EEVblog #1166 - Amazing 1980's Touch Screen Calculator Watch!

A dual layer touch screen calculator watch in 1983? Amazing!
Teardown of the rather obscure Casio TC-500

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[airmann]

I gotta throw some thanks to you for teaching me all kinds of stuff about electronics. You've helped me work through tons of books by either helping me with concepts or helping me with the traps for young players lol. You, applied science and w2aew have me addicted to building things in my lab. Thanks for all your great vids, I'm gonna watch this one now!

[DextersTechLab]

Great vid Dave, never seen that model before. It's amazing how many watch models Casio pumped out in the 80s and they were usually pretty reasonably priced too, perfect for schoolyard bragging rights!

[RedTopProductions]

Wow! I've completely annihilated so many electronics by dissecting and tinkering with them and inevitably break some tiny fragile connection or component and don't understand it well enough to repair it...yet I've also fixed a number of things in the process. Watching you de-construct such a legacy piece of precision equipment from the 80s seemingly with ease... I'm so jealous. I strive to meet your skill level, Mr. EEV Blog! Keep up the great content, folks like me learn a lot from them!

[Mirandorl]

As its a metal casio watch strap aka a wrist epilator, you know have at least 5 less hairs on your arm

[pjakobs]

I wish you could bring someone in for an interview who hast designed a product like this and go through the product and their memories together.

[tonerotonero]

Always loved the Casio watches. They were always introducing nicely finished sophisticated and innovative stuff. You own a jewel, thanks for sharing.

[Peter_S_]

I had one of those back in 1983-1984. The electrodes are not etched into the glass. A layer of clear conductive material is deposited on top of the glass and the electrodes are etched into that. I scratched the face on mine and to use the calculator with all the keys I had to fill in the scratch with pencil lead before use.

[raindogred]

I've been a Casio fanboy since primary school. I'm 54 in May. Currently sporting the Casio world timezone watch (with 31 timezones) which I have been wearing continuously for 5 years. Invaluable if you live overseas and travel a lot. The beauty of a casio is the price. When the battery dies, throw them in your junk box and buy another. Far cheaper than the bother of having battery change and pressure test, which will cost you more than purchase price if done at a jewellers :) They have zero coolness factor!! They are a functional workhorse, and you don't get upset if the band breaks and you lose them, or break them..they get the job done... you just go out and replace them.

[johanlaurasia]

Yep, had one back in the day. In '83, I was just out of high school, and my "rich" friend had one, and I asked how much it was and was surprised to hear it was so affordable. Even with my just out of high school, low wage that I earned back in the day, $30 bucks (I think I paid $25 actually) was really affordable. I liked calculator watches, but didn't get one because it just screamed GEEK with the keyboard and all, but the TC-500 and it's fancy pantsy capacitive touch screen was as high tech as you could get, and, like you said, didn't look like a calculator watch, and so I was able to have the on-wrist ability to calculate w/o the Geekburger with cheese look. I think I owned two or three of them throughout the years as they'd wear out or I'd loose it, but it was easily replaced. Definitely takes me back to my early geek days for sure. Great teardown as I never got much past the main cover to replace the battery, and its very interesting to see the technology employed back then to make it all happen.

[stevesibaja]

Casio Watch Technology of the 80's Era

[radry]

This must be the most epic digital watch ever

[zxztv]

I had the one with the tiny rubber buttons, you needed a matchstick to do calculations :-D.
Casio was always clever.

[randynovick]

Man, I totally wanted one of these, back in high school.
A real trip down memory lane. Thanks!

[TobyDeshane]

Loving the Microgramma typeface on the virtual calc buttons. It's such a great font; timelessly futuristic. <3

[clazy]

Most of what Dave says goes over my head. I think I watch these videos mainly because I get a kick from his enthusiasm. Thanks, Dave!

[XFolf]

This is one sick af watch/calc. I love all the beyond careful hand soldering. Just beautiful.

[bovinespongiformflu]

I always wonder how much engineering time goes into building something like this.

[arthurbesnard]

I would wear this one without hesitation, still a big fan of casio watch ...

[iRepairElectronics]

amazing, i cant remember ever seeing SMD's back then, or flex printed resistors for that matter. such a great find. thanks for sharing this one.

[jamescaperelliiii]

The 80s was a special time for me. I truly believe it was the "hockey stick" point of the digital revolution. In those days I read everything I could about personal computers (dreaming about owning my own since the late 70s), programming, and the latest technology. Each year (just prior to Christmas) I could not wait to see what new products Sony and Casio had to offer for us consumers. And at the end of the day I think most of us owned something Casio since it was affordable.