BULOVA COMPUTRON 255 DRIVERS N7 LED 1977
The 3rd (last) generation of the Bulova Sideview was released in late 1977. It's far smaller than its predecessors and is usually referred to as the "one-battery hatch" version in comparison to the 229 and 254 that have two separate hatches. The single hatch is also as screw-down type and is larger thus not that easy to loose when changing batteries. The 255 module was simplified as much as possible and reduced in size thus the same circuitry can be found in the ladies bracelet version. It's a mystery why Bulova (or rather the module manufacturer C.T.C.) bothered to develop a totally different construction in such a short period of time. The previous 254 module was also issued in 1977 and was superior to the 255 in style and functions.
A comparison of all three generations is shown to the right (229, 255, 254). The 255 is significantly less masculine although it was offered as a mens watch. A side by side module comparison of the 254 and 255 is shown below to show the gigantic difference. The yellow plastic carrier only supports the circuitry which can be removed a lot easier than the 229 and 254 that require a firm but gentle leverage of the substrate with a screwdriver. The chip in the 255 is sealed with epoxy on the underside of the ceramic display substrate which is soldered to a flexible tape that contains the battery pads, trimmer, quartz crystal and button contacts... as simple as that. These modules take two 393 batteries typical for vintage ladies LEDs.
Keywords:
bulova led, computron, sideview, trapezoid
Market value: 75-500$ (condition, box)