An Ultracool 1970s Driver’s Watch Is Back and Better Than Ever

A 50-year-old curiosity has been reborn as a trio of impressive models.

a closeup amida drivers watch superimposed over a winding road

Published November 27, 2024

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Digital driver’s watches are officially back.

The tiny category was a short-lived fad of the 1970s that consisted of watches with long, sloping, automotive-inspired cases and digital displays angled so they could be easily read with your hand on the steering wheel.

Bulova was the first to revive the driver’s watch back in 2019 when it resurrected its Computron digital watch from 1976. Then came Girard-Perregaux, the biggest name in the space, which began reissuing its iconic Casquette — also from ’76 — two years ago and just launched another version this month.

Now, it’s Amida’s turn.

an amida digitrend watch leaning on some 1970s electronics — The funky Digitrend, after a limited launch earlier this year, is now fully back.

A 1970s Curiosity Returns

Unlike the aforementioned brands, Amida isn’t exactly a well-known brand in the watch industry. It is best known for its Digitrend watch from 1976, a mechanical digital driver’s watch that attempted to compete with the new quartz technology of the day by way of a jump hour module reflected through a prism.

Despite its innovation, the Digitrend wasn’t a success among the greater public, and Amida folded as a company before the end of the decade. But collectors have long held a soft spot for the Digitrend. Back in 2013, haute horological standout MB&F produced the HM5 as a contemporary tribute to the watch.

Then, earlier this year, the brand was finally, officially brought back to life by Depancel founder Clément Meynier and watch designer Matthieu Allègre, who launched a modern Digitrend “Take-Off Edition” as a limited release back in the spring.

Today, Amida is fully back with an entire line of new Digitrend watches in original stainless steel and new editions in PVD black and PVD gold. And they’re arguably cooler than ever.

three amida digitrend watches in an old car — The reborn Digitrend is now available in three different finishes: Steel, Black and Gold.

The Automatic Digital Watch

Once again, the Digitrend’s mechanical movement sets it apart from other “casquette”-style driver’s watches. To recreate the original’s trademark “LRD” (Light Reflective Display), the watch uses a Swiss-made Soprod NEWTON P092 automatic movement topped with a custom jump hour module.

The module contains two rotating discs displaying the hours and minutes horizontally. These digits are then reflected through the watch’s prism-shaped sapphire crystal, which renders them vertically and allows the wearer to read the watch on a “digital” screen. It’s a pretty ingenious way to create a quartz-like display on a mechanical watch.

the movement of an amida digitrend watch — The automatic movement’s jump hour module displays the time vertically thanks to a prism-shaped crystal.

The Space Age Enters the Digital Age

The unique movement execution is only one part of the appeal of the Digitrend. Much of its allure also comes from its look: A very 1970s Space Age design that makes the watch look like it could have been used as a prop in the original Star Wars.

I’m a big fan of this kind of retro-futuristic design, and given the recent revival of those watches I mentioned at the top of this article — along with Hamilton’s PSR, which treads similar ground in a non-driver’s watch format — I’m not the only one.

three amida digitrend watches seen from above — If there’s a more ’70s watch design out there, I haven’t seen it.

The case’s smooth, sloping shape is entirely brushed. It’s nearly a 39mm x 39mm square and wears larger on the wrist than those measurements would indicate. Anyone who’s tried on a 39mm TAG Heuer Monaco knows how much larger square-shaped watches can appear on the wrist.

Still, I wouldn’t say the Amida is too big. I had the chance to try the watch on earlier this year, and even on my 6.5-inch wrist, it felt comfortable and looked fine. Plus, this is a watch that begs to be noticed, and the significant wrist presence certainly assists in that mission.

One note: Don’t be put off by the 15.6mm thickness. That just refers to the height taken at the display, and the case tapers pretty dramatically toward the outside of the wrist to become much thinner. It doesn’t sit like an overly thick watch on the wrist.

a gold amida digitrend watch on a mans wrist — The angled display of the Digitrend was originally intended to make it easier to read while driving.

Pricing and Availability

There are now three versions of the Amida Digitrend, each available on either a very 1970s-looking tapered stainless steel bracelet or a black Alcantara strap with orange lining to match the display, both of which are equipped with quick-release spring bars.

All three versions have the same specs, which include 50m of water resistance, a 44-hour power reserve and a sapphire display caseback showing the movement decorated with Côtes de Genève.

The stainless steel model is the most affordable. It’s priced at CHF 2,900 (~$3,290) on the strap and CHF 3,250 (~$3,685) on the bracelet. The PVD Black version is next at CHF 3,250 (~$3,685) on the strap and CHF 3,600 (~$4,082) on the bracelet, while the PVD 4N Gold is the priciest at CHF 3,500 (~$3,969) on the strap and CHF 3,850 (~$4,366) on the bracelet.

All three are available to order now from Amida’s online shop, with the steel version shipping this month and the black and gold both scheduled for delivery in February 2025.