Swatch, Casio Data Bank, Seiko and Other Watches

Discussion in 'Brochures, advertising, data & specs...' started by Mister X, Jun 18, 2019.

  1. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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  2. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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  3. Mystic Traveller

    Mystic Traveller Well-Known Member

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    Cool! A Forerunner of modern smart watches. :)
     
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  4. Longman

    Longman Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

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    Except the batteries in Casios usually last several years. I was so excited when Palm announced they were releasing a watch.
    Then I saw the battery life and was very disappointed, and dismissed it.

    I have had item 31 on this page since 1989 when the catalogue was published. I reckon it is on about the fifth battery.

    databank.jpg
     
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  5. Mystic Traveller

    Mystic Traveller Well-Known Member

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    :):) Yeah, it is truly said! Several at least, some models up to 10+ years.

    And thanks to Casio Tough Solar and Citizen Eco-Drive now there is no need to worry about
    batteries at all.
    My first Eco-Drive Orca is over 10 years old now and still feels fine. :)
     
  6. nickelindimer

    nickelindimer Active Member

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  7. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    That's a cool one nickelindimer, I remember some of the early PDA's had programs to change channels. You could go to a bar and change the in house TV channels, I may have been guilty of that a few times.
     
  8. nickelindimer

    nickelindimer Active Member

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    I've done many times, with both my Clié and Treo 600, whenever I took my late friend to visit the doctors.
     
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  9. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    A bunch of Casio Watch Ads from the Arab News
    1980
    Casio Arab News , 1980, Saudi Arabia, English.png
    1981
    Casio Arab News , 1981, Saudi Arabia, English.png
    Casio Watch 1 Arab News , 1981, Saudi Arabia, English.png
    Casio Watch 2 Arab News , 1981, Saudi Arabia, English.png
    Casio Watch 3 Arab News , 1981, Saudi Arabia, English.png
    1982
    Casio Arab News , 1982, Saudi Arabia, English.png
    1983
    Casio Watch 4 Arab News , 1983, Saudi Arabia, English.png
     
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  10. walkman archive

    walkman archive Administrator Staff Member

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    Woaaaahh, that's so cool. I really loved all those CASIO back in the days. Well, and today!
     
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  11. lupogtiboy

    lupogtiboy Well-Known Member

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    I had a lot of Casio watches in my youth, I loved all the gadgets and functions they had that no other watch at the time(ahem!) did. I've no idea where they are now sadly, I'd love to find them all. I had many of the databank ones in succession, the Casio watch page was one of my favourite pages in the Argos catalogue.
     
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  12. nickelindimer

    nickelindimer Active Member

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    An odd thought just entered my head: What are vintage Swatches now worth? Yes, I know the focus here is Casios... but when I first wore one (Casio) everyone else was caught-up in the Swatch trend. So....
     
  13. Longman

    Longman Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

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    Great to see so many Casio products in the same (Arab News) advert. A friend at college went out and bought the Space Invaders one as soon as it was advertised.

    That is like asking how much a Sony Walkman is worth without quoting the model number or condition. With Swatch watches there were literally hundreds of designs.

    Last year I got a bit obsessed with slim watches, as a reaction against the fashion for watches the size of Alarm Clocks. As well as the Casio databank I have already posted a picture of, bought these two.
    Casio and Swatch (2).JPG

    The orange face one is a Casio. The battery has gone flat since I bought it. With a new battery the LCD displays date etc. It even has an alarm.

    The white one is a Swatch Skin.

    At 3.9mm thick the Swatch has the Casio beat for thickness. The two of them together are thinner than a standard CD case, which is what is in the background.

    Casio and Swatch (1).JPG

    I also have a couple of Swatch Skuba watches but have never owned a standard one.

    p.s Proving that Google is watching us all, a web advert that just mysterious appeared was
    https://www.watchnation.com/product...MI96GP05_L6wIVcWHmCh0vIgaJEAQYAiABEgLoXfD_BwE

    I did use Google to check the thickness of the Skin so that would be what triggered the advert.
    They don't realise I have never spent more than £50 on a watch.
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2020
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  14. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    I had to check Ebay and it looks like Swatches are very reasonable, you can buy NOS for $35 USD. Just like Casio, they made millions of different designs and even though they were mostly bare-bones they were really nice and they're pretty easy to get now, I predict they will start going up in value in the next 5-10 years.
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2020
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  15. Longman

    Longman Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

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    I just checked completed listings. The most expensive was a prototype that sold for $3899
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SWATCH-K...876310?hash=item4b6e86d116:g:1XAAAOSwlkhd1Vn4

    The next highest was a collection of 50 new ones that sold for £1300
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Swatch-W...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

    At £26 each that wasn't a financially profitable investment for the original purchaser as I recall they cost about that in the 1980s.
    You could get a pretty nice Casio for the price of a basic Swatch.
     
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  16. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Swatch is still chuggin along, we even have a store locally that I forgot about. I think they sold billions of the normal models and everyone over 45 has a bunch in their drawer, but they're still nicely made watches that really fit a nitch and started a whole industry.
     
  17. Longman

    Longman Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

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    I get the impression that they are now like a slightly more upmarket version of Timex. As you say there are now loads of styles with both plastic and metal cases. Originally there was just one style but in dozens of different colours and patterns.

    https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/581875/swatch-watch-history

    Although I bought one new in the early 1990s I always felt they were slightly too expensive compared to the Casios where the same price would get you a watch full of novel features. I just checked the 1990 Argos Catalogue and they only had Swatch look alikes. Plenty of Casio though. I bought item 17 back then and it still works

    Casio 1990.jpg Casio 1990 b.jpg Casio 1990 c.jpg
     
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  18. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    I always loved Casio's but kind of considered them a nerd watch. They had cool features like the timer and stopwatch functions that were really nice for some of my classes. They really took off with the G-Shock Line where they made those functions a little more sporty.
     
  19. Radio Raheem

    Radio Raheem Well-Known Member

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    citizen echo drive are rubbish my friend, had several over the years and they use a rechargeable sell that lasts about 5 years and then you are screwed as you need to send it back to citizen..... lol,,,, i have 3 here that don''t work

    here is one i own that doesn't work
    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Citizen-...580713?hash=item46b3ff8f29:g:uPMAAOSwrg1fPjJb

    otherwise great thread guys:wink2
     
    Last edited: Sep 4, 2020
  20. Radio Raheem

    Radio Raheem Well-Known Member

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    just looked at the watch and it is now working lol what gives haha
     

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