Retro Cool, Old School: Meet the Armitron Griffy

Some watches are just fun, regardless of their modest price tag. Swatches are a perfect example, but so is the Armitron Griffy. $60 buys you this retro styled LED watch, which is based on Armitron’s original LED watch from the 1970s.

The Griffy wouldn’t look out of place in a Star Wars movie and that is also its appeal. To save battery, the display is blank until you press the button at three o’clock. In this ‘sleep state,’ the charm of the watch is a bit lost, but it is a great conversation starter, and pressing that button on the side of the case is bound to put a smile on your face. Press it once and the LED’s light up to tell you the time for about five seconds. When you press the button at three o’clock during that time again, it will show you the date, and once more to show the seconds. It is pretty straightforward, just as is setting the Griffy which is done with the other button on the case.

The LED’s ooze charm as their light is a bit distorted, giving off a soft glow as if looking at the numerals through the mist. This gives it a vintage effect that is well appreciated, and most certainly adds to the appeal of this Armitron. Red LEDs are the classic choice, but Armitron also offers it with green or blue LEDs in combination with the stainless steel case and bracelet. You can also get it in a gold tone, with either red or green LEDs. Those of you who feel more aligned with the style of Darth Vader might appreciate the all-black version of the Griffy, with your choice of white or red LEDs, while on the opposite side, there is also a full iridescent model with blue LEDs, with those last three versions costing $10 more than the $60 Armitron wants for the other Griffy models.

With a diameter of 37mm, the Griffy is quite comfortable and is not too large. That is a good thing, as the finishing of both the case and the caseback are prone to scratches. For $60, one cannot expect much, and the flimsy bracelet with its folded metal links is where this becomes really visible. Don’t get me wrong, it gets the job done and wears surprisingly comfortably, but it is a far cry from the bracelets of the watches I usually review for WatchTime.

With all this, I cannot help but fall a little bit in love with the Griffy. It is unapologetically itself in a way that can best be described as charming. Granted, its very modest price gives it a lot of goodwill, as I don’t think I would have been so mild if it was double what it is now. That being said, it is a carefree watch that you can put on whenever you want to wear something cool that doesn’t break the bank. As LED watches are also not that commonly available anymore these days, and the ones that are cost quite a bit more, it can also be a nice addition to a collection of people who want to experience this technology firsthand, as it is part of watchmaking history.

For more info, visit Armitron, here.