ARMITRON Digital Watches - How America's Watch Came to Be

This video primarily focuses on the digital watch history of Armitron , but does some light coverage of their analog options too.
My buy me a coffee link: www.buymeacoffee.com/Illumina...
E Gluck Trading Corp was started by Eugen Gluck after him and his partner Jean moved from Europe to New York, first starting a bakery and then moving into watches. Initially they were part of Armin Corporation - Armin + Electronic = Armiton! After some initial mechanical options with Sutton, Chateau Andre Rivalle, and some alternative brand options such as Quasar and Quasatron (Pulsar influence much....) the Armiton brand would stick with LED options using Litronix modules. After the overall crash of that market - they would pivot to LCDs and follow the typical trajectory of alarm and melody alarm models, chronograph models, plastic cased options and the like. They would also have a lot of novelty style watches like the radio watch worn by Dustin in Stranger things, and a whole line of calculator watches - with the notable one including the wrist comp 101 work by Doc Emmet Brown in Back to the future. Like Timex and Casio they would lean into the multi function sport watch market too with their all sport model - very baseball focused! - later using their instalite EL backlight (their version of indiglo or illuminator). Of course, some fun analog options too like Swatch and Eclipse (their answer to swatch) amongst many more. I'll cover a light level of modern ventures too with their retro line like the Griffy, Champion and Rubik's models. I hope you enjoy the video and have fun learning about E Gluck Corporation and Armiton!
#digitalwatch #armitron
Intro: 0:00
History of E Gluck Corp: 0:33
LED entry: 1:28
LCD entry: 3:03
Calculator watches: 4:26
Game and novelty watches: 5:19
All sport and insta lite: 6:08
Character watches: 8:25
Analog - Awatch eclipse etc: 8:39
Modern options: 9:10
References for the images are listed throughout. Any I've missed just let me know!

[@IlluminatingWatches]

If you enjoyed this video on Armtiron - you may enjoy this video on Bulova digital watches -> kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYDMfYR9bJl0idU

[@spunkyb5249]

I love my chunky, colorful Armitron sport watches. They are inexpensive and handle my active sporting activities flawlessly, none of them have broken. Now I'm hooked on them and collect them all. Guys give me a lot of compliments on them and ask me about them. Although we have smartphones with clocks on them, guys find out that they still need a watch to get through the day.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Very cool. Armitron not a brand we get here in the UK so was less well known to me before doing this video

[@scottskillman]

Got mine at service merchandise in the late 70's. Service merchandise is gone but my Armitron 40-6179 is still with me.

[@eskee1]

Did you order by taking a slip to the front and it came out on a conveyor belt?

[@scottskillman]

@@eskee1 you know it!

[@WatchWithMike]

Fantastic video! I just finished rebuilding an E. Guck Château mechanical watch, and research on the company was hard to find. Now I am enlightened! I knew about a connection to Armitron, but I never realized how many nuances that transition involved. Great reporting and entertaining presentation! 😄

[@rtsbeyond]

Yess, somebody finally did it, at last a detailed video on Armitron watches. Nothing against the usual major brands, it’s just that amongst all of them to me there’s been this quiet, outcast type of mystery about Armitron. Although they haven’t really had much to offer that is innovative and unique to them, I still got drawn right in by the 40/8177 model in 2010; now dubbed the Orbit Chrono on their website. I have two of the earliest ones produced (a 40/8177SIL and a 40/8210RED) and other than mine they’re pretty much gone now, discontinued. Sometimes I like the idea of getting famous enough for the enthusiasts who watch spot to notice one my Armitrons haha mine are a bit different from what I always see while being pretty useful. Not as reliable as Casio/G-Shock but anyway now this is a rant sorry but I’ve wanted a video like this on Armitron for years so thank you for this‼️

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Ha ha thank you so much . Really glad you appreciated it! You are right that there was quite limited content so really had to piece this together from different places. I’m sure I’ve missed a lot!

[@brianfuller757]

Great video. Armitron is an amazing brand and and usually overlooked

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou! Yes wanted to cover the brand as not so widely known in the UK

[@Paul_1973]

I just happened to see one at Walmart today for $25. A green and orange sport watch with a velcro band and rotating dial. I have other “expensive”watches but the look of this and price caught my attention. Very comfortable to wear. Growing up in the 80’s and being a Mets fan it was cool to see the connection with Armitron & Dwight Gooden & Gary Carter. Thanks for the video.

[@thetimebombardier]

brilliant vid dude!! 😎😎 had seen these around but knew nothing of the background thanks, think I'll pick one up!!

