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Information about Astron (wristwatch)

The Astron wristwatch, formally known as the Seiko Quartz-Astron 35SQ, was the world's first "quartz clock" wristwatch, i.e., one based on a quartz crystal oscillator. It is now registered on the List of IEEE Milestones as a key advance in electrical engineering.

The Astron was unveiled in Tokyo on December 25, 1969, after ten years of research and development at Suwa Seikosha (currently named Seiko Epson), a manufacturing company of Seiko Group. Within one week 100 gold watches had been sold, at a retail price of $1,250 each (at the time, equivalent to the price of a medium-sized Japanese automobile). Essential elements included a quartz crystal oscillator (8,192 cyles/second), a hybrid integrated circuit, and a miniature stepping motor to turn its hands. The Astron was accurate to ±5 seconds per month, or one minute per year.

References

A quartz clock is a clock that uses an electronic oscillator that is made of a quartz crystal to keep precise time. This crystal oscillator creates a signal with very precise frequency.
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Quartz (from German Quarz   (help info ) [1]) is the second most common mineral in the Earth's continental crust, feldspar being the first.
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crystal oscillator is an electronic circuit that uses the mechanical resonance of a vibrating crystal of piezoelectric material to create an electrical signal with a very precise frequency.
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This List of IEEE Milestones contains the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Milestones, representing key historical achievements in electrical and electronic engineering.
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Electrical engineering (sometimes referred to as electrical and electronic engineering) is an engineering field that deals with the study and/or application of electricity, electronics and electromagnetism.
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Tokyo Metropolis (東京都 Tōkyō-to)

Capital n/a
Region Kantō
Island Honshū
Governor Shintaro Ishihara
Area 2,187.
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December 25 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.

Events


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19th century - 20th century - 21st century
1930s  1940s  1950s  - 1960s -  1970s  1980s  1990s
1966 1967 1968 - 1969 - 1970 1971 1972

Also:
*:1969 (number)
*:

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Seikosha (精工舎 Seikōsha
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Seiko Epson Corporation

Public TYO: 6724
Founded Suwa, Nagano, Japan (1942)
Headquarters Suwa, Nagano, Japan

Key people Saburo Kusama, Chairman & CEO; Seiji Hanaoka, President & COO
Industry Electronics
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Seiko Group (セイコー・グループ
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''For other uses, see oscillator (disambiguation)
Oscillation is the variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states.
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integrated circuit (also known as IC, microcircuit, microchip, silicon chip, or chip) is a miniaturized electronic circuit (consisting mainly of semiconductor devices, as well as passive components) that has been manufactured in the surface of a
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A stepper motor is a brushless, synchronous electric motor that can divide a full rotation into a large number of steps, for example, 200 steps. When commutated electronically, the motor's position can be controlled precisely, without any feedback mechanism (see open loop
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Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Type Professional Organization
Founded January 1, 1963
Origins Merger of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers and the Institute of Radio Engineers
Key people Leah H.
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Seiko Epson Corporation

Public TYO: 6724
Founded Suwa, Nagano, Japan (1942)
Headquarters Suwa, Nagano, Japan

Key people Saburo Kusama, Chairman & CEO; Seiji Hanaoka, President & COO
Industry Electronics
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