HEWLETT PACKARD HP-01
ICONEEK price: SOLD
Iconeek is very proud to present here one of the most sough-after electronic wristwatch, in working and unworn condition: The HP-01.
Launched in 1977, the The HP-01 (HP for Hewlett Packard), code-named "Cricket", was a technological wonder of electronic miniaturization and the first wristwatch to incorpore a calculator.
The model, concentrated in a 41 x 37 mm horizontal rectangular case, not only a watch, but a real wrist instrument with its more than three dozen functions to manipulate and interrelate time, calendar and numeric data. A quote from the original advertising of the time states : “You can do anything from viewing the time to dynamically calculating to cost of a long distance phone call or, if a pilot, finding the distance to your next checkpoint “. Hp succeed in presenting at the time a real time computer, in a normal size wristwatch. The HP-01 was not a very successful product. Today, the HP-01 is one of the most sought after collectibles in the antique electronics market, because it was a big step in watchmaking history. Impressive and heavy, the model did not meet the public at the time, however it was an engineering success, widely recognize nowadays. The production stopped around 1979. Its original price was around $650 for the silver color and $750 for the gold-filed version.
The large and thick, 15 mm., stainless steel case comes with a polished bezel and brushed screwed case back. Not really water-resistant, the watch was able to resist to a 10 meters immersion during 5 minutes max.The keys to operate the time, date, alarm, chronograph and calculator functions and key panel are stamped from aluminum and hard anodized so that they can resist scratching and wear. The articuled stainless steel bracelet has an approx. overall lenght of 180 mm. The case back is engraved with the serial number « 1801A », the first 2 digit « 18 » stand for the year of production from 1960: 18 + 1960 = 1978, the second two digit « 01 » for the month 01=January (02 for february and so on), and the last letter "A" for America.
This LED digital wristwatch, antimagnetic to 60 Gauss, is set with 28 tiny keys that the user operated with a stylus built into the bracelet. Among them, 4 are raised for the main functions: « T » for time, « D » for date/calendar, « A » for alarm, and « M » for calculator. The red LED display panel shows the functions, thanks to light emitting diodes, activated by pressing the function buttons.The quartz movement is powered by three batteries, two for the display and one for the IC. The movement contains six large-scale integrated circuits which were the equivalent of 38,000 transistors.The watch accuracy was set to only 30 secondes a year.
if « you’re looking for a calculator, an alarm clock, a watch, a stopwatch, and a 200-year calendar for your wrist. What’s really special you can’t see », the HP-01 introduced at the time a new class of product with high potential and a world first: a computer on the wrist. Buy a « bit » of History !
Condition: 9.5/10, even more, as good as 40 years ago, and complete.