Hamilton reveals PSR watch inspired by James Bond's Pulsar P2

Hamilton has announced the upcoming release of the Hamilton PSR, a watch inspired by the first ever digital watch, the Pulsar LED watch, one of which was worn by Roger Moore as James Bond in Live And Let Die (1973).

The new Hamilton PSR watch will be available in steel and a limited edition gold plated version on Hamilton.com.

About the original Hamilton Pulsar
The original Hamilton Pulsar was one of the emblematic creations of the space-age era. Its groundbreaking technology disrupted the market, and its futuristic looks made it a favourite of forward thinkers and style leaders including Jack Nicholson, Joe Frazier, Elton John and Keith Richards.

May 6, 1970 stands as one of the most significant moments in wristwatch history. At a press conference in The Four Seasons restaurant in New York City, Hamilton revealed to the world the very first digital electronic wristwatch. Named the Pulsar after the pulsating neutron stars that emit beams of radiation at ultra-precise frequencies, this seemed an object straight out of science fiction, with no moving parts, no ticking sound, and unmatchable durability and accuracy.

But the science was real. This ingenious ‘solid state wrist computer’, developed by Hamilton in its hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, would change the way we tell time.

The public received its first glimpse of the Pulsar prototype on the US TV program The Tonight Show, when host Johnny Carson demonstrated its unique functionality: pushing a button on the side of the watch made the time flash in red LED numerals on the dark screen, while holding the button for longer revealed the passing seconds. The watch could be set via a unique magnetic bar hidden in the bracelet.

Pulsar P1
The inaugural Hamilton Pulsar, the P1, launched to market in 1972, with an original, space-age design to match its groundbreaking technology. With an avant-garde cushion case and bracelet in 18 ct yellow gold, it was an unmistakably elite product, with a $2,100 price tag that matched the cost of a family car. Elvis Presley was among the pioneers who snapped up one of 400 models (Elvis also made another Hamilton watch famous, the Ventura, the triangular watch later also seen in the Men In Black movie series).

Pulsar P2
By the following year, the wrist computer was ready for the general public. The stainless steel Pulsar P2, with a more rounded case design and an improved chip module, launched in 1973, pioneering the nascent market for digital watches. Produced in large volume, it was a colossal success. Among those to wear it were Keith Richards, Joe Frazier, Elton John, Giovanni Agnelli and U.S. President Gerald Ford.

And of course, James Bond wore a Pulsar P2 prominently in the 1973 movie Live And Let Die, showing he was on top of the latest digital fashion.

James Bond wore a Pulsar P2 similar to the one pictured on the left in the movie Live And Let Die

The new Hamilton PSR
With the new Hamilton PSR, this icon of 1970s style and technology are revived by Hamilton. There are two versions of the PSR to choose from: one in stainless steel (H52414130), and a version in stainless steel coated with yellow gold PVD (H52424130) that’s limited to 1,970 pieces ('1970' is a reference to the year the Pulsar first digital watch was originally revealed).

Hamilton PSR stainless steel (H52414130) and stainless steel coated with yellow gold PVD (H52424130)

Both watches feature cases in the inimitable wide cushion style of the P2, with the same dimensions of 40.8mm x 34.7mm. The watches are water resistant to 10 bar (100m).

One of the main differences is the engraved Hamilton logo, that replaces the Pulsar logo from the original.

Another difference with the previous version is the display of time. The Hamilton PSR features a hybrid display mixing reflective LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and emissive OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diodes) technologies. Pressing the button will once again bring up light red OLED numerals in the familiar ‘digit dot’ style, while the LCD display ensures that time is also permanently visible in daylight conditions. With no backlight, the display has very low energy consumption.

The Hamilton PSR caseback features an engraving of a pulsar star

The watch features a double folding clasp and integrated bracelet and caseback with pulsar star engraving.

The Hamilton PSR watches are available soon for €695 / $745 / £675 for the stainless steel version, and €945 / $995 / £900 for the gold limited edition of 1,970 pieces.

Read more on the Hamilton PSR website.

Hamilton watches have featured in many films, including James Bond films. Both M (Judi Dench) in SkyFall and Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) in Quantum of Solace have worn a Hamilton watch. See more Hamilton watches in other movies on Watch-ID.com.