Ruhla Digital

From the early development of digital watches in the worldwide watchmaking community, Ruhla was well aware that digital watches were going to be an important part of the future for watchmaking. As with many manufacturers of watches during the 1970s, Ruhla adapted mechanical movements and designed watch cases to imitate digital watches. Ruhla launched the Digital 73 mechanical digital watches from 1973 until 1978 using the calibre 24-34.

The “Digi 73” was hailed in the Neues Deutschland newspaper of 14th February 1973, “Some new features are expected at the Spring Fair, for example, “Digi 73” a watch with digital time indication which replaces the digits and hands on the dial. It is a new development from the newly formed combine in honour of the 10th World Youth Festival.”

By 1977, Ruhla in conjunction with the Soviet watch industry had developed digital quartz movements and these were produced from 1978 onwards. Ruhla developed the quartz LED stop watch for the Interkosmos space flight of Sigmund Jähn which took place in the summer of 1978.  The East German Government recognised the importance of microelectronic developments in time keeping and on the 1st January 1978 the Ruhla Watch Factory was combined with the microelectronics industry under the VEB Kombinat Mikroelektronik „Karl Marx“ Erfurt.

The Combine continued to develop LCD quartz watches and analogue quartz alarm clocks and stop watches throughout the 1980s.

Ruhla Digital 73 Calibre 24-34 Red Dial TV Shape Brushed Chrome Case (1973-78)

UMF Ruhla Calibre 24-34 Movement

Ruhla Digital Calibre 24-34 Orange Dial Chrome TV Case

Ruhla Digital Calibre 24-34 Orange Dial Large Chrome Polished Case (1976)

Ruhla Calibre 24-34 Early Digital Jump Hour Watch Blue

Ruhla Digital 73 Calibre 24-34 Red Dial Rounded Brushed Chrome Case (1973-78)

Ruhla Digital 73 Calibre 24-34 Orange Dial Rounded Brushed Chrome Case (1973-78)

Ruhla Digi 73 Calibre 24-34 Red Dial Round Case (1973)

Ruhla Digital 73 Calibre 24-34 Blue Dial Rounded Brushed Chrome and Gold Plated Case (1973-78)

Ruhla Mechanical Digital UMF 24 Calibre with Oval Case

Karex branded Ruhla Digital Calibre 24-34 White and Beige Dial (1974)

Karex branded Ruhla Calibre 24-34 Digital Mechanical Watch

Aseikon 25 branded Ruhla Digital Calibre 24-34 Two Tone Blue Dial Screw Back Case (1974)

Karex branded Ruhla Jump Hour Digital Watch mid 1970s Calibre 24-34

Karex Ruhla Mechanical Digital UMF 24 Calibre

Ruhla Early Digital Clock 1974

Eurochron branded Ruhla Calibre 15-11 LCD Digital

Eurochron branded Ruhla LCD Digital Calibre 15-11

Eurochron branded Ruhla LCD Digital Calibre 15-02 (1984-1991)

Ruhla Stoppuhr Calibre 86-10

Ruhla Eurochron LCD Quartz Calibre 15-02 (1984-1991)

Ruhla Quartz Eurochron Chronograph

Ruhla Digital Calibre 22-01 – Worn by Erich Honecker in exile

Ruhla Quartz Digital Chronograph – Day, Date, Alarm and Light functions (IC Import Japan) Calibre 29-01 (1982-86)

Ruhla LCD Quartz Calibre 15-02 (1984-1991)

Ruhla Calibre 87-02 Stopwatch 1978

The Ruhla Calibre 87-01 Stopwatch 1978

Ruhla Stoppuhr Quarz Calibre 86-01 (Thanks to Emoscambio at Watchuseek)

Eurochron branded Ruhla LCD Quartz Calibre 15-03 (IC Integral Minsk USSR) (1984-91)

Ruhla Eurochron LCD Quartz 19-05 Day, Week and Stopwatch functions (IC & Trimmer Japan Import) (1982)

Ruhla 80-01/Elektronika IT-01 Quartz Stopwatch

Eurochron branded Ruhla LCD Quartz 15-21 (1986-1991)

Eurochron branded Ruhla LCD Digital

Eurochron branded Ruhla LCD Digital

Eurochron branded Ruhla LCD Digital