Accutron

THE INCOMPARABLE ACCUTRON 214
THE WORLDS FIRST ELECTRONIC TIMEPIECE
Accutron Repair Accutron Restoration

The Accutron Movement:
The single, most important distinguishing feature of early Accutrons (1960 to 1977) is that they do not tick. Put one to your ear and you will hear the distinctive hum of the electronically driven tuning fork that powers the Accutron movement. The conversion from vibratory to rotary motion is so smooth that the second hand appears to move continuously. The 214 is the only caliber that sets from the back of the case. It was the first of its kind and collectors consider them to be "First Edition" Accutrons.

Accutron Makes History:
Before Accutron, the method of keeping time mechanically had not changed since the invention of the "balance wheel" and "escapement" which occurred over 300 years ago. Suddenly, at the end of 1960, a timepiece went on the market which was inherently accurate and made the use of escapements and balance wheels obsolete. There are only 12 moving parts in a 214 movement.

Accutron Pride:
When it comes to watches, the original Accutron 214 is an American icon. It was born at a time when America felt threatened by Russian advances in space technology. It was brought into existence by Bulova in 1960 under the leadership of retired general Omar N. Bradley, the quiet hero of WW2 and the general after whom the Bradley Fighting Vehicle was named. During the 60's it was worn by most of the pilots of the X-15 Rocket Plane and Accutron played a part in every US Space mission during the 60's and 70's including the Moon landings. There are several Accutron 214 timing devices sitting on the Moon's "Sea of Tranquility". They were placed there by American Astronauts 38 years ago. The Accutron 214 was declared the American "Gift of State" by President Linden Johnson and given to hundreds of visiting dignitaries. The 214 was made into panel mount clocks and installed in the instrument panels of thousands of military ships and aircraft including "Air Force One". The 214 can reasonably be considered the prototype for all modern quartz watches. No other timepiece has had a greater impact on the way we keep time today.

A Symbol of it's Era:
Many of us who watched the liftoff of Apollo 11 in 1969 remember the pride and the fear that we felt as a tiny capsule, mounted atop a gigantic "flying bomb", was catapulted into space. TV's were set up in store windows and at workplaces so that people could go about their business without missing the launch and we crowded around those early sets to witness the historic event.

Three.....two.....one.....lift off! The rocket rose, ever so slowly at first, and the world watched.
In every group, a spontaneous chant could be heard. It was almost inaudible at first, breathed rather than spoken, "go". Several more voices chiming in, "go", louder now, "go....go", and finally, shouting as the telescopic lens showed the stages separating, GO!.....GO!.....GO!

At last, when the rocket had reached the escape velocity of 17,500 miles per hour and the main engine shut down, America and the world rode with it on an emotional high. As we watched men from Earth begin a journey to the Moon, Accutron was aboard.

America's space program actually started on May 25th, 1961 (approximately eight months after Accutron first appeared in stores) when President John F. Kennedy delivered a speech before a joint session of Congress in which he said that America had to be the first nation to land a man on the Moon. That was an amazing period in American history and during the next few years with the X-15 rocket plane setting new speed and altitude records regularly, and our satellites multiplying in orbit, I, like many other young people at the time, wanted a piece of it to call my own. At the end of November in 1963 just a few days after Kennedy's assassination, in need of something to lift my spirits, I went to a jewelry shop in Boston and bought a gleaming, classic, stainless steel, Accutron Chapter Ring Spaceview at the then fairly high price of $150. That watch has been counting time to my life's events ever since.

The Corvette Connection:
During the 60's and 70's, America's Astronauts were young men who regularly flew the fastest and most sophisticated aircraft in existence at that time. They were mostly military test pilots so it should come as no surprise to anyone that they loved speed on land as well as in the air. Enter another American icon, the Chevrolet Corvette. Although the many documented exploits by astronauts with their "Vette's" were kept under wraps by NASA, and product endorsements were, and still are taboo for astronauts, General Motors, sensing an opportunity for free advertising, leased Corvette's to the astronauts for $1 a year. At the time, these men were only receiving a few grades above standard military pay, so during the years that followed, everywhere that the astronauts went as a group, there
were bound to be a lot of Accutrons on their wrists and Corvette's in the parking lot. LINKS

Accutron Tomorrow:

I feel certain that the Accutron timer controlled hardware that was left on the moon in 1969 by the Apollo 11 Astronauts and the scientific instruments left by those succeeding them will eventually be collected and brought back to Earth. Perhaps by the half century anniversary of Accutron in 2010, we will be able to visit a moon artifact exhibit at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC.

