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Comic strip fans were enthralled and delighted as well. The 2-Way Wrist Radio was a sensation, an immortal bit of pop-technology. Since it was introduced by Chester Gould in 1946, the 2-Way has remained a technological holy grail. Dozens of serious inventors have been intrigued by its possibilities. One of the most notable was Dr. Cledo Brunetti, an accomplished engineer for the Bureau of Standards, who devised a nifty working model in 1947.
Sixty-three companies were interested in licensing Brunetti's miniature wrist radio, according to Life. A band range for its use by law-enforcement agencies was being set aside by the FCC at 460-470 megacycles.
Although Brunetti's device was never introduced commercially, a toy version of the 2-Way ("Not just a dream.but a scientific reality" read the magazine ad) proved quite popular. But even kids knew it was just a cheap crystal set that could transmit voices over short distances. It wasn't the real thing. The public's appetite never waned for a true working model. In April 1952 the Western Electric Company created their version which they presented it to Tracy's creator Chester Gould. Apparently Gould loved it and kept the prototype near his drawing table. Why? Because it tuned in radio stations. Photos (top to bottom): © Tribune Media Services. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted With Permission; © Martha Holmes/Life Magazine, Copyright Time Inc.; © Tribune Media Services. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted With Permission |
Normally Dick Tracy was a man of few words. Seeing the 2-Way Wrist Radio was an exception. "It's miraculous!" the square-jawed detective raved. "It both sends and receives!"
Using the cutting-edge technology of his day, Brunetti assembled a series of miniature radio tubes capable of transmitting and receiving up to distances of one mile. Slightly ungainly looking it weighed a remarkable three ounces. Life magazine was enchanted by Brunetti's prototype and extolled its possibilities in print. 
Brunetti's work in sub-miniaturization was widely acknowledged (his name still adorns a prestigious engineering award) but the 2-Way Wrist Radio was not an easy sell. In terms of practicality, it could only transmit a mile away-not truly efficient for fighting crime. The tube technology the invention relied on was soon supplanted by transistors.