The Everlasting Digital Watch?

Most of the analog watches I've had ran several years on a battery. My last watch is a Casio waveceptor that receives WWWB and resets the time every morning at 4 AM and never needs a battery. The face is a solar cell that recharges the battery. What is especially nice is that the case never has to be opened, so no dirt gets in.

I have used Timex "Indiglo"watches for around 30 years. Never replaced a battery because the watch band "support" usually gives out first. I kept the last one I replaced 10 years ago, and just checked it...the battery is finally dead...it was still running last year. So like they say "Take's a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!"

I can remember the John Cameron Swayze commercial with the Timex watch fastened to an outboard motor propeller.

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/17/obituaries/john-cameron-swayze-89-journalist-and-tv-pitchman.html

watches phased out with 8 tracks..........few people use them...............get a phone

Seriously? Using a phone for a watch reminds me of Monty Python's mosquito hunting expedition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZvT3MHpffk

I use the Timex Indiglo Expedition series of watches. Batteries last three or four years. I've never had one break. The first one I bought was lost in the lake after taking a particularly nasty high-speed wipe-out while water skiing. I have two now, one with a webbing strap for casual wear and one with a leather strap for more formal occasions.

I used to wear a watch all the time, a Casio databank (wasn't using the calendar or phone book sections much, but the calculator and stopwatch/countdown timer were incredibly useful for quick measurements and calculations.

Then the plant decided that the 'no jewelery on the production floor' rule included watches (including watches that were clearly part of an engineer's toolkit) yet still provided an exemption for wedding bands (which are pure ornamentation). So I had to shift to looping the watch on my belt (the concern was on 'items above the waist,' we cannot even keep anything in a shirt pocket, and ID badges have to be worn at belt level) until I finally got a smartphone, so all the features I needed the watch for were duplicated on the phone.

(I also ended up switching which side I wore my cellphone holster on. For the older style, the right side was better, since i could grab the phone, flip it open and start talking all in one smooth motion. But with a smart phone, I needed it on my left side, so I could grab it and have it i position to use my right hand to interact with the screen. But I'm rambling now, so I'll shut mt big fat beak.)

No, no - fascination stuff. Do carry on.

Speak for yourself. Some of us wear them because they have a very convenient little light in them, if they are Timex Expeditions. As I've aged, I've started waking up more and more each night for a very common purpose, and it sure helps getting back to sleep if the only light to hit the old retinas is that mild little green glow. Lights the way to and back from, the "necessary room" well enough that I don't step on a cat.

By the way - I had one that I used the light on every night for 10 years with no battery change. Just changed the strap twice.

I know that problem well.

I have an Everite Embassy wind-up made in the 60's and given to my Dad for 15 years service with Elliott Brothers /Marconi Elliott. I've worn it every day for the last 40 years, except for one week when I had it cleaned & serviced. Before servicing (about 15 years ago) it gained a minute a day - afterwards (and still) it losses a minute a day. I usually correct it to the bedside radio alarm every morning when I wind it. Keep meaning to regulate it, but never get round to it.

I estimate it's ticked about 3,500,000,000 times.

Only time it (nearly) let me down was in Italy earlier this year. I must've forgotten to wind it one day, and (not having the radio alarm) didn't notice it had stopped the next morning, and so was 20 minutes slow on the day of departure. Didn't notice, in fact, until I heard the announcement at the airport that the flight was closing - and had to run to the gate. Was last on the 'plane, but I made it. <phew!>.

It looks like this:

... but with an expanding gold-plated strap.

Well done! I appreciate keeping things like this - unlike someone above.

Well they do come with 10 year batteries....

http://www.casio-intl.com/asia-mea/en/wat/standard/10_year_battery/

Is it possible that you changed the battery once and have forgotten over time??

Absolutely not - but I did stumble into a wormhole a few years back, landing up on Koozbane of all places. Saw several ex-CR4 contributors there before returning ASAP. Other than that my life has been fairly normal.

Well it's possible you got some Spooble in your watch....that would explain it...

Unlikely - it says "Spooble proof" on the back. On the other hand it also says "Made in China."

Just plug it into a potato and you'll be fine...

I've read about planned obsolescence, i.e. the engineered demise of a product just after a warranty period. I've even seen products that I suspect are engineered in that manner (ever notice how cars start having problems just after 36k miles?). Honestly though, I've never seen anyone do it in practice. Every product I've ever designed has been manufactured to last as long as possible. This includes using long life electrolytics etc. Makes me wonder how much effort product design engineers put out to achieve a defined product lifetime? Is it really worth it to pay an engineer to come up with such a product?

Certainly not a Swiss watch. I got talked into one of those fancy watches. I went as low in cost as I could go, but still could have bought 25 or more Timex for the cost of it. Battery went dead within 1 week of purchase. Returned to the jewelers and was told it would be replaced free, but the manufacturer was the only one allowed to open the watch - it had to go back to Switzerland for a new battery. The new one lasted just about 1 year. Said watch has joined my junk collection of watches with dead batteries. Anyone want a slightly used Swiss watch?

I am a proud user of cheap watches, usually Fossil or similar. Have had some that were wonderful timekeepers and although supposedly waterproof, were not!

I hate valuable watches anyway, anything over €50 for example.

Then I saw an ad for a really cheap "talking" digital watch on ebay, it was going for €13 (then!) including postage. It uses a huge CR2032 battery and 3 years later, is still going strong!! Same battery.

Some friends with bad vision have also bought it as well.....but you can also read the display.....

Here it is on ebay Germany:-

Talking Digital Watch

It is not waterproof by the way, but if and when needed, only a tiny phillips screwdriver to remove the back and change the battery......

It only needs to be corrected twice a year plus travelling to different time zones.....

I've been wearing the same $10.88 watch for 6 years now, just changed the watch band......which, by the way, cost more than the watch. Still the same battery.

It's made in China, all plastic, except for the stainless steel back. Has the "indiglo" style back light.

But then, I drive a '99 Jeep Cherokee, the oldest car in the parking lot here at work, and drive 110 (177.4 km) miles each day to and from the job. Like the watch, no need for "fancy" when what I have works just fine. Why work so hard to wear out a new device, when an old one is cheaper to wear out?

With all the technology out there today, I don't wear a watch any more. Stopped doing to about 20 years ago-although I haven't checked to see if the last one is still running. I mean, everywhere you go there is something that will give you the time.

Morning - alarm clock, radio

to work - car has a clock

at work - phone and computor have clocks

to home - again the car

at home - clock on the wall

Think about it, just about if not everywhere you go, there is some kind of time giving mechanism. Even out in the middle of "nowhere", as long as the sun is shining, you have an idea of what time it is, might not be exact, but probably close enough if you are out in the middle of nowhere.

No clocks in aircraft for passengers. Frequently no clocks in shops. No clocks at bus stops. No clocks in church. Clocks in hotels/motels frequently totally wrong. No clocks in restaurants. No clocks when you are out walking, fishing, mountain climbing, fishing, in a movie theatre, on the river/lake, at sea, scuba diving, at a race meeting, running ........

Case proved.