A rare, never-worn, and still in the package “WristMac” smartwatch from 1988 is expected to fetch between $25,000 and $50,000 at auction.
The WristMac, made by Seiko and first released in 1988, used AppleTalk to connect to a Mac. Its most notable use was aboard the space shuttle “Atlantis” in 1991. The shuttle had a Macintosh Portable aboard for sending emails. The astronauts also each wore a WristMac, using them in ways similar to how today’s Apple Watch wearers use their wearable.
“When it is time to snap photographs of a particular feature on Earth or in the cosmos,” said the New York Times, “a WristMac will sound an alarm and display a two-line individual chore reminder.”
The unused WristMas will be auctioned by ComicConnect.com. The company is taking bids on the WristMac from November 22, 2021, through to December 18th, 2021.
“It’s an incredible find— one of the earliest examples of wearable computing technology,” said Stephen Fishler, ComicConnect CEO and Cofounder. “The WristMac has rarely been seen since its inception over 30 years ago — and it will likely be years before another one surfaces.”
“The WristMac is so rare, it’s hard to predict what it will sell for,” he continued. “We couldn’t find any recent confirmed sales.”
Complete in box; Includes original (opened) box, registration card, reference manual, software floppy disk, packaging, and unopened Seiko WristMac watch; Serial No. 70216
Extremely rare 1988 Seiko/Ex Machina WristMac; first Apple Watch (released in 1988 – over 25 years before 2015’s Apple Watch!); One of the first pieces of wearable computing technology
This 1988 Wrist Mac comes in its original packaging and has never been sold in the over thirty years since its first release. The box advertises the revolutionary features of the watch, and contains the original sticker noting the Serial Number (70216). The box has been opened and shows little wear, retaining its original white appearance despite some stress. Inside, the box contains the original Wrist Mac Registration Card (never filled out!), the Wrist Tutorial and Reference Manual (complete with white pages and no writing inside it), the Wrist Mac 1.2 floppy disk containing the official Wrist Mac software, the Wrist Mac’s holder for stability when plugged into a computer, and the original Seiko box containing the WristMac itself in pristine condition, with its original cables. This is an extremely rare and obscure piece of tech history, and an incredible find for collectors, investors, and Apple fans. It has rarely been seen since its inception over 30 years ago, and it will likely be years before another one comes to auction anywhere. This is a can’t-miss piece of computer history.In 1988, Ex Machina, Inc. and Seiko came together to release the Wrist Mac, a programmable watch that connected to a Macintosh computer. The Wrist Mac could store telephone numbers, set alarms for both one-time use and recurring daily and weekly uses, and take notes, which could then be exported to a disk as a text file.
It was a precursor to 1989’s Macintosh Portable, the first battery-powered Macintosh, the first portable Apple computer, and one of the first modern laptops, as well as a visionary precursor and missing link between early cellular phones and 2015’s Apple Watch. The Apple Watch has had seven generations as of October 2021, and is not slowing down anytime soon. It revolutionized cell phone and computer technology, and the Wrist Mac, an eerily similar device, launched over 25 years before the Apple Watch!
When the astronauts aboard the Atlantis Space Shuttle sent the first email from space on August 28, 1991, they wore WristMac watches to coordinate with the Macintosh Portable and Apple Link software aboard the shuttle. Apple products have long been seen as the forefront of technology, making them a natural choice for NASA missions, like the use of the then-futuristic iPods aboard NASA ships in the 2000s.
Apple has also attracted a dedicated consumer audience and fanbase for decades now, with engineers, scientists, and fans of cutting-edge technology worshipping Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs as prophets of modern technology. Many historians, scientists, and fans alike collect early Apple products for their historical significance, monetary value, and for personal and professional use. In 2014, a rare Apple-1 computer was estimated to be worth between $300,000 and $500,000, and sold at auction for a mind-blowing $905,000! As well, an Apple Lisa (a 1983 Apple computer which revolutionized many user interface features) sold at auction for over $50,000 in 2017. Even 1st generation iPhones from 2007-2008 (less than 15 years ago!) already go for thousands of dollars, and will only become more valuable and historic over time. In October 2021, a sealed 1st generation black 8GB Apple iPhone sold for a whopping $29,999 at auction on ebay!
The WristMac up for auction was sold for less than $50 in a Connecticut Mac warehouse’s closing-down sale.
