The Seiko TV Watch _ HighTechies

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HighTechiesOne Geek To Rule The World

04Jun 2014

THE SEIKO TV WATCH

by John F.

Back in 1985, when I was 12 years old, my father (an engineer) brought home a watch

wed both seen in the James Bond film, Octopussy, together: theSeiko TV Watch

. It was

known at the time as the worlds smallest TV (I learned that the Guinness Book of World

Records named it that in 1984). It made a real impressionon me at thetime. I thought

my fatherwas the coolest.

The other day, I saw Octopussyagain and thought Id go check the attic to see if the unit

Dad bought was stillwith his stuff in my attic. Yes it was and it was still in the original

packaging!.

After researching online for a few hours, heres what I learned about the first smart

watch I ever owned along with some photos of our device.

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The Seiko TV Watch was produced in very limited numbers for a few years in the mid-

1980s.

Its technically a digital LCD wrist watch with a built-in TV screen and a separate TV

receiver approximately the size of an old cassette tape Walkman.

It was designed to be carried it around with you so you could have a fully functioning

watch plus access to over-the-air broadcast TV at any time. The batteries lasted a

surprisingly long time (5 hours of play time).


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Seiko TV Watch full box set

The units 1.5 x 2 inch display is made up of two different parts: a timekeeping display at
http://hightechies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Seiko-TV-Watch-full-box-set.jpeg


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the top, and a larger TV display at the bottom.

To use the watch as a TV, you have to carry a separate block receiver unit (model no.

TR02-01) in your pocket or on your hip.
http://hightechies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Seiko-TV-Watch-worlds-smallest-TV-1982.jpeg


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The TV receiver connects to the watch display unit using a black connector you snap

the cord onto the watch when you want to use the TV set. Seiko recommended that you

snake the cable through the sleeve of your jacket and hide the receiver in the

jacket pocket. For audio, you put on the headphone which tethers to the tuner using a

second line. The headphone line also doubles as a line antenna.

The TV display employs a special type of trans-reflective liquid crystal video display that

only works if the watch is exposed to external light (no backlighting). The brighter the

light, the clearer the picture.

Besides the time display, the watch also features a calendar, an alarm and a stopwatch.

History

The Guinness Book of Recordscalls the Seiko TV Watch in its 1984 edition the smallest

TV set in the world.

A few hundred million yen were invested in the development of the device over the

course of three years, beginning in 1980.
http://hightechies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/seiko-tv-watch-how-to-use-it.jpeg


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The Seiko TV Watch was revealed in Tokyo during the summer of 1982. It was

manufactured in Seikos Fujimi and Matsumoto factories from 1982 to 1983.

The TV Watch was first sold in Japan only as model DXA001,which cost 108,000 Yen.

Later, it was marketed in Japan as the DXA002and cost 98,000 Yen. The second model

differed only in the case design and the type of headphone (the DXA001 came with a

two-ear headphone and the DXA002 offered an earphone).

The TV Watch was released in the US in 1983 at a suggested retail price of $495.

The rarest, first US model is the T001-5000. It was sold in a silver cardboard container

and the protective pouch for the receiver also came in silver. The second, more popular

unit sold in the US was theT001-5019

, which came

in a gold box.
http://www.seiko.co.jp/en/corporate/history.htmlhttp://hightechies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/seiko-tv-watch-packaged-unit.jpeg


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Hands-On Video

Here is a recent video on YouTube that shows what the TV Watch looks like when in use.

A Highly Sought-After CollectibleThe Seiko TV Watch is highly coveted electronic collectible in the US and in Japan. Well-

maintained models in the original packaging sell for upwards of $1,000 and unopened

containers of the rarer first model can sell for more than $2,000.


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Seiko TV Watch in James Bonds Octopussy

This is partly because the device was featured in two popular movies. In 1983, Roger

Moorewore a Seiko TV Watch in the movie Octopussy. Later, in 1987, Tom Hankswore

one in the movie Dragnet.

Specifications

the watch measures 40 x 49 x 10 mm and weighs 80 grams

the receiver weighs 190 grams

1.2gray shade LCD display with 32k pixel resolution
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092925/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086034/http://www.guenthoer.de/bilder/tvwatch-dragnet.jpghttp://hightechies.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Seiko-TV-Watch-James-Bond.jpeghttp://www.guenthoer.de/bilder/tvwatch-octopussy.jpg


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5 hr running time

external receiver/tuner for VHF & UHF television channels 2 to 83

FM stereo radio receiver.

digital timer/stop watch with a resolution of 1/100 second

built-in timer, watch and alarm-clock with normal date-time functions

6-conductor cable works with 4, 9 and 13 Volts and separate signals for video and

synchronization.

optional accessory AC adapter (unit TD02).

User Manual

Heres a linkto the original users manual (.pdf 2.5 MB).

Retail Packaging

user manual and literature

receiver

headphone (or ear phone)

leather pouch for the tuner

three spare straps for the wristband

tuner-watch connecting cable (80 cm).

Stainless steel wristband

80 gram coin watch battery (SR920W)

2 alkaline AAA batteries.

Where To Learn More

The website Television History The First 75 Yearshas a page devoted to the TV

Watch.

Connoisseurs of the Japanese language and fans of cute photos will also enjoy the
http://www.tvhistory.tv/http://www.guenthoer.de/doku/doku-seikotvwatch.pdf


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colorful brochure pages, which can be found behind the following links: page1,

page2, page3(about 250 kB each).

Heres an English-language brochure. It describes the watch as an EPSON. SEIKO

and EPSON merged in 1985.

In July 1983, the magazine Video Reviewpublished a reviewof the TV Watch.

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Posted in: Gadgets Tagged: seiko, smart watch, tv watch

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