A digital watch for people who think digital is beneath them
By Abby Turner, Melbourne ยท
I have a soft spot for this, mostly because it annoys the watch snobs who'd normally sneer at a digital display and then have to admit it's a Hamilton.
The PSR brings back Hamilton's Pulsar from the 1970s, the first electronic digital wristwatch, and it's got that lovely cushion-shaped steel case. 40.8 mm across, 11.6 mm thick, on a 20 mm bracelet. It's a really comfortable size. Sapphire crystal and 100 m water resistance mean it'll handle a ward and a swim, and the steel bracelet will cope with sanitiser fine if you rinse it now and then.
The display is the clever bit. There's a reflective screen that's readable in daylight, and when you press the button the numbers light up like the old LED ones did. Looks brilliant in a dark room.
Now the downsides. It only really does the time and date. No stopwatch, no countdown, no alarm I'd rely on. For US$745 to $1,095 that's a lot less functionality than a G-Shock costing a tenth as much. It's a style purchase, and I think you should buy it knowing that.
If you want something retro and fun to wear to dinner, it's a cracker. If you want a tool, look elsewhere.