The 1970s was a decade of revolutions. The world made huge strides creating some of the most impactful inventions coupled with striking designs. Well, if you are 1970s-ready and seeking a healthy dose of nostalgia, Hamilton celebrates the 50th anniversary of the world's first digital watch, the Pulsar. And it does it by re-editing this model in a very faithful way. Meet the brand new Hamilton PSR watch…not usual MONOCHROME material, but pretty groovy!The 1960s and 1970s were an era of rapid advancements in technology and the advent of electronics sparked a revolution in watchmaking. The first electric wristwatch was presented in 1957 by Hamilton; the 500 series was available in multiple cases, including the iconic Ventura. Although quartz technology had already been in use for several years for large precision clocks, the real challenge was to miniaturize this technology. In the 1960s, Swiss, American and Japanese watchmakers embarked on a race to develop the first applications of quartz technology for the wristwatch.?The 1969 Seiko Astron, the first serially produced quartz wristwatch.Swiss watchmakers undertook combined research via the Swiss Watchmaking Research Laboratory (LSRH), and then with the Watchmaking Electronics Centre (CEH) from 1962. This consortium presented the first prototype quartz wristwatch in 1966. But the first quartz wristwatch to hit the market came from Japan. In December 1969, Seiko announced the launch of the Astron. Just a few weeks later, several projects were presented at the 1970 Basel fair: the Swiss Beta 21 (CEH consortium), the Longines Ultra-Quartz, the Girard-Perregaux Elcron? Ad - Scroll to continue with article Welcome to the digital ageThe 1970 Hamilton Pulsar P1, the first-ever digital watch.May 6, 1970, was one of the moments that defined the seventies design. A watch like no other watch before was presented during a press conference in New York City. Not only was the Hamilton Pulsar powered by a quartz movement but it had no moving parts, no ticking sound. This “solid state wrist computer no larger than a wristwatch“, had no hands and no dial, replacing these with a digital display. The Pulsar was straight out of science fiction with its space-like design and unique functionality. Pushing a button made the time flash in red LED (Light Emitting Diodes) numerals on the dark screen. Holding the button for longer revealed the passing seconds. The LEDs consumed so much power, that to avoid depleting the battery, the time could not be displayed permanently. The Pulsar was developed by Hamilton in partnership with Electro/Data, Inc. It was named after the pulsating neutron stars that emit beams of radiation at ultra-precise frequencies. The first Hamilton Pulsar, the P1, made it to the market in 1972. A limited edition of 400 pieces with a yellow gold case and bracelet was launched; it initially sold for USD 2,100, about 10 times the price of a Submariner or the price of a family sedan. The command button was located at 6 o'clock and the crystal was made of synthetic ruby. Inside was a 25-integrated-chips quartz movement running at 32,768 Hz and accurate to 60 seconds per year.The 1972 Hamilton Pulsar P2In late 1972, the Hamilton Pulsar P1 was replaced by the P2, which featured an improved electronic module and a more rounded case with the push-piece on the side. It was released in different materials, in much larger quantities and enjoyed commercial success. It was the model that Roger Moore wore in the first scene of James Bond –?Live and Let Die. Among those to wear it were Keith Richards, Joe Frazier, Elton John, Giovanni Agnelli and US President Gerald Ford.The 2010 Hamilton Pulsomatic, combining an automatic movement and a digital display.In 2010, Hamilton launched the Pulsomatic to mark the 40th birthday of the first digital watch. This digital timepiece features a liquid crystal display powered by an automatic movement.An icon Revived, the 2020 Hamilton PSRFor the 50th anniversary of this milestone, the brand now releases a modern take on the Hamilton Pulsar P2, upgraded with modern technology: the Hamilton PSR. The rounded cushion-shape case comes in the same dimensions as the original, meaning 40.8mm x 34.7mm. The crystal that protrudes from the case is now fashioned out of sapphire instead of mineralite on the 1972 model. The name Pulsar engraved on the case of the P2 has been replaced by Hamilton, as the “Pulsar” brand no longer belongs to Hamilton but was purchased by Seiko. Last, the screwed caseback is engraved with a Pulsar star and the water-resistance is now of 100m – vs. 30m for the Hamilton Pulsar P2.? One of the main differences with the P2 is the time display. The Hamilton PSR features a hybrid reflective LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) / emissive OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diodes). The LCD display ensures that time is also permanently visible in daylight conditions. Pressing the button on the side of the case brings up high-contrast red OLED numerals in the familiar “digit dot” style. With no display backlight, the energy consumption is low and the battery life is of 5 years!The innovative display is the subject of a patent application. It has been developed with Asulab, the Swatch Group corporate research and development laboratory. It is manufactured with another Swatch Group company, EM Microelectronic in Marin.?The new Hamilton PSR is available in two versions. The first is a classic brushed stainless steel case and bracelet edition (ref. H52414130), the second is a very 1970s model with a yellow gold PVD-coated stainless steel case and bracelet (ref. H52424130), which is a limited edition of 1,970 pieces. We usually don’t cover quartz watches on MONOCHROME but the Hamilton PSR does deserve an exception: the Hamilton Pulsar was one of the coolest watches ever and, as the first digital watch ever commercialized, it is also historically important. As such, this Hamilton PSR will be a bit of a piece of history on your wrist. Price and availabilityThe Hamilton PSR will be priced at CHF 745?or USD 745 for the stainless steel version and CHF 995 or USD 995 for the limited gold PVD-coated edition.?The watch will be available as of May 2020.For more information, please visit www.hamiltonwatch.com.