# Remember 1971?



## Agent orange (Feb 11, 2006)

I was 6 in 1971 and it seemed like a time of endless possibilities. We'd seemingly conquered space after all so what wan't possible really.

This could well be the year that marked the start of the digital age when the Microprocessor was invented. We also saw the use of more and more of the transistor technology in use in things like hand held calculators which although are still very expensive over time will drop in price and increase in function to where we are today. It is also the first year North Sea Oil production begins in Norway.

*Popular culture*

Led Zeppelin releases their untitled fourth album

Jim Morrison of The Doors found dead in bath tub in Paris

*Films released*

The Andromeda Strain

The French Connection

*Technology*

Oil production from the North Sea begins in Norway

Intel releases world's first microprocessor, the 4004

Texas Instruments releases the first pocket calculator

The first internet chat rooms appear (I was amazed by this btw)

The first cat sScanner produced by EMI

BBC Open University broadcasts begin in the UK

The Aswan Dam is completed in Egypt

The worlds largest tanker 372,400 tons Nisseki Maru is launched

Apollo 14 lands on the Moon.

Apollo 15 astronauts become the first to ride in a lunar rover a day after landing on the surface

First soft contact lens became available commercially in the USA

Kevlar goes on to the market.

*Inventions*

Microprocessor USA

Pocket calculator The Sharp Company

E-Mail USA Ray Tomlinson

Floppy disk USA by IBM

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD) Switzerland

All in all it was a pretty cool time to be around and in 1971 the average rent in the US was $150pm.

For a mere $25 extra you could have had this on your wrist (slowish reveal sorry about that)























































TBC...


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## Agent orange (Feb 11, 2006)

Really struggling with lack of light today so apologies for the Q&D pics. I'll try and get some better pics of the watch over the weekend.

As you can see it was bought in Chicago in December 1971 for $175. I've never really been one for boxes and papers but this arrived yesterday and I can't believe just how complete a set it is.

Furthermore the owner sent it to me on trust from Romania, I haven't paid a bean for it and he doesn't know me from Adam apart from through the forums. The trust shown through the forums never ceases to amaze me, long may it continue.

Cheers,

Gary

P.S. I've had this for nearly 24 hours now and so far its hasn't gained or lost a single second. I suspect it'll be far more accurate than one minute a month


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Stunning Gary, thanks for taking the time to construct a brilliant topic, better than, 'I got a new watch, here it is' 

Great photos as usual too :good:


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## tixntox (Jul 17, 2009)

I got married that year! All I could afford was a holiday special! :notworthy:


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## Drum2000 (Apr 2, 2010)

'Tis indeed a lovely watch! 1971?

Why that is also the year of my Bulova Accutron 218!!


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## NickD (Sep 6, 2007)

Top post Gary :notworthy: respect from another Class of 1965. Cracking find, it looks like it could have been made yesterday.


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## Raptor (May 1, 2010)

Two lovely watches form my birth year

right there.

How would I find watches for

from my birth year?


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## Philz (Oct 20, 2009)

:jawdrop: OMG! drool droool droooooool :jawdrop:

Would you take the $175 asking price?


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## Agent orange (Feb 11, 2006)

Thanks guys 

Jase you know me, a big attraction to the era of watches I collect is the context of the times they were created in. I find it fascinating to know what a watch has lived through, it adds a whole new dimension to them, for me at least.

Tixntox, blimey married in 1971! I hope the years have been kind to you both and you're still enjoying each others company.

Drum2000 that's an exceptional sharp looking Accutron you have there, the sunburst finish on the case top looks brand new.

Nick it has a few scratches here and there but overall it's in very good shape, especially for a 39 year old. If I decide to buy it I'll get the indices ring cleaned and refinish the bracelet to sharpen it up a little. I wouldn't want to get the case hand refinished and risk losing the lovely sharp edges, so I'll leave that be.

Raptor you've probably already seen this but just in case you haven't

http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=50202

Unfortunately you can't accurately date a lot of brands but some you can. Beware of ebay listings though as a lot of the time the dates listed are a work of fiction.

Thanks Phil but no 

Cheers,

Gary


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Nice leaflets and booklet there Gary! :thumbsup:

Watch isn't bad either.


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## squareleg (Mar 6, 2008)

Top post, Gary - and a lovely thing to own. Enjoy.

