newspaper (from an ad by Skaggs, the predecessor to US retail chains incl Safeway, Albertsons, Osco Drug, and Longs Drugs)

[Kasper]

thanks for posting the ad...sometimes it's the only way to date a watch..so the microma is indeed made in 1975

[wzy-hman]

thanks for posting the ad...sometimes it's the only way to date a watch..so the microma is indeed made in 1975

I would guess the Microma was made in 1975 and then marketed in 1976 and onwards (both as a Microma and Syncroquartz watch)?

Seems Syncroquartz was used all the way up to 1978 given this JC Penney ad from May of that year - probably selling inventory which was sourced previously as I think by this time Microma's assets/stock were being transferred to Timex and the brand was sold separately to a Swiss company (although the Syncroquartz name might have been sold alongside the Microma brand and then continued to be used)

[fronzelneekburm]

I see your microma ad....and raise by another microma ad...

syncroquartz.jpg

[wzy-hman]

Fantastic fronzelneekburm, do you have a date for the ad? Seems like it was priced at 34.95 and 39.95 here and then dropped even further to 22.45 for Mothers Day 1978 (previous ad)! No wonder the industry fell apart around that time

[fronzelneekburm]

Ah sorry, of course. The ad is from June 1976.

the price was varying a lot though. An Ad from July 76 shwos a syncroquartz for 19.95, one from february 1977 for 27.77, one from march 77 again at 34.95 and october 77 had it for 27.97... The price of syncroquartz seems to have been like stock prices..

Just search google for "Syncroquartz" and you can dig up loads of old newspaper ads.

[wzy-hman]

I guess Syncroquartz was truly the lower tier of products intended for seasonal selling in places like dept stores where periodic discounts were the norm for clearing the shelves out at the end of each season

Would be great to see some more ads for Optel and Microma too, especially the one and only TV ad that Microma ever did which featured the chrono (BR) model

[fronzelneekburm]

I guess Syncroquartz was truly the lower tier of products intended for seasonal selling in places like dept stores where periodic discounts were the norm for clearing the shelves out at the end of each season

Would be great to see some more ads for Optel and Microma too, especially the one and only TV ad that Microma ever did which featured the chrono (BR) model

Not a bad idea. I spent a few minutes building a custom search and already quite interesting.

In 1972 Optel got a 10 Million Dollar Order for 250,000 movements (obviously DSM type) from swiss companies.


My Search (Just watch the years - News from like 1945 or 1997 are prolly not so interesting...)

https://www.google.de/#q=optel+site:new ... f&start=20


And some examples:

Uranus brags having sold 400 Calculator wristwatches for 3800 USD each...

http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/58617928/



Optel talking about 250,000 ordered movements:

http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/22178860/

[BENRUS]

Here's a couple Syncroquartz watches I found last weekend @ Elkhorn Flea Market in Wisconsin:

2014-10-01 21.20.23.jpg

2014-10-01 17.18.36.jpg

2014-10-01 17.16.42.jpg