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Ha ha I’m sparking a Ricoh eBay stampede ( a small one…)

[@thetimebombardier]

@@IlluminatingWatches 😎⌚⏱🤠

[@cuckooforwatches382]

Another great video! I like a lot of the quirky novelty Armitron's that you showcased. That "Where's the beef?" watch is too funny. 😆

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou thankyou!! Yeh there are some weird ones in there right?

[@jharris1211]

Both are steel watches

[@Jg02468]

Awesome video, very cool history and range of time pieces !

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou! Very much appreciated!

[@mintsaucemilitia]

Not gonna lie, I laughed out loud when you said "after being fully absorbed by Siemen". Also... subbed. Absolutely awesome channel. Have been trying to dig more into Armitron for ages.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Ha ha ha whoops! Welcome to the channel . Hope you stick around!

[@rick00770]

They have nice looking watched. I recomen them. Cant beat thier style and price.

[@Daud76]

Really liking your content! Thank you for more watch education. 😊

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou as always :)

[@elgatto3133]

It seems their Griffy is their latest hit, I also have one. It gets more compliments than any of my other watches. I must admit among the many big digital watch brands Armitron trails the competition in design in my opinion, but the griffy is a real diamond in the rough and I think one of the best

[@IlluminatingWatches]

I agree!

[@Rick-ve5lx]

I have the steel/red LED version and it’s well-made and surprisingly accurate, one or two seconds per month. I remember the old LED watches and the new large digits are much better.

[@quantus5875]

Incredible video on Armitron. So well done!!

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou! Very kind!

[@djm5k]

Interesting video. I did not realize Armitron has been around for so long. I had thought Armitron was a fairly recent brand and company.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

I hadn’t realised either, so really enjoyed learning about it for the video. Glad you found it interesting!

[@watchsixto]

Awesome work mate forgot doct was wearing one now I should see if I can find one 😀

[@toddp5026]

You keep getting better at this. I think this is your best one yet. I had an Armitron swimmer when I was a kid. I need to buy the Rubik they currently have for sale. I love those comic watches, and the sun/moon graphics. That Monopoly watch they need to reissue. I had no idea this company had released so many watches. I now label Armitron the most creative watchmaker that ever existed, the designs are all amazing. Wow! Great job all around on this one. I’m legitimately fascinated by this history in particular. You’ve got a talent.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

That’s so kind of you to say thankyou! Glad to have ignited the enthusiasm!!

[@WUDN-WatchUDontNeed]

Thanks for this video! Learning about the history of Armitron made me finally decide to go and buy one… The Rubik: the all steel, Casio if 91 contender. I did an unboxing video about it, I think it’s a really cool piece!

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Nice! Yes there wasn’t too much content on Armitron history so was glad to contribute

[@TimeToGoTravelAndTimepieces]

Great work! Really enjoyed this one.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou!! Armitron not so common a sight here in the UK so was fun to research and learn more.

[@dougdavidson3260]

I just purchased a Quasatron still new in box with plastic still over speaker area. Crossing my fingers it works once the battery is replaced. Very informative and well done video.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

That’s so cool! Thanks very much for the compliment as well

[@duncanidaho2130]

Just found a couple of nice Armitrons. Thank you for the video. Super informative.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Oh cool! Really glad you enjoyed. I’ve only got one Armitron from the 90s but enjoyed learning about the full history for the video.

[@marcuslieberman3577]

Great Video. Love the historical images!! I found that Auto Skeleton piece at Walmart. It is big/chunky and heavy. I wear it occasionally. Ha, The Monopoly Watch looks great!

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou! Yes with my tiny wrist most of their modern catalog is off limits. I love my old all sport though! Appreciate you taking a look!

[@JulianM_Col]

Excellent video as usual. A somewhat unknown brand to me as southamerican, did not know that it have a long story behind. I dislike their current digitals, lots of unnecesary animations, but the griffin and the rubik are very appealing. Not sure if the amazon descriptions are right, but they sugest that their cases are stainless steel or metal, which is really difficult to find this days, beyond brass technochas and the casio a1000. Maybe they are worth a closer look. Thanks for sharing!

[@TheDivotking1]

Well Done sir ! Happily subscribed.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thanks so much! Welcome to the channel!

[@dark12ain]

Just picked up a nice armitron gold and silver watch from Walmart. I'm trying to slowly get my watch collection going

[@mexicankidhero]

Wow I’ve only seen the selection they gave at Walmart they have so many cool watches on their website !! Especially there led one its cool as heck !!!

[@paulh6591]

I had an Armitron Saturn 1 game watch (to the right, 5:30 mark) in sophomore year of high school, circa 1981-2. Very satisfying and entertaining game play. I remember my next watch was a Casio calculator model. Thanks for the research, outstanding presentation, and the trip down memory lane! Also I believe Reggie Jackson was wearing an Armitron like the one on the left (at the 6:52 mark in this video) in the Naked Gun movie. This watch gets a close-up shot as it signals a hypnotized Jackson to assassinate The Queen!

