Seiko's WristMac, 'first' Apple smartwatch made in 1988 up for auction

A rare Seiko watch which is regarded by many as the first-ever Apple Watch is now up for auction, according to ComicConnect. WristMac made by Seiko came out in 1988 is 26 years older than the Apple Watch which was unveiled in September 2014. While the Apple Watch, which came with modern technology, was advertised as the company's first in-house smartwatch, many overlooked the Seiko WristMac.

The WristMac is now being auctioned by ComicConnect, which usually specialises in selling rare comics. The watch which was considered by many to be ahead of its time was worn by astronauts on the space shuttle Atlantis. ComicConnect caught hold of a rare model of the watch which was sold as an early Macintosh accessory. It is up for auction on the website and can be bid on by interested persons until December 19, 2021, when the auction closes.

The first 'true' Apple Watch kept on auction

The Seiko WristMac was ahead of its time in technology as well as in design. The box in which the WristMac is available includes the registration card which was never filled out by the then owner. The box, which is in mint condition, also consists of a tutorial and reference manual and the Seiko WristMac watch with its original cables. Giving the technological edge at the time, the wearable also came with a floppy disc containing the watch's official software, which is also available in the box kept for auction.

The ComicConnect website has uploaded photos of the watch and it does look ahead of its time. The black strapped watch with multiple buttons on it has been called “extremely rare 1988 Seiko / Ex Machina WristMac,” by the auctioneers. The website mentions the watch to be “one of the first pieces of wearable computing technology.” As of 3:15 pm on Tuesday, the watch had 27 bids, with USD 800 (roughly Rs 59,570) as the highest call by bidders.

More about the Seiko WristMac

According to the website, the watch was the precursor to 1989’s Macintosh Portable, the first battery-powered Macintosh and the first portable Apple computer. The website also claims that the Apple Watch, which has had seven generations as of October 2021, was originally launched as an ide with the WristMac 25 years before the Apple Watch. The website also mentions that the astronauts aboard the Atlantis Space Shuttle wore WristMac watches to coordinate with the Macintosh Portable and Apple Link software aboard the shuttle. The auctioneers vouch for the genuine nature of the product and claim that the original sticker with serial number 70216 can be found in the box being sold.

Image: ComicConnect