The 1970s were tumultuous times for the watch-making industry, as the cheap and highly accurate quartz technology nearly wiped out mechanical watches. But it was also a decade that produced numerous icons such as the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Today, several watchmakers are mining their archives for inspiration from that period. Here are four affordable watches that pay tribute to the swinging Seventies.
Q Timex 1978 Reissue
Tissot PRX Powermatic 80
The Tissot PRX range proves that stylish, well put together watches need not cost a bomb. The PRX Powermatic 80, a tribute to a late 1970s model, follows on the heels of quartz range that was launched earlier this year and became an instant hit. If you are into integrated steel bracelets—and who isn’t these days?—the PRX Automatic, which costs about Rs 50,000, will hit the spot. By the way, ‘P’ and ‘R’ in the name stands for “precise and robust” and the ‘X’ for 10 atmospheres (or 100 metres of water resistance). The PRX Powermatic, which is just half a millimetre thicker than the quartz model, is equipped with Tissot’s Powermatic 80 automatic calibre, and comes with a blue or black or silver dial.
Yema Navygraf
Yema might not be as visible as some of the other brands on this page, but over the last year or so, it has dropped some interesting stuff such as the Digidisc. The latest from the French watchmaker, which has often collaborated with the French armed forces, is the Navygraf collection.
Designed for the French Navy, the collection includes a GMT, an automatic and a quartz model. The Marine Nationale GMT echoes ’70s Navygraf watches with its exclamation-shaped markers and comes with a screw-down crown. The 39mm watch, which is water-resistant up to 300 metres and sports the colours of the French Navy, is powered by the inhouse Yema3000 calibre. The limited edition model is priced at $1049.
Hamilton PSR
In 1970, a time when the future looked radical and way more rosy than it does today, the Pennsylvania-based watchmaker Hamilton launched the Pulsar, widely acknowledged as the world’s first LED digital watch. The Pulsar, named after the then recently discovered neutron stars, had an impressive source of inspiration. Hamilton based it on a set of watches it had created for director Stanley Kubrick in the 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Pulsar’s patrons included the likes of rock stars and sartorially savvy industrialists. With the $745 PSR, released late last year, Hamilton takes the Pulsar’s story forward, and is looking at style leaders who can spread the neo-vintage vibe. The PSR, available in stainless steel or PVD yellow gold, sports a hybrid display with LCD and OLED tech, and is water resistant up to 100 metres.
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