Virtual time capsule watch uncovered

[Cristell]

Originally Posted by avusblue

That's a very nice piece. I inherited my dad's '70's Bulova Accutron 218 and had it restored. I don't wear it very often, but when I do I really appreciate it. The tone it makes from the humming tuning fork is wonderfully musical and brings back good memories. The liquid-smooth sweep of the second hand is hypnotic. The watch is remarkably accurate -- mine is as good as a modern quartz watch; it gains about 3 to 5 seconds a month. The battery only lasts a little over a year, but is easy to change. These watches are very durable and rugged; NASA used stock Accutron movements for the instrument panel clocks on the Gemini and Apollo spacecraft. They really were the state of the art in their day.

I remember as a little kid always asking my dad to take the watch off so I could hold it up to my ear and hear the tone of the tuning fork. I'm sure that sound, and the mystery of fine incomprehensible miniscule machinery, imprinted a good measure of my lifelong watch enthusiasm.

Here's mine:



Anyway, you want this done right. You don't want to just plop in a new battery and see if it fires up -- that can blow out the coils if a crust of 40 year old hardened lubricant has made the forks immobile. Overhauling these watches is very "do-able" and is not overly expensive. I recommend contacting Bob Piker -- see http://www.mybob.net.

Good luck and enjoy it.

PS - My guess is yours is an Accutron 218 with a "goldtone" case, like mine.

I appricate your advice and input, it was very helpful.

Thanks