# What was the last electronic movement?



## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

I am thinking the ESA 9157/58 was one of the last electronic movements (all types of electric/electronic movements) designed. This was launched in 1975

But am I right? Did any movements come out after this?

And what was the last electronic watch in production? What survived the Quartz/LED/LCD tech race?


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

I would like to know the answer to that one as well, Scott. One always assumes that the electronic watches died a death when cheap quartz movements came on stream, but I feel sure that in the weird world of watches, some company out there was still plying the electronic watch for some time after this sort of apparatus was obsolete in the market place.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

I so want to have a go at trying to answer this, but I'm sitting in a cafe with only my mobile phone, so it will have to wait a while....

And no straight forward answer.


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## PC-Magician (Apr 29, 2013)

Silver Hawk said:


> I so want to have a go at trying to answer this, but I'm sitting in a cafe with only my mobile phone, so it will have to wait a while....
> 
> And no straight forward answer.


 This will be interesting.


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## SBryantgb (Jul 2, 2015)

No idea why but I would guess a Citizen movement


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Here are my thoughts...but it all comes down to what defines a new design of movement... :wacko:

1) The ESA 9157/8 did indeed appear about 1975 but it is really based on the ESA 9150 which was designed in the 1960s. The 9157/8 look "cheap" compared to the earlier 9150/4, but the connection is clear to see, so I would not class the 1957/8 as a new design.

2) The ESA 9162/4 came after the ESA 9150/4/7/8...but they are tuning fork movements and the technology is licensed from Bulova who designed the first Accutron tuning fork watch in the early 1960s...before the ESA 9150 mentioned above. Confused yet?

As for watch production, that's even more up for debate:

a) Titus bought up much of the Omega f300 cases etc when Omega f300 production stopped and carried on producing (and selling) ESA 9162/4 based watches using these ex-Omega f300s well into the 1980s.

b) And other watch manufacturers (I forget their names) bought NOS ESA 9157/8 movements (still floating around today) and sold these watch as recently as a few years ago.

Then there are the Russian / Chinese clones/copies/homage movements. There are quite a few transistor balance wheels ones, and they have a passing resemblance to ESA 9157/8. Being copies/clones etc, they appeared after their Western counterparts. But many seem to be prototypes or produced in relatively small quantities.

I'm sure I've forget things...but that'll do for starters.

Interesting question Scott! :thumbsup:


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

I'm going to have to search for a Titus f300 now then! Thanks Paul for your insight. If anyone knew i had money on it it would be you


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## stromspeicher (May 28, 2015)

Didn't Technos produce a limited run of 10,000 ESA9162 'Mosaba' watches made with old stock movements in the 80s or 90s? Not sure about the date...


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## Captain Crandall (Sep 25, 2016)

Yes very Interesting question Scott ! I was just recently introduced to the Accutron tuning fork watches which I really like because they were in their heydays during the 60's and the era of the space race and the big rush of new technologies that were developed to take us to the moon, Before I was introduced to the Accutron tuning fork watches I didn't give much thought to wrist watches and I must admit that I even owned a few quartz watches that were made to look like mechanical watches but that has since been remedied.


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## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

stromspeicher said:


> Didn't Technos produce a limited run of 10,000 ESA9162 'Mosaba' watches made with old stock movements in the 80s or 90s? Not sure about the date...


 Yes correct "MOntre SAns BAlance" display back as well, used to have one.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

stromspeicher said:


> Didn't Technos produce a limited run of 10,000 ESA9162 'Mosaba' watches made with old stock movements in the 80s or 90s? Not sure about the date...


 Yes, as Chris ( @bridgeman ) mentioned below...but very interested to hear where you learned about the size of the limited run?

And wish I could remember the name of the company that started selling ESA 9157/8 based watches about 2010ish. They were selling on eBay with a silly BIN price, otherwise I would have bought one.


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## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

Silver Hawk said:


> Yes, as Chris ( @bridgeman ) mentioned below...but very interested to hear where you learned about the size of the limited run?
> 
> And wish I could remember the name of the company that started selling ESA 9157/8 based watches about 2010ish. They were selling on eBay with a silly BIN price, otherwise I would have bought one.


 It was a definately run of 10,000 in 1990. Technos Mosaba will throw up the details


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

scottswatches said:


> I'm going to have to search for a Titus f300 now then! Thanks Paul for your insight. If anyone knew i had money on it it would be you


 You mean something like this, Scott?