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Oh awesome I’ll check that out straight away! Comments really appreciated. They don’t really have armitron watches here in the UK so was somewhat learning third hand!

[@zornikzornuk3187]

Great video again, really the Armitron led watch, their catalog today look cool but they still old style battery, which is an obsolete and polluting technology, anyway thank for the good work

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou! Yes i totally get that perspective

[@12ent12]

Thank you for the information

[@toastopia1]

I just got the Goldfinch and it's awesome! I enjoy many armitrons

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Nice! I really enjoyed learning about Armitron when i made the video. Not as famous a brand here in the UK

[@mohdsaufi283]

....yes,of course. Good documentary,tq.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Glad you enjoyed !

[@kevincoon8573]

Thank you!!!

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Hope you enjoyed !

[@darrensmith6999]

Very interesting thank you.😃

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou! Glad you enjoyed !

[@theartfulcodger]

Hi, love the channel! I recently picked up a new old stock Armitron Audio Computer model #40/6126. Tried contacting Armitron directly to learn what I could about it but they ignored my emails. Have you ever heard of this model? It has a dual melody alarm and marks the lower time portion of the display as the "master display" and the date and day above as "display II" it reminds me of my Timex Q Cell with a big clear screen and feels very late 70s early 80s. I hoped maybe you might have seen something in all of your research. Thanks again for the great channel and videos.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thanks so much. I actually don’t think I know about that one so will definitely have to look into it. I researched pretty dee, so suggests it wasn’t a super common model.

[@alanstrong4592]

Great video! Arnold Schwarzeneg­ger wears an analog-digital Armitron diver watch in the movie jingle all the way (1996)

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Ahhh I didn’t know that one!

[@VashVenus]

8:20 wow, did not expect to see this movie show up in this video, what a great movie, go watch it right now

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Hold up! I responded too quick (thought it was the back to the future one). I’ve not seen it so will need to take a look at some point!

[@davidfuertes1973]

I was automatically transported to my youth in the 80’s I was a big fan of the Casio and armitron watches I had a-watch that I loved along with a swatch

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Glad to have provided some nostalgia! I was an 84 birthday so still quite small in the 80s

[@davidfuertes1973]

I was 11 in 1984 I recall so much of 84 and 85 two of my favorite years for music , movies , TV and some fashion.

[@dawge30]

Just got a Griffy, stainless with blue numbers. Love the older aesthetic. I have more of an appreciation for old digitals, and the technology now, versus when I was younger...

[@IlluminatingWatches]

I did a video on why people get into vintage digitals that may resonate :) the Griffy is cool!

[@josepaz5731]

it is time to bring back digital Armitron watches.......nice and accratetimer.

[@username4441]

subbed due to good content.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Really appreciate the sub Thankyou! Love the user name too user name !

[@armendarizosvaldo26]

I love Armitron.

[@hibbertdryden5494]

The Griffey is a very solidly made watch

[@IlluminatingWatches]

It’s a fun one - I’ve not had my hands on it personally though

[@jamesblonde2271]

If there isn't a wood panelled one im gonna be dissapointed.....American electronic design mid century was......Wow that Bamurel Bulova would be nerd grail right up there with Maqueens Daytona. Great stuff.

[@manusverzoni2384]

When I saw the Superman watch I remembered that someone had manufactured the Dick Tracy watch a few years ago. As well as the Snake Plissken countdown watch. Is it cool enough for a video?

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Character watches as a video could be an idea :) I’ve got a queue of videos forming!!

[@etow8034]

Is the Rubik's and Rogue's crystals really mineral glass ? Armitron's website shows them both as acrylic resin. Normally if it is glass the bevel on the crystal is normally opaque white, but photos shows it as clear which leads me to believe it is indeed acrylic.

[@mlmperez1114]

I just spotted some beauties on here looks like grabbing me some armitrons 😅👍🏼

[@GunGuy258]

That Dixie Cannon is cool.

[@momoiunder17]

素晴らしいです！

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou!!

[@garycollard1981]

Since watching this video I now have 3 Armitrons. A Rogue and a Rubik, both cheaper than a Casio if you want a stainless steel case. My latest is a 40/8447, similar to a Casio W217. Both available for a similar price but the Armitron has twice the water resist and a far nicer strap (soft rubber, a metal buckle and 2 keepers). Casio, why do your plastic straps only have 1 keeper? Just my experience with the 3 Armitrons I have. I have loads of Casios too :)

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Ha ha it seems a seed was planted! I’ve only got the one armitron digital which I like - also after making this video!

