Avia quartz digital watch, c 1972.

One of the first LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) digital wristwatches, this Avia watch has an LCD movement made by Societe des Gardes Temps (SGT). The first electronic digital watch, the Hamilton 'Pulsar', was released in 1970. Its display was formed of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes). These were extremely power hungry, and the display could not be left on permanently. Instead it was activated by the wearer for a few seconds at a time. The first LCD digital watches were released in 1972 and became the standard display type.