1971? I got an ITT radio-cassette recorder for my 13th birthday that year. It was the coolest thing on the planet. Bought my first cassette ever: Fireball by Deep Purple. Blimey, seems like yesterday. I remember all my friends gathering round the machine and drooling. :man_in_love: It was like living in the future...


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## Agent orange (Feb 11, 2006)

squareleg said:


> Top post, Gary - and a lovely thing to own. Enjoy.
> 
> 1971? I got an ITT radio-cassette recorder for my 13th birthday that year. It was the coolest thing on the planet. Bought my first cassette ever: Fireball by Deep Purple. Blimey, seems like yesterday. I remember all my friends gathering round the machine and drooling. :man_in_love: It was like living in the future...


The late 60's to early 70's seemed like a time of optimism somehow. We'd sent a man to the moon, had supersonic passenger airliners, even the humble train could get up to over 185mph (in Japan anyway). So anything and everything was going to be possible in the future surely?

Well unfortunately no. Health and safety along with litigation reared its ugly head. Every endeavour had to return a quick profit, regardless of whether it would be good for company or national pride and then the oil crisis in '73 killed off any enthusiasm or so it seemed.

Damn shame really. I have to admit that as a kid I had high expectations of the future and by the year 2010 I expected we'd have cracked teleportation, or at least have strontium powered jet packs or such like. Apart from computing and the interweb in many ways we seem to be going backwards now. Where are those great initiatives that unite a nation and get world wide attention and admiration?

Oh well at least I've got some lovely watches from the era that act as a reminder of more interesting times. Speaking of which here's a couple more pics of the Ultronic.



















Cheers,

Gary


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

Thanks for the long reveal and historical buildup. That's truly a smash bit of kit all in one. Incredible find, I'm over the moon with envy.

I remember 1971 ... Summer of '42, Diamonds are forever, A Clockwork Orange, Billy Jack, The Decameron, The Devils, Willard, Straw Dogs, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, W.R. Mysteries of the Organism, and Trafic.


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

Agent orange said:


> Health and safety along with litigation reared its ugly head.
> 
> ...
> 
> by the year 2010 I expected we'd have cracked teleportation, or at least have strontium powered jet packs or such like.


To be fair though, I'm not sure H&S killed off teleportation. The laws of physics had a minor hand to play :grin:

Fantastic pics of the Ultronic though. You do manage to do the best pics :thumbsup:

That is one of those watches that shows how much the Swiss manufacturers used to borrow from each other though. I've an Eterna Sonic with an identical case and nigh on identical bracelet (although it's in pretty ropey condition, compared to that Ultronic). Must get round to taking a pic.


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## Bad Juju (Oct 28, 2010)

Don't forget an important horological milestone in 1971. It is even vaguely relate to electrics/electronics (they are powered by batteries)... the Pulsar (first LED watch) was released. Although, I imagine someone will want to bring up the Synchronar vs. Pulsar debate. 

I would imagine that Accutrons would be the easiest to find a birthyear watch. On the back M=60s and N=70s. The number following the M or N is the specific year in that decade. N1 would be 1971.


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## squareleg (Mar 6, 2008)

Who. Me? said:


> To be fair though, I'm not sure H&S killed off teleportation. The laws of physics had a minor hand to play :grin:


:lol:

I believe it *has* been done... but only with atoms (or was it sub-atomic particles - can't remember?). The Uncertainty Principle (can't remember which one; there are two versions) dictates that we can either know the position or the velocity of a particle - but not both). Then you persuade such a particle to undergo Quantum Tunnelling which means, theoretically, that the particle could, theoretically, appear instantly anywhere else in the Universe. The trick is to persuade the particle to reappear where you want it. This is the difficult bit. By the 24th Century, as any Trekkie knows, we will have figured out how to do this with multiple particles, which is why Commander Sisko can beam down to Bajor for lunch. :notworthy:


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

I strongly recommmend "Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You - A Gide to the Universe" by Marcus Chown for an almost fathomable explanation of Teleportation (and quantum physics in general).

Apparently, there just isn't enough energy in the universe to do it for a human







.


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## squareleg (Mar 6, 2008)

Who. Me? said:


> Apparently, there just isn't enough energy in the universe to do it for a human
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Pah!


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## Vaurien (Jul 19, 2010)

Who. Me? said:


> I strongly recommmend "Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You - A Gide to the Universe" by Marcus Chown for an almost fathomable explanation of Teleportation (and quantum physics in general).
> 
> Apparently, there just isn't enough energy in the universe to do it for a human
> 
> ...


Ah! Thank godness, I'm safe once more


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