07/01/2010
THE INCOMPARABLE ACCUTRON
214
THE WORLDS FIRST ELECTRONIC TIMEPIECE
Accutron first appeared in stores a half century ago, on October 25, 1960
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Bulova Corporation announces the limited edition 50th anniversary stainless steel Accutron Alpha 214 Spaceview: CLICK HERE
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. There's no mistaking a 214 with any other watch ever made. The 214
is the only caliber
that sets by lifting a spring loaded "C" shaped
lever on the back of the case, and it's also the only Accutron that has a battery hatch
on the back cover that unscrews to
access the battery compartment.
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, over 300 years ago.
Suddenly, at the end of 1960, a timepiece went on the market which separated
every second into 360 equal parts. The new technology was inherently accurate
and made the use of escapements and balance wheels unnecessary. Even more
incredible is the fact that there are only 12 moving parts in an Accutron 214
movement. The very finest of today's chronometers can have hundreds of moving parts and yet, their balance wheels still can't break a second into more
than 8 parts.
Accutron Pride:
In any serious
discussion of 20th century technology, the original
Accutron 214 must be acknowledged, and given its rightful place as an American
icon.
Thanks to it's amazing technology, Accutron
tuning fork watches from 1960 through 1977 may very well be the only mass market electronic devices of
their era which are still in every day use.
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. The
"Astronaut" model was worn by pilots of our experimental X-15
Rocket Plane, and Accutron
played a part in every US Space mission during the 60's, and 70's. There
are several Accutron 214 timing devices sitting on the Moon's "Sea of
Tranquility". The first was carried there in 1969 by the crew of Apollo 11,
the first manned mission to actually land men on the moon. The Accutron 214 was
declared an American "Gift of State" by President Linden 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 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 carried 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 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.
Accutron Today:
Tuning fork driven Accutrons evolved into quartz
crystal 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. In
this modern age of throw away technology, the life span of most consumer
electronic devices is measured in months, a relative few may be considered
state-of-the-art for a few years, but here we are, a half century after the
introduction of the 214, and yet, day after day the electronic miracle on my
wrist keeps on humming it's 360 cycle/sec tune without losing a beat. Truly
amazing!
Accutron Tomorrow:

I feel certain that the
Accutron timer controlled hardware that Apollo Astronauts, Neil Armstrong,
Michael Collins, and Edwin Aldrin left on the moon during the first landing,
and the scientific
instruments left by those succeeding them will eventually be collected and
brought back to Earth. Some day, you will be able to visit a moon artifact
exhibit at the Smithsonian National
Air and Space Museum in
Washington D.C,
A Personal Note:
Even now, 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. I won't be around to see those
instruments when they are finally brought back to Earth, but I'm certain that my
grandchildren will. Perhaps as they look at those lunar artifacts in their
moonscape exhibit, one of them will be wearing my 1963 Spaceview that will still
be quietly humming on his wrist. I like to imagine that he'll be telling his
kids 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
Martin Marcus 2/5/02
© Page Updated
1/1/2010 Contact
Me
ACCUTRON 214 REPAIRS
Unlike a brick & mortar shop, I have no
need to charge a hefty premium to cover today's exorbitant overheads. I pay no
rent or mortgage, and I am my only paid employee (the wife works for free). You can pay more elsewhere, a lot
more, and your 214 will be processed by a worker whose pay is commensurate with
his or her productivity. Some brick & mortar watch repairers refer to
all of their web competition as "hobbyists". It's an elitist statement that they
hope will justify their extremely high prices. I have been repairing Accutron
214's professionally for over a quarter of a century. I set up my first Accutron
214 web page on an
Antiques web site
in 1998.
Accutron214.com
was
established in January of 2002, and has since grown to
45 pages
of useful information.
My equipment is second to none, http://www.accutron214.com/AccutronWorkshop.htm. I
make no compromises when it comes to the quality of my work, and your
satisfaction is always guaranteed.
ACCUTRON
REPAIR SERVICE

FULLY
INSURED - 1 YEAR GUARANTY
RESTORATIONS
A primer on the restoration process

ACCUTRON
RESTORATION SERVICES
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PARTS and ACCESSORIES
Parts - Gaskets - Bands - Boxes - Display Cases - Batteries - Crystals
ACCUTRON 214's FOR SALE
1 YEAR
GUARANTY
The Custom Accutron "DialView"
Custom Dial Modification Service
Don't put that battery in
upside down!
Everything you need to know about Accutron
214 Batteries
ACCUTRON PROBLEMS
Information and photos of the most common kinds of damage
that your Accutron 214 is susceptible to.
ACCUTRON PAPERS
Printable Accutron owners guide,
information booklets, and 214 coil schematics.
Owners
Guide
| Astronaut
Guide
Information
Booklet Selling
Guide |
Circuit
Diagrams
The History of Bulova
View the Bulova timeline BULOVA HISTORY
The Peoples Choice
or
(how the Spaceview came to be)
The Accutron Spaceview story SPACEVIEW HISTORY
Commercial & Military 214 Clock Gallery

Accutron Display Case Gallery
Accutron Oddities

ODDITY
GALLERY
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.
Need Information?
Post questions or comments on my MESSAGE
BOARD
Bulova is bringing back the 214
Well..........
sort of.
The computer generated image
below is that of a 50th Anniversary commemorative Accutron 214 in a
stainless steel Alpha case. 1000 watches will be sold by the
Bulova Corporation this October, with only 675 allocated for the US. The watch appears to have a green chapter ring under a
Spaceview crystal. They will be assembled in
Japan using hand wound coils, The case measures 42mm and the
selling price will be $4,000 - Stay tuned.

And speaking of imitation:
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 Swiss timepiece.
For
large photos click on the thumbnail images

This add appears in the April 2005 issue of BMW Magazine.

For Pilots and other Astronaut Owners:
Over the years I've learned that even up to the present day, a surprisingly large number of pilots are still wearing an Accutron Astronaut. You original Astronaut owners are old enough to remember that during the 60's, CBS, NBC, and ABC signed off at midnight which at that time was the end of their programming day. One of the stations, I forget which, ran a short film showing a military jet streaking through towering banks of clouds. The film was accompanied by a narration of the pilots anthem "High Flight".
For those of you 214 owners who are not familiar with this inspiring poem, I present it here. "High Flight"
e-mail: Accutron Sales & Service
MARTIN MARCUS
Marblehead, Massachusetts
Copyright
2002 by Martin Marcus. All rights reserved.
These pages may not be copied without written consent.
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