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just got a Bulova accutron for free.

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Kasper

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just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post26 Jan 2012, 23:37

A costumer knew i was collecting digitals and said to me that he had some sort of digital at home lying there for years. Suddenly he drops this one in and said..you can keep it..it's more value for you then for me.

a nice bulova accutron with a clean original box :-D

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i opened it..it was clean as a whisle..so i put a new batt in it and it start zooming away :lol:

so i cleaned it up this evening whit this result..just the case and the glass.

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maybe if i have more time, i have to do a conversion like Peter did :-)
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bucko170

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post27 Jan 2012, 02:38

Nice 8-)

What year does it date from?
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cobra007

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post27 Jan 2012, 03:21

Nice piece! I though you grabbed a picture from a website to shows us how it looked like when it was new, until I saw you cleaned it up yourself :-).

Did you polish the crystal or replace it?

I found this info about these watches. Amazing technology!
http://members.iinet.net.au/~fotoplot/acctech214.htm
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abem

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post27 Jan 2012, 04:50

Kasper,

Nice 'tron. Simple, clean design. I like a lot of the 70s era Accutrons, especially the TV faced ones.

The Accutron movement is indeed a marvel with its tiny magical fingers ("pawls") connected to the tuning fork and the tiny 2.4mm index wheel with its 320 tiny teeth - each about 10 microns in size (about the size of a red blood cell). This is 1960s era nanotech!

Here are a few zoomable hyper-resolution (~100MP) images that I put together. You can see the pawls clearly and can just make out those tiny teeth on the index wheel.

Accutron 214 movement:
http://www.timetrafficker.com/about/mov ... ndex2.html
Accutron (UG) 218 movement:
http://www.timetrafficker.com/about/mov ... ndex2.html

-abe.
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Kasper

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post27 Jan 2012, 13:54

it's the 218 movement.

its an amazing tech for that time..love it, never had one before. I'm used to wear a watch when i sleep..yeah love them so much :-D , but you can not wear this one at night.

got the bezel off and sanded it with differend grades..still 1 small nick at 8 'o clock. Then buffed it.
The glass is a combination of buffing with the wheel and polywatch.
The case is light sanding with 1600 and light buffing with the wheel.

Image

btw..the green band is as old as the watch..it's one from an old stock and it fits perfect..retro green :-D

thx Abe for the remarkable high zoom pics...so i could explain the wife how these works. you are a real connaisseur :-)
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Cesar

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post27 Jan 2012, 19:47

WOW Kasper, wish i had that kind of costumers...a tuning fork watch!! Very cool.
A Bulova spaceview tuning fork watch is still on my wanted list aswell,
i love the way you can see the electronics of those watches through the chrystal glass.
The buzzing sound they make and the second hand just flying instead of tictoccing.

:O`~
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cobra007

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post28 Jan 2012, 13:07

Cesar wrote:WOW Kasper, wish i had that kind of costumers...a tuning fork watch!! Very cool.
A Bulova spaceview tuning fork watch is still on my wanted list aswell,
i love the way you can see the electronics of those watches through the chrystal glass.
The buzzing sound they make and the second hand just flying instead of tictoccing.

:O`~

True is every aspect! The only thing that comes close is the Seiko Spring Drive, however, you need to fork out about $6k for that watch :-).

I don't understand why they don't make those tuning fork watches anymore, they are a true beauty and very accurate time keeping piece. If you would take the Seiko Ananta watch case and fit that with a tuning fork movement, wow, would be an excellent watch!
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clockace

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post28 Jan 2012, 23:51

Citizen watch co bought out Bulova. they have made a tuning fork reproduction of the spaceview in a limited edition of 1000. i think they are asking $4000US. they deconstructed a vintage one and then duplicated all the parts. it looks as good as the original, except for the price! :eek: peter
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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post31 Jan 2012, 11:22

Bugger, I missed out on a similar one on ebay. Forgot to set my alarm to warn when the auction would end.... Very silly, it was only $52 and still running....
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azimuth_pl

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post31 Jan 2012, 17:42

use sniper software... I can suggest a Polish site http://www.snip.pl/en/
"The first and still only LED watch maniac in the East Block" - www.crazywatches.pl
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dutchsiberia

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post31 Jan 2012, 23:15

Wow :eek: for free.....
You can see how hold the watch is by looking at the caseback. The decades from the 50's on are designated with a letter, (L = 1950) followed by a number for the year. E.g. on the back of my bulova accutron it says "N1" making is a watch from 1971.

No pic available of my goldtone Bulova :(

Here's another "hummer", a Tissot with 300Hz esa 9162 movement, the last tuning fork movement.
Image

Just hád to write it somewhere, I just got mail, soon i'll have a Omega megasonic 720Hz!!! Don't know if it works yet, but YAYYY :-D :-D :-D
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cobra007

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post01 Feb 2012, 06:44

Those hummers are really cool. Can you still see the difference then between 720Hz or 300Hz? I would say they will both look just as smooth, or not?
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Adam

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post01 Feb 2012, 12:39

Sorry to hijack, but are these accutron repairable. I have a nice 14k gold filled version from I think 1969. When I got it it did work and hum, last time I looked it had stopped, when I changed the battery unfortunately nothing. Its in pretty nice condition so it would be shame for it to be trashed if I can save it.

any help greatly appreciated

thanks

Adam

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http://www.digital-watch.com - online database of 2000+ watches, manuals and adverts from the 70s-90s
http://www.vintagelcd.com - Vintage Digital Watches for sale
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cobra007

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post01 Feb 2012, 14:26

I read somewhere that the voltage of new batteries could be slightly too high as the original one was only 1.35V. You could try a small signal series diode, with a bit of luck it will start humming again.
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clockace

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post01 Feb 2012, 19:20

these are repairable. there are several people that do this. the voltage is not a problem. i replace these 1.55 cells all the time and if nothing else is wrong they work fine. i believe i read in the Bulova tech manual that they will work up 1.7 volts. also the esa 9162 mov't is much easier to work on than the 214/218. they [esa] also made a 9164 model with day/date. peter
Last edited by clockace on 01 Feb 2012, 19:22, edited 1 time in total.
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dutchsiberia

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post02 Feb 2012, 21:22

cobra007 wrote:Those hummers are really cool. Can you still see the difference then between 720Hz or 300Hz? I would say they will both look just as smooth, or not?



No idea, maybe 300Hz is smooth, and 720Hz is ridiculously smooth 8-)

(february 4, mailman brought my gem today, movement is a littlebit dirty, but it's working :-D :-D :-D )
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Mister Tawny

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Re: just got a Bulova accutron for free.

Post06 Aug 2012, 01:31

To use modern batteries you should have the watch rephased to 1.5 volts from the original 1.3 volts. There are lots of guys doing repair work on them and they are popular. I have a few and love them a lot. I am learning how to work on them and it's fun but takes a lot of fine work to do it. If you want a recommendation of a shop I can point you to a couple in the US and one in the UK.
My collection:

Pulsar P1, P2 Date, 3 P3's 2 in SS and one in 10K GF, Gent's dress in SS
6 Bulova Driver's watches 4 in 10K GF and 2 in two tone
Majestyk I and II
3 Vostok military watches
Poljot 3133 Chronograph
Wakmann Valjoux 730
Tudor 7934, 7802
Accutron A26B35
Seiko Sports 50
Benrus Oval
Hamilton Savitar II, Pacer and Ventura
Orient Star automatic

More to come...

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