PUBLISHED 09/15/2006
1974-2006: Casio Casiotron watch
By Matt Schneiderman
Breakthrough: Enabled runners to redefine time
Technically, Hamilton produced the first digital watch in 1972--the $2,100 18-carat-gold Pulsar. But it was the introduction of the Casiotron that made runners' hearts race.
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| Courtesy Casio |
This timepiece included a stopwatch, was affordable ($150), and was the first to display hour, minute, and second consistently (before you had to press a button to display time). It wasn't long before Casio and others switched to plastic components and packed in more features, like split time (1978). Timex's Ironman was one of the first watches to feature waterproofing (1986) and Indiglo (1992). Today, timekeeping is hardly a watch's only function; it's also the interface for speed, distance, and heart rate.
Fresh Thinking: The new Ironman straps to the wrist's side for easier viewing.
1979: Sony Walkman
By Matt Schneiderman
Breakthrough: No longer had to run without the Stones
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| Courtesy Sony |
So what if the original (1979) Sony portable cassette player was about the size of a brick? The Walkman got music onto the roads and trails. The device later gave way to the portable CD player, then to digital MP3 players and iPods (introduced in 2001). And runners remain adoring fans of the music-on-the-move concept. In a recent Runner's World online poll, 70 percent of respondents said they wouldn't run without their music.
Fresh Thinking: This fall, Sony will release the lipstick-sized S2 player. In addition to counting steps and calories, it matches the wearer's playlist and pace, changing from faster to slower selections depending on the runner's speed.