*Titus, ESA cal.9162, circa mid 1970s.*










& before you ask, no, it`s not for sale :biggrin:


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## handlehall (Aug 7, 2009)

What was in the Spaceview 50th Anniversary LE of 2010? were they just refurbished 214s?


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> You mean something like this, Scott?
> 
> & before you ask, no, it`s not for sale :biggrin:


 Boo. You're no fun :tongue:


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

scottswatches said:


> Boo. You're no fun :tongue:


 Moi? Azif!! :laugh:

Btw, I don`t suppose you want me to tell you how superbly made & really kewel it is 

Seriously, if you do get a chance to buy one, bite the seller`s hand off artytime:


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

i've looked on fleabay and the US sellers are asking for more for the Titus ones than I can buy an Omega one for here for


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

scottswatches said:


> i've looked on fleabay and the US sellers are asking for more for the Titus ones than I can buy an Omega one for here for


 Make yourself one....


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

handlehall said:


> What was in the Spaceview 50th Anniversary LE of 2010? were they just refurbished 214s?


 Good one! I'd forgotten about those. Doesn't qualify as a new design, but certainly a very recent production electronic watch. :thumbsup:


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## stromspeicher (May 28, 2015)

Silver Hawk said:


> Yes, as Chris ( @bridgeman ) mentioned below...but very interested to hear where you learned about the size of the limited run?


 I remember seeing an auction for a NOS one with box and papers and there was some kind of certificate included in the set which said watch number xxxx of 10000. I think there is also a mention 10000 on the back cover inscription, can't find a clear picture of it but someone probably has a close-up pic.


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## Captain Crandall (Sep 25, 2016)

handlehall said:


> What was in the Spaceview 50th Anniversary LE of 2010? were they just refurbished 214s?


 I believe they were remakes that were very close to old ones but they were made in Japan....


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## SBryantgb (Jul 2, 2015)

Might well be this one


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

SBryantgb said:


> Might well be this one


 :laugh: :laugh:


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## Captain Crandall (Sep 25, 2016)

handlehall said:


> What was in the Spaceview 50th Anniversary LE of 2010? were they just refurbished 214s?


 Here is the movement in those. Very close to the original 214/2140 with the new cal number 214B. I wonder if Bulova has replace movements for that watch incase a movement went bad in one of those new remake watches ?


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## handlehall (Aug 7, 2009)

Captain Crandall said:


> Here is the movement in those. Very close to the original 214/2140 with the new cal number 214B. I wonder if Bulova has replace movements for that watch incase a movement went bad in one of those new remake watches ?


 Interesting, considering the popularity of electronic watches I'm surprised none of the original manufacturers have had a go at recreating them with authentic movements or are they just too inherently costly and unreliable to be worthwhile?

I suppose Bulova think they've sort of covered it with Accutron 2.


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## Who. Me? (Jan 12, 2007)

scottswatches said:


> i've looked on fleabay and the US sellers are asking for more for the Titus ones than I can buy an Omega one for here for


 A few years back ebay was flooded with them coming out of Hong Kong. They were £60 - £70. Cheaper than the NOS movements. I bought a few as parts donors. Still got one that's a runner and a couple of dead ones that'll serve as index wheel donors.

And they weren't just Omega cases. One that I sacrificed turned out to be a re-badged Roamer Sonic 300. Oops.


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## vinn (Jun 14, 2015)

un reliable is my guess. vinn


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## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

bridgeman said:


> It was a definately run of 10,000 in 1990. Technos Mosaba will throw up the details


 Taken a while to find my photo but here










This was number 1770 from 10000 which can just be seen on the poor photo


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## Chascomm (Sep 9, 2005)

Timex would surely have one of the last balance-wheel electrics in general production circa 1980/81? If I recall correctly the quartz-regulated version was dropped a year before the non-quartz. (Timex experts please set me straight)

Other late contenders would be the Soviet Luch 3055 (although that one also had quartz control) and Chinese Xiang Yang SD2, but neither of those lasted past the 1970s as far as I know. As for last original design, how do the Citizen 5800 or 3701B rate?


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## stromspeicher (May 28, 2015)

Chascomm said:


> As for last original design, how do the Citizen 5800 or 3701B rate?


 I think the 3701B was the last Citizen electronic - its not in the 1974 catalogue and I've only seen examples with 1975 and 1976 serial numbers. The 5800 family came along a few years before that.


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