Pre-Owned Bulova Bulova Accutron Spaceview 100th Anniversary 40991726/AS09220

 1960, Bulova had a vision of the future - and that future hummed with potential!

The Accutron was the world's first electronic watch.  About a decade before the Quartz Crisis, Bulova introduced a watch that did away with the traditional balance wheel, instead using a 360-hertz tuning fork powered by electromagnets attached to a battery-powered transistor oscillator circuit as its heart.  Designed by Max Hetzel, the Accutron made waves, becoming the first wristwatch to be precise enough to be qualified for U.S. Railroad certification, guaranteed to be accurate to about one minute per month, or about 2 seconds per day.  

While Bulova had grand plans for their watch of the future, they never anticipated the success that their uniquely appointed Spaceview model would generate.  Originally designed to be a salesman's tool and display watch highlighting the inner mechanism of the Accutron movement, the Spaceview was never intended for retail purchase.  But the delight of seeing these inner workings displayed - a skeletonized version if you will - caused demand from retailers and consumers to spike - seemingly everyone wanted the openworked version to wear and take home. Bulova responded, producing retail versions of the watch with the same unique characteristics of their display models.  

The Accutron Spaceview was unlike anything that came before, and really, anything since.  In production for about 17 years, the tuning fork technology was eventually beaten out by quartz crystal movements, making these watches relatively short-lived, but and important and revolutionary technology that has had a tremendous impact on today's world.  

This specific example, produced in 1975 to celebrate 100 years of Bulova, features a chunky 38mm x 42mm yellow gold electroplated case that brilliantly typifies 1970s design language and houses the famed Calibre 214 movement. This particular Spaceview sports an overseized, asymmetric profile with a narrow bezel and a brushed case finish, a gray chapter ring with tritium markers and a large stick handset in outstanding preserved condition with light even patina. This timepiece comes fitted to a likely-original Accutron-signed brown leather strap with a matching signed gold-filled pin buckle. 

No matter your movement inclinations, there is no denying that the Accutron Spaceview is an important part horological history, and an incredible object of mid-century design.

As for that humming? Hold this baby up to your ear and there’s no doubt you’ll be soothed by the tuning fork’s soundscape.

It’s music to our ears!