A Look Back at the Seiko Data-2000, the World's First Wristwatch Computer

Photo credit: Joe Haupt
Long before the Apple Watch and other smartwatches, there was the Seiko Data-2000. This wristwatch computer was released in 1983 and came bundled with an external keyboard for data-entry. Unlike the devices of today, data had to be synced from the keyboard to the watch using electro-magnetic coupling, or in other words, a wireless dock. It was named Data-2000 for its ability to store 2000 characters, while its memory is a minuscule 112 digits.

How does the “electro-magnetic coupling” work>? Well, the watch and keyboard both have a small metal loop in which current flows, thus turning each into a magnet. Communication happens through a series of magnetic pulses from each side, with data being transferred at 2,048 bits/second. The Data-2000 is placed into the “Transmission Circuit” of the keyboard and the user presses the transmit button on the face of the watch. How much did one of these cost back in 1983? A cool $295, or $797 at 2021 prices.

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