Looking for something retro to wear on your wrist and to tell the time? I’ve pulled together my 10 of the best 1970s-style watches.
Ok, you have a clock on your phone and laptop. I get it. But a watch is more than a practical thing. It’s a fashion thing and a statement of who you are. A stylish watch says a lot about you.
Also, note that these are watches you can buy today. Some original designs from the 1970s, others inspired by the era. If you want something straight-ahead vintage, there are plenty for sale on eBay.
However, if you’re looking for something new, read on. Some are expensive, while others are less so. Hopefully, one catches your eye.
1. Stargazer 1970s-style space-age watch
One you might recall me featuring in the past. This is a personal favourite – a new design that looks straight out of the set of Space: 1999.
Available in different colours for the readout and the casing/strap, it features a classic electronic digital quartz movement housed within that retro shell. There’s also one with an angular shell and an upgrade model made of titanium.
However, the standard versions sell for just over £70, so they’re not too expensive for a retro-style statement.
Find out more at the Fairy Treasury Etsy website
2. 1970s Hamilton PSR – the first digital watch
This one isn’t cheap, but it is an icon of the era.
The Hamilton PSR was the first commercially available digital watch, and it has been reissued with the same look, but some updates for the 21st century.
It now features a hybrid display, rather than a digital one, and also displays the time on the OLED screen – the original only showed the time when the button was pressed. Other features include a sapphire crystal anti-reflective coating, water resistance for up to 330 feet, and that lovely retro chunky bracelet.
It usually sells for £700, but the retailer below has it for £100 off at £595.
Find out more at the Watch Nation website
3. 1970s LIP Mach 2000 chronograph watch
Something very different – and harder to find these days, even in reissued form.
LIP watches were something of a 1970s statement, although they weren’t widely available to buy in the UK as a French brand. They were the work of French industrial designer Roger Tallon, with the designs memorable for the coloured balls to the side.
There are plenty of variations for men and women, but the chronograph here pretty much sums up the model. Date and time, as well as stopwatch and chronograph functions. Looks eye-catching too. £315 for one of these. You can see more examples here.
Find out more at the Watch.co.uk website
4. Bulova Computron LED watch
The first of a couple of (then) pricey watches that have been reissued. This one is for a little less than you might think.
Bulova was a premium brand, but not noted for its digital watches. However, the label dug into the archives a few years ago and reproduced this gem in various finishes. Like the Hamilton reissue, this isn’t a straight reproduction; some parts have been updated for the modern era.
But the core design is the same – a rectangular case with an LED screen on the side, allowing you to read the time without having to turn your wrist. A feature useful when driving (and before cars had digital clocks within).
The new version features a quartz movement, a battery that offers up to two years of life, an LED display, and several new enhancements, including a dual-time zone option and month/date/day/seconds functionality, all accessible with a single button press on the right-hand side.
Prices hover around the £250 mark, but the silver version is available for a lower price at £165.
Find out more at the Amazon website
5. 1970s Bulova Surfboard Chronograph watch
And now a very different watch from the same maker. And with just as much appeal.
Once a very pricey vintage piece, the Deep Sea Chronograph (its original name) became known as the Surfboard due to the look of the face.
There is a limited edition featuring a Sellita calibre SW-510BHb automatic chronograph movement, along with the original colour scheme. Additionally, a cheaper selection of quartz models is available, featuring a choice of red and blue bezels with a blue dial, red and black with a cream dial, and orange and blue with a cream dial. All with a stainless steel case, water-resistance up to 200m a Miyota Caliber 6S21-00A quartz movement.
The standard versions sell for around £500, but are hard to find.
Find out more at the Watch Specialists website
6. Timex 1972 World Time watch
I could fill this top 10 with just Timex reissues, as the company is so prolific. But this is one of the most recent and one of the more appealing.
This one couldn’t be more 1970s. Originally created for ‘stylish travellers in the golden era of jet-setting’, its rotating bezel marks Greenwich Mean Time and follows with names of 23 cities around the globe, making it easy to read the time in any time zone.
This was the Euro version, and as such, features the French spelling for the noted locations. Other details include a brushed and polished 39mm barrel-shaped stainless-steel case, a geometric red second hand, and a domed crystal, and finished with a blue supple natural leather strap sourced from SB Foot Tanning Company.
£155 is the price.
Find out more at the Timex website
7. Void V02MKII 1970s-style watch
Not an original from the era, but it is very much a tribute to the era of bold timepieces.
Available in a seemingly endless number of colour combinations, the V02MKII features three compass needle hands that function similarly to traditional minute, hour, and second hands. To tell the time, simply match the colour of the hands with the digit of the same colour on the dial.
According to the maker, the watch is not designed to tell time at a glance but to remind us about the value and passage of time. Looks good on the wrist, too. $295 for this one.
Find out more at the Void website
8. Braun BN0076 1970s digital watch
This one is quite hard to find these days, having been reissued back in 2012. But they are out there if you look hard enough.
It’s based on the Braun DW30, which was a limited edition back in the day and sells for silly money as a result. The later reissue keeps the look and offers a digital display with the time and date, 30m water resistance, a matt stainless steel case, a screw on case back and a scratch-resistant mineral glass, finished off with a leather strap.
Expect to pay around £180 for one.
Find out more at the Kult Hifi website
9. Armitron Sport retro digital chronograph bracelet watch
If it’s all about the look, then this one is amazing value.
From a company that’s been around since the mid-1970s, there are loads of variations of this one, and all are heavily discounted on Amazon. I like the gold because it just has that 1970s vibe about it. All have water resistance, with this one having a display with red digits activated by the side button, plus time, seconds, date, month, year and ‘military time’ (whatever that is).
Just £27.57.
Find out more at the Amazon website
10. Timex x Peanuts Snoopy watch
I was undecided what to put at number 10, Mickey Mouse or Snoopy – both of which were popular features on watches in the 1970s. In the end, I went for the Snoopy.
This is typical of the Snoopy watches of the 1970s. Everyone’s favourite cartoon dog in baseball gear is pointing out the time with the bat and ball. It’s cute, it’s functional, and it’s also timeless.
£60 isn’t a bad price for nostalgia.
Find out more at the Timex website
There are plenty more funky timepieces in the watches section of the website.
