Sony TC-800B - The Watergate Reel-to-Reel Recorder (1969-1975)

Sony TC-800B 

The Sony TC-800B, released in 1969, was a premium portable reel-to-reel tape recorder that earned a permanent place in American political history as the primary machine used to record the infamous Watergate tapes in the Nixon White House. A sophisticated upgrade to Sony's standard audio line, this four-speed powerhouse could run on standard wall outlets or eight large D-cell batteries, making it an indispensable tool for high-stakes field recording, media reporting, and government surveillance. Its most distinctive feature was a large, top-mounted speed-control dial that allowed for precise audio adjustments, paired with a specialized voice setting that automatically balanced the microphone for crystal-clear speech capture. The unit’s bulletproof professional reputation was further cemented by NASA, which used the recorder at ground tracking stations to capture critical telemetry and astronaut voice data during the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing.

Obtained from: eBay.com