The first Pulsar was a brand of The Hamilton Watch Company which announced that it was making the watch in early 1970. It was developed jointly by Hamilton and Electro/Data, Inc. In the spring of 1972, the first Pulsar watch was marketed by The Hamilton Watch Co. (the parent company, not the Hamilton Watch Division). With an 18-carat gold case, the world’s first all-electronic digital watch was also the first to use a digital display — created with light-emitting diodes (LEDs). A button was pressed to display the time. The first Pulsar initially sold for $2100.
The Potpourri segment in the October 1972 issue of Playboy mentions the first Pulsar – and carries a photo.
In 1975 a digital Pulsar with a built-in calculator (operated with very small buttons) was introduced.
Seiko Corporation acquired the brand in 1978. The Pulsar brand serves as Seiko’s mid-grade offering and is positioned above the Lorus brand and below the Seiko brand of watches.