Accutron Today:
Tuning fork driven Accutrons evolved into quartz crystal driven watches by the 70's but the old hummers are so robust that when given reasonable care they run as well today as they did when new. The distinctive 214 is the only Accutron that is set from the rear of the case by lifting a spring loaded "C" shaped lever. It is also the only Accutron that has a battery hatch that unscrews to access the battery compartment.

A Personal Note:
Even now, nearly four decades after Apollo 11, there are times when I look at my Accutron and get goose bumps thinking about the fact that I have a working scientific instrument which, except for the case, is identical to the ones left on the Moon. If I'm still around when the instruments are brought back from the Moon, I'm going to bring my grandchildren to see them. As we look at those lunar artifacts in their moonscape exhibit, I'll show them the 1963 Spaceview that no doubt will still be quietly humming on my wrist and tell them about the amazing Accutron 214 tuning fork motor driven timers that went to the Moon.

Ps:
For those of you who have contacted me in the past about restoring an Accutron 214 that you have inherited from a loved one, I hope that these paragraphs have shed some light on at least some of the reasons why many in our generation treasured them and why we kept them in drawers long after Bulova stopped repairing them.

Very truly yours,
Martin Marcus

Mirror, mirror, on the wall.....
LINKS
© Martin Marcus 2002

REPAIRS
Fully Insured

Please visit my ACCUTRON REPAIR SERVICE page.

RESTORATIONS
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A primer on ACCUTRON RESTORATION SERVICES

FOR SALE:

ACCUTRONS FOR SALE

CONSIGNMENT ACCUTRONS FOR SALE

BANDS FOR SALE

DISPLAY DOMES

FOR SALE BY OWNER
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The Astronaut that Bulova should have built

Presenting the Accutron "AstroView" & "AstroView B"

The Custom Accutron "DialView"

Custom Dial Modification Service

ACCUTRON SPACEVIEW CRYSTALS

ACCUTRON 214 GASKETS

DISPLAY DOMES

Don't put that battery in upside down!

Everything you need to know about Accutron 214 Batteries

ACCUTRON BATTERIES

Photos of the most common kinds of damage that your Accutron 214 is susceptible to.

ACCUTRON PROBLEMS

Accutron Owners Booklets
& Circuit Diagrams

Accutron Owners Guide Astronaut Owners Guide Information Booklet Selling Guide 214 Circuit Diagrams

Printable Accutron owners guide, information booklets, and 214 coil schematics.
ACCUTRON BOOKLETS

The story of Accutron

View the Bulova timeline. ACCUTRON HISTORY

The Peoples Choice

The Accutron Spaceview story. SPACEVIEW HISTORY

The Photo Gallery

Check out the HUMMER GALLERY

Luminous Dial & Hands Gallery

Check out my LUMINOUS GALLERY

Commercial & Military 214 Clock Gallery

CLOCK GALLERY

Accutron Display Case Gallery

CASE GALLERY

Vintage Accutron Adds

Accutron magazine adds from the 60's & 70's AD GALLERY

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

20 of the most asked questions. Click my Q&A PAGE for the answers.

Post questions or comments on our MESSAGE BOARD

Current owner reports of lost or stolen 214's Lost/Stolen

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

The recessed setting stem on the back cover of the Accutron 214 is its signature feature. Note the recessed stem on this new Swiss timepiece.

For large photos click on the thumbnail images

This add appears in the 4/2005 issue of BMW Magazine.

During the 60's, CBS, NBC, and ABC each ran short inspirational films at the end of their programming day, which at that time was usually midnight. On one of them, I forget which, images of a jet streaking through towering banks of clouds were shown as a soothing voice narrated the verse of the poem "High Flight". This lovely poem is considered by many to be the "Pilots Anthem".

Over the years I've learned that a surprisingly large number of pilots are "214 Astronaut" owners. For those of you 214 people who are not familiar with this inspiring poem, I present it here. "High Flight"

ACCUTRON LINKS PAGE

CONTACT INFORMATION:

The best way to contact me is by e-mail. Please be advised that if you access my voice-mail and leave an e-mail address I will try to reply promptly but if you don't hear from me within one day it's probably because I didn't get your correct e-mail address and my message was returned as undeliverable. Due to the many incoming calls that I receive from people seeking information about their watches, I regret that I cannot return toll calls so please e-mail me by clicking the link below.

If you phone please spell out your e-mail address slowly, enunciate clearly, and indicate whether there are spaces or capital letters.

e-mail: Accutron Sales & Service

MARTIN MARCUS
Marblehead, Massachusetts
781-639-0442