1970s Smiths Automatic Digital Jump Hour Gradient Dial

Smiths and jump hour, often not things we put together, yet they made a fair few, and I have been fortunate enough to have owned multiple. But this example is the one that has stayed with me the longest and even has a wonderful NATO from Zulu Alpha Straps that I chose and stitched myself when I visited them in Liverpool some time ago. Powered by the automatic AS calibre 2083, it features a quickest date too, with an impressive cyclops on the smokey grey gradient dial. The design, fit and feel are unapologetically 1970s, and I love that about this watch. This is what they chose to make at a time when the brand and many others were on their knees with the quartz crisis, and for that reason, it feels like an interesting piece of brand and watch history, a bygone era of evolution and creativity at a time of panic. Who knows when the next time we have an influx of creativity in the industry like we did in the 70s...