[@garycollard1981]

@@IlluminatingWatches cool :)

[@garycollard1981]

@@IlluminatingWatches seed planted and growing :)

[@IlluminatingWatches]

@@garycollard1981 I’ve got too many seeds already!! Always finding new ones

[@robedmunds7163]

The Griffy became available in the U.K. so I got one. It is really well finished for the price, a lot more affordable than the Hamilton.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Yes yes it’s a cool watch. I think maybe one more watch did a video on it (although I may have misremembered!)

[@ednammansfield8553]

​@@IlluminatingWatches yes Jody on One More Watch did indeed do a video on the 'Griffy" which I watched a couple of days ago. He loved it in his review which has given me an interest in getting one. As you know it is because of your other video about Armitron I have purchased the ana/digital watch the Ridgmont which arrived here in the UK on the 9th May which was two days earlier than expected from Amazon Global Store. What a fantastic watch it is for the price. Since it arrived I have been wearing it since. I really love wearing it and it is so comfortable on the wrist with the standard bracelet. Many thanks again for introducing me to Armitron. Excellent work.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Very glad you found a cool one!

[@vladchan]

So did or didn’t Armitron sell mechanical jump hour watches? Which used to be the poor man digital watch during the 70s.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

I think that E Gluck did make some jump hours but not under the Armitron brand. For example I’ve seen a “newmark” watch jump hour with an E Gluck marking

[@vladchan]

@@IlluminatingWatches Yes ebay is littered with jump hours under brand names I never heard. Cheaply "swiss made"

[@InvadIRK]

Interesting, I always thought Armitron stood for an electronic for your arm (I.e a watch) 😅😅

[@Overlord277]

Military vet. I wasn't issued one but you get the chance to buy one. You cannot wear any other watch.

[@helsindemisquisfolson1461]

Man they are selling armitrons at walmart no more gshocks and they are sellimg cassio too

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Not such a common occurrence to see an Armitron here in the UK

[@clydedenby1436]

Whomever told you that the US military hands out free watches in Basic Training was pulling your leg.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Don’t think they are at basic training. It was some sort of boot camp thing that I assume people were paying to attend . Entirely possible it’s not true but heard from a couple of sources

[@clydedenby1436]

@@IlluminatingWatches I only served in one branch for 24 years and I can assure you that the US Navy is too cheap for freebies.

[@marcelovasconcellos6067]

Armitron, Armitron, where are you? Very America focused. Always playing catch up. Maybe' s why they can not expand?

[@IlluminatingWatches]

There must be a reason why they’ve not moved into Europe. I see they recently moved into the Philippines

[@zackamanda9799]

I'm a collector of Casio watches and got my first when I was 12 from my grandmother. I always looked at Armitron as a cheap knockoff to Casio watches. They never were a quality watch compared to Casio or Timex.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Armitron not something we see here in the UK so the interest was more looking beyond the casio and Timex I’m used to. Was a fun side avenue from my normal content!

[@paherbst524]

Soooo, does armitron do anything original??

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Wellll… there are a few cool ones. Tried my best to highlight them in the video

[@michaelk487]

C00l😀😀😀😀

[@robertomugabe11]

so basically they copied everything casio did and hiked up the price by 300%. wow. what a innovation.

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Ha ha well that would be a shorter video

[@robertomugabe11]

@@IlluminatingWatches 🤣🤣

[@noelcasillas9087]

DO NOT PURCHASE ARMITRON HORIZON TM WATCH . THIS WATCH IS ABSOLUTELY A PAIN IN THE ASS . I GOT ONE & THIS WATCH THE PAINT PEEL OFF .

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Fair enough! I actually only own one digital Armitron watch. They aren’t so common here in the UK

[@kenjkbs]

They just copy casio and charge more for it. Just buy a Casio with much better build quality and looks

[@IlluminatingWatches]

I was less familiar with them as not really available in the UK. Did the video to learn more . Plenty of casio content on the channel!

[@Toph378]

TERRIFIC!!!

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thanks!

[@yerkodiegoborjakvessitchva2183]

HELLO MY FRIEND : HOWEVER , AMAZING YOUR VIDEOS ARE . THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR CHANNEL AND DIGITAL WATCHES TOO . ARMITRON I THINK NOTHING HAVE TO ENVY CASIO . THINK , IS MY OPINNON . WELL , GRETTINS FROM SPAIN ILLUMINATING MAN . 👍😉 WELL , GRETTINS FROM SPAIN 🙋📟⌚ ! ! .

[@IlluminatingWatches]

Thankyou as always! Casio difficult to beat!