The first company to successfully pursue the elusive dream of a battery-powered watch was the Hamilton Watch Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Research began in 1946, but it was to take more than ten years to develop a viable watch. On January 3, 1957, Hamilton held a press conference to announce the "World's First Electric Watch." The idea of a watch which never needed winding was very exciting to 1950's consumers, who were captivated by progress and modernity. The Hamilton Electric was an instant hit. Its popularity was enhanced by the fact that Hamilton released a number of very dramatic case styles with non-traditional asymmetrical styling; they were visual reminders of the ultra-modern movements inside the case. The life span of the Hamilton Electric Watch was brief, but it spanned one of the most exciting and tumultuous decades of the century -- from the launch of Sputnik, the first space satellite, of the Hamilton Electric Watch was brief, but it spanned one of the most exciting and tumultuous decades of the century -- from the launch of Sputnik, the first space satellite, to man's first step on the moon. When it was first released in 1957 it really was "the watch of the future," but unfortunately for Hamilton the future passed them by faster than anyone could have imagined. By 1969, when production ended, advanced technology (quartz) had rendered the Hamilton Electric obsolete. Today these watches are avidly sought by collectors, who appreciate the unique character of this pioneering invention. It is the grandfather of all battery-powered watches produced today, an important milestone in the history of watchmaking.