On my wishlist: Accutron Spaceview
I'm rather endeared to the Bullova Accutron watch, which keeps time via a tuning fork mechanism (!) that drives the gear train. The watch also uses a one-transistor oscillator circuit, which qualifies it as the first 'electric watch'. As a special edition, Bullova released the 'SpaceView', with a clear face to see the mechanism. Incredibly lovely, don't you think?
The watch is far out of my price range (They go up on Ebay for $200-$300 in working order) and this is one time I'm questioning my instinctual response of 'too expensive? I'll just get a broken one and fix it!'.
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Accutron Spaceview
Meredith;
You can find an Accutron Spaceview on this site, http://www.dashto.org/newlists/wristwatchmovement.htm
If you want to know about repairing these, you may contact me via email, grigorypolyakov@yahoo.com
Bullova Accutron watch
Actually, that would make it an “electronic watch,” not merely an “electric watch.” Electric watches, those that operated using batteries to move their mechanical components, had been around long before the Accutron came along. (The first was made by Hamilton in 1957.) Though other watches had some electronic parts that helped the electric parts to function better, the Accutron was the first watch to use electronics to actually measure time. More info is at: http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/
Accutron
A fine choice and desire it is for the Spaceview. I myself have owned a gold one of these since the 80's. I also have the Railroad and Astronaut models as well. Why let a couple of hundred separate you from this fine timepiece? Beware however, these thing are NOISY. They sound a bit like one might imagine a (very small) Nuclear Reactor might sound. If laid on it's back on the bureau it can heard across the room at night. You've been warned!
Re: Accutron movement
It's not a Spaceview, but I do have an Accutron movement with dial and hands only (no case or band) that I'd gladly give you to play with. Just let me know...............................doc
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Accutron Watch Reality Check
I have been a huge fan of the Accutron watch since I saw my first Spaceview in the 1960s. At the time I couldn't imagine what it would be like to have such a wondrous object on your wrist. That being said, one of the first things I acquired as a fully employed adult was an 18K Gold original Spaceview. Don't get me wrong it's a truly wonderful possession and I've spent countless hours watching it run through a microscope. Here's the problem with all vintage tuning fork watches ( I have a large collection of them) Accutrons and the licensed tuning fork watches built by others, most notably Omega, used mercury oxide batteries and they used them very quickly. Mercury batteries are considered extremely environmentally hazardous and there has been a ban on their sale in the US and Europe since 1992. The circuits in these watches were carefully designed to work at the low single cell mercury battery voltages, Here is an excellent article on wiki about this problem http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_battery . I know of no drop-in replacement watch cells that solve this problem. The only work-around I am aware of, is a tiny silver oxide battery holder that contains a voltage regulator to match the higher silver oxide cell voltage to the watch circuit. These devices, while miraculous in construction are a dicey proposition at best in the real world. They are very fragile both mechanically and electrically and some watches that are known to run perfectly on Mercury cells refuse to run with them for no apparent reason. Also, even though the volumetric power density of silver oxide Cells is greater than mercury oxide, the cell holder and power conversion circuit take up substantial volume in the battery compartment, requiring the use of a TINY silver oxide cell. This further shortens an already short (By modern standards) battery life. If anybody has any additional information please jump in.
Beautiful... but finnicky
I'm currently wearing my Accutron. It isn't a spaceview, but it is the tuning fork watch. They're lovely devices, but incredibly finnicky.
My understanding is that inside the center of the mechanism is a tiny wheel with (if I remember right) 360 teeth on it. That wheel turns with every vibration of the tuning fork, and drives the watch mechanism.
This gear is trivially damaged.
I just had a specialist in Accutron repair work on mine; it was extremely expensive, and they mentioned that merely touching the edges of this gear with your fingers is enough to screw it up. They also wanted to put a new crystal on it, to make sure it sealed properly and was water-resistant.
And, even with the full service, it's not quite right and will probably have to go back to them.
Even if it were right, the battery change (see above) means they don't run as strongly as they used to. Leaving it on the wrong surface can stop it. The X-ray at the airport can interefere with it. They're really quite fragile.
That being said, I think they're amazing pieces of technology. I wouldn't try and fix it myself, though. Too small. I'd suggest you save your efforts for bigger tasks and spend the money on the watch if it is what you still want.
They are shiny, though.
Just convert one
While researching my dad's Accutron Astronaut T, I saw a lot of stuff on the Spaceviews. First, the vast majority found these days are conversions. Someone takes a regular Accutron and takes the dial off. All you need is the correct hands and usually another crystal. If I had to guess, and I'm no expert, the watch you have shown is a conversion since it has a "hack" spring and those only came on Astronauts and Railroad models. I'd say the hands are wrong as well. They are supposed to be white so they are visible.
Personally, I'm not that fond of the Spaceviews. You can't see the tuning fork move and the gears can't be seen.
As for the batteries, you can use the modern 1.5v batteries in these watches. Most run just fine, and the watch can be adjusted if necessary. In the worst case, a diode can be added to reduce the voltage so you don't have to buy those extremely expensive 1.3v batteries.