In 1970 Hamilton shocked the watchmaking industry when it unveiled the prototype of the first-ever digital wristwatch. The American brand thus introduced this concept watch amidst the quartz crisis. Based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania (Hamilton was American-owned, back then), the brand conceived a cushion-shaped wristwatch, whose fully-digital time display was activated by quickly pressing a button placed on one side of the case. By pressing the same button for longer, the Pulsar displayed the elapsed seconds instead.
The new timepiece was advertised during The Tonight Show, and became instantly trendy; it was so groundbreaking to become an American icon soon. Hamilton was smart enough also to introduce this breakthrough product when the Space Age was in the headlines, with NASA‘s Apollo Project being at its pinnacle.
Also, two years earlier, Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001 A Space Odyssey changed the sci-fi forever. The brand’s DNA was and always has been connected to science fiction, as proved by the odd-looking ODC–X03, released a few years ago. The first commercial Hamilton Pulsar appeared in 1971, as a flagship 18–carat limited–run product. Made in just 400 pieces, the Pulsar P1 became Elvis Presley‘s everyday timepiece.
Gianni Agnelli was among those to own one too; the “Avvocato” was spotted wearing a full steel Pulsar P2, released in 1973, as a technologically upgraded variant of the gold P1. In 2020, Hamilton has decided to celebrate that milestone by introducing two commemorative models, whose name is PSR (Hamilton cannot use the original name for copyright reasons). It comes available as a gold–colored PVD treated steel produced in exactly 1970 specimens along with a non-limited steel option.
The 2020 PSR retains the original case shape, despite showcasing a sharper design, and measures 40,8mm by 34,7mm. Waterproof to up to 100 meters, it combines a liquid crystal display with OLED technology. The combination of LCD and OLED allows the timepiece to reduce as much energy as possible, although there is no statement, on the official website, of how long this new Hamilton runs.
The PVD–colored Hamilton PSR retails for 945 Euros, while the standard steel option costs 695 Euros. It is undoubtedly a unique wristwatch, you either love or hate, yet it is a call to action for die-hard sci-fi fans and those who owned the original one.
(Photo credit: Hamilton Watch)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
