Science fiction and reality have a way of predicting each other. Back in the day, jetpacks and hoverboards were the stuff of dreams, but not anymore. The yearning for the good ol' days however, simply cannot be wiped clean from today's digital age.
This is most apparent in the reissue of Sigourney Weaver's iconic watch made popular in the movie Aliens in 1986. The distinctive Guigiaro 7A28-7000 worn by Ripley was a technological achievement for watchmaker Seiko. See it here.
This retro watch, first released in 1983, has the distinction of being the world's very first analog quartz chronograph. The quartz watch is credited as being one of the primary drivers of the dying watch industry.
Back then, interest in mechanical watches had been winding down because of prohibitive costs. That a quartz chronograph was now easily available revived interest and saw these watches on wrists around the world.
The watch, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, is just one of the many iconic hardware pieces that he came out with. Even if you are not a watch enthusiast, you probably know of the DeLorean DMC-12 that made waves with the release of the Back to the Future movie series, Mashable reported.
Fast forward to 2015, the Seiko X Giugiaro Spirit Smart is now available in limited pieces in two colors, black and silver. It is not completely identical to the Aliens watch. There is no crown or extra button on the left side, The Verge noted. But other than that, the retro watch is exactly how you remember it to be.
The clunky chronograph buttons, signature quartz movement, all these remain as they were. The Giugario 7A28-7000 from the 80s are still collector's items and some of them can go as high as $1,000.
The reissued watches, however, should be an attractive piece as they slash the price by more than half. Tech Crunch reported that the black version is available for $290 and the silver one goes for $260. There are only 3,000 units for sale.
