[ricardo99]

Exists Modern LED Watches today? I found few really Led models like: Gerlach - Kosmonauta (USD 315), ZX1 Green LED Watch (USD 80) (Out of Stock), TX Red Led (USD 90) (Out of Stock), Yema LED Kavinsky (USD 330), any other modern model with real Led (not backlit)?

 

[ronalddheld]

Have you searched this forum?
Another site is Digital watch forum.

 

[jcp123]

Armitron:

 

[odd_and_vintage_fan]

Bulova Computron, Hamilton PSR, Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0

 

[ricardo99]

Have you searched this forum?
Another site is Digital watch forum.

I don't know this forum, thanks

 

[odd_and_vintage_fan]

I don't know this forum, thanks

There's a Search Community bar at the top of the forum.

You could also look around at past threads in these locations.
For modern:

Digital & ABC watches

Dedicated to Digital & Altimeter Barometer Compass watches

www.watchuseek.com

For vintage:

Vintage & Pocket watches

Forum dedicated to vintage and pocket watches

www.watchuseek.com

 

[Racer88]

I have the inexpensive Armitron Griffy:

And, the more premium Hamilton PSR:

 

[ricardo99]

I have the inexpensive Armitron Griffy:
View attachment 16706660

And, the more premium Hamilton PSR:
View attachment 16706661

Armitron uses backlit?

 

[kostependrhs]

None of the modern so called "leds" has a nice looking display. None. They all look like cheap alarm clocks.

 

[Racer88]

Armitron uses backlit?

No. It's LED. BIG LEDs. Good for readability. But, not very "retro." I reviewed the Armitron here: Armitron Retro Series Griffy Review - The Truth About Watches


The Hamilton PSR LEDs are more like the old style. The PSR also has LCDs stacked on top that are readable in the day. I reviewed here (with video of display):

Hamilton PSR Review - The Truth About Watches

A review of the Hamilton PSR re-issue. You can be a player like 007 in "Live and Let Die," but it will begin and end with this cool LED watch.

thetruthaboutwatches.com

 

[Racer88]

None of the modern so called "leds" has a nice looking display. None. They all look like cheap alarm clocks.

Really?

 

[Chascomm]

Fans of vintage Soviet LED Elektronika-1 watches now have the option of a modern homage by Future Funk:

www.futurefunk-watch.com/en/product/ff201-sv-mt-2/

(Technochas also have an Elektronika-1 homage in the pipeline)

 

[ricardo99]

Fans of vintage Soviet LED Elektronika-1 watches now have the option of a modern homage by Future Funk:
View attachment 16708699
www.futurefunk-watch.com/en/product/ff201-sv-mt-2/

(Technochas also have an Elektronika-1 homage in the pipeline)

I check in Future Funk site and this watch uses Real LEDs and is cheaper USD 90

 

[bearwithwatch]

I presume a button push/press is required to display the time instead of just turning the wrist to your eyes and display lits up.

 

[Chascomm]

I presume a button push/press is required to display the time instead of just turning the wrist to your eyes and display lits up.

Even though the tilt switch used in modern smartwatches was first developed in Pulsar LED digitals in the 1970s, as far as I know, all the modern retro LEDs require a button push.

 

[Rocket1991]

Even though the tilt switch used in modern smartwatches was first developed in Pulsar LED digitals in the 1970s, as far as I know, all the modern retro LEDs require a button push.

It's because with auto on it will drain battery way faster than anyone can accept. Older models had about year worth of life on fresh battery and that with push button. Full on it was mere 2-3 days. Auto switch turning on with each and every flip of the wrist is cool to show but will reduce battrey life to month or so. May be in today's LED watches it better.

 

[defoncateur_3k]

Very cool thread. I was looking into buying a Bulova Computron reissue, but why are the modern LED watches so bold in terms of typography?

Old, thin:

New, bold:

 

[Rocket1991]

Very cool thread. I was looking into buying a Bulova Computron reissue, but why are the modern LED watches so bold in terms of typography?

Old, thin:

New, bold:

They use different type of internals and some are not LED as it used to be.

See old vs new

Old

new

If you look closely old is composed of many dots while new is one big segment (not really one but bigger segments for sure).

 

[david916]

I bought both of these in January 2021 off Amazon U.K. They were easy to set up and use, plus both continue to work just fine nearly 18 months later. They keep perfectly reasonable time, especially considering they were really inexpensive and they actually fully satisfied my itch to own an “LED” watch. Good to wear in bed at night too!

WUTAN/JNEW £16.99

DIGIFLEX [AA51] £5.99

My only criticism of the WUTAN/JNEW is the plastic strap was a bit short for me. However, luckily it has a common 18mm lug width and I replaced it with a cheap leather strap that I had spare which does the trick perfectly and also looks quite good I think…

 

[Watchnut1001]

I have the Hamilton shown in position 4 in the below advertisement from the late 1970s in stainless steel finish as well as several Armitron Griffy LED watches and the new Armitron Tetra LED watches. The old Hamilton used multiple small LEDs to make up each digit while the newer watches use a maximum of 7 LEDs per digit to light up straight bars which form the digits. More power efficient plus the newer watches use lithium batteries while the older ones used silver oxide batteries with less capacity. My old Hamilton takes two 357 batteries which last a maximum of about a year with minimal use.

The Armitrons are brighter, particularly the new Tetras, making their use in sunlight easier. This was always a weakness of the original LED watches. Good for night time astronomy field use though. At Amazon current prices the Griffy watches are a best buy for some models and they are offered in red, green, blue and white LED versions. The Tetra is a Armitron web site exclusive model with a heavier duty metal band and brighter display in a redesigned shape case with a shallow bezel around the display. Red LED displays only so far and more expensive than the Griffy. Still a good buy IMO. Hamilton and Bulova both still offer LED watches but neither is inexpensive.