Vintage
Cruvon's post offers a fascinating look into the 2010 commemorative Accutron Spaceview, a watch that pays homage to a pivotal moment in horological history. He highlights the unique tuning fork movement and its significance as a precursor to quartz technology. This article explores why the modern re-issue resonates with collectors and its place in the legacy of timekeeping innovation.
When Accutron debuted on October 25, 1960 it was the most accurate timing mechanism available and the first personal timekeeping advancement in 300 years. The world's first electronic watch without springs or an escapement, it was operated by an electronically activated tuning fork, instead of ticking, it hummed.
Bulova Accutron had an important place in history as an integral part of
46 missions of the US space program.
Before the technology was available
commercially, NASA requested its use in the development of the United States'
greatest single engineering achievement, man's first landing on the moon. On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin
placed an Accutron timer in the Sea of Tranquility to control transmissions of
data to earth and it still lies there today to be recovered by a future mission.
After it's proven use in space flight, the Accutron 214 was declared an American "Gift of State"
by President Lyndon Johnson and, for over a decade, they were given to hundreds
of visiting dignitaries. The 214 was made into panel mount clocks, and installed
in the instrument panels of thousands of military ship and aircraft including
"Air Force One".
The story goes that the open movement watches later called Spaceviews were initially given to dealers to showcase the tuning fork technology to customers but when customers started asking dealers to sell them ones like that with the naked view, Bulova saw an oppourtunity and came up with the Alpha case Spaceview followed by other Spaceviews in varying case designs. The Spaceviews were also the most popular graduation gift of their time.
To commemorate it's past history, this collector set was made by Bulova in 2010 in a limited once off run of 1000 watches. The movement was built from the ground up faithfully recreating the tuning fork movement in a larger 42mm case to go with todays standards.The vintage equivalents were much smaller cases with very few variants in bigger cases. The wrist presence of this watch is phenomenal, owing to it's unique naked looks and I have caught quite a few strangers trying to have a closer look. Plus the humming is a great conversation starter
. Place it to your ear and you can hear it humming in a pleasant tone and some musicans back in the day even used it to tune their musical instruments.
No other timepiece has had a greater impact on the way we keep time today and can be considered the precursor of thr current quartz movement which uses a quartz tuning fork instead of a steel one like this one. I loved it so much that I have three sets of these, one for me, one as my sons birth year(2010) watch and one more just because, are a must have. Luckily if you would like to pick one up, though they are sold out, they still do appear on Ebay once in a while and at below list of 4000USD that they initially sold for, presumably from stock that dealers hoarded.
The last picture is of Richard Branson, the Ambassador for Bulova, sporting a 2010 Spaceview, Enjoy the pics!
The Bulova Accutron Spaceview, specifically models utilizing the Caliber 214, represents a significant innovation in horology, introducing the world's first electronic watch in 1960. It was a departure from traditional mechanical movements, offering a new standard of accuracy. The Spaceview was initially a display model for jewelers, designed to showcase the revolutionary tuning fork movement, but its popularity led to its commercial release.
The Caliber 214 movement operates at 360 Hz, powered by a miniature tuning fork that vibrates precisely, driving the gear train through a tiny indexing wheel. This system eliminated the need for a balance wheel and escapement, resulting in a smooth, sweeping seconds hand. The case designs varied, often featuring a distinctive exposed movement visible through the crystal, with hour markers sometimes printed directly on the crystal or on a chapter ring.
For collectors, the Accutron Spaceview holds a unique place as a bridge between mechanical and quartz eras. Its historical importance, coupled with its distinctive exposed movement aesthetic, makes it a sought-after piece. Authenticity is a key concern, as many Spaceviews were later conversions from standard Accutron models, making original factory Spaceviews particularly desirable.
It suits the wrist much better than a vintage model does. As i said before i had about 40 tuning forks at one time and loved them, but times change, servicing is now expensive if you want someone trained properly so i let them go bit by bit. If i ever found one of these at a price i could afford i would be tempted to buy it mainly due to its size. I rarely wore the vintage ones, but this is perfectly wearable. A very nice piece to have in your collection and a piece you obviously enjoy which is
And I'm glad that they made with 42mm. This excludes my daughter, that is an active Accutron collector but with a tiny wrist. If I bump on one of those, finally I may catch an Accutron that I can keep (instead of being "kidnapped" by my daughter as all others that I acquired). Cheers, Nilo
Place it inside a glass :-) Kong
Thanks Graham, it sure does,is a looker!Actually, though I initially wanted the vintage Apha M0/M1 that looks like this albeit smaller, I was more worried about the spaceview conversions and frankens out there more than servicing them(Plus I wouldn't have 40 anyways so servicing costs wouldn't be an issue;)) so this 2010 50th Anniversary was the best of both worlds for me. Well, until I came across a full set Swiss 100th Anniversary Spaceview, more on that one in another thread:). You should pic
true, am sure your daughter won't fancy wearing this sized one and is one you can keep for yourself:). Offcourse that won't stop her from admiring it!
well reproduced. About the price, am sure Bulova wouldn't have made a huge profit on it considering they made only 1000, redesigning the movement from the ground up, handmade and with beautiful plexi case and box. It was more a advertising thing for them to show their place in history so I think is still good value for something this unique. Plus if you are lucky, you can get them for way below list.
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