Bulova Accutron 214 'Alpha', 1960

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

In 1960, Bulova had a vision of the future — and that future hummed with potential! 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 attached to a battery-powered transistor oscillator circuit as its heart. Designed by Max Hetzel, the Accutron made waves, becoming the first wristwatch precise enough to be qualified for U.S. Railroad certification — guaranteed to be accurate to about one minute per month, or roughly 2 seconds per day. Originally designed to be a salesman's tool highlighting the inner mechanism of the Accutron movement, the Spaceview wasn't intended for retail purchase. But the delight of seeing these inner workings displayed caused demand from retailers and consumers to spike; indeed, seemingly everyone wanted this openworked watch to wear and take home. Bulova responded, producing retail versions 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 they contain important and revolutionary technology that has had a tremendous impact on today's world. This specific example, while not branded as a Spaceview, utilizes the same underlying architecture. This piece dates to 1960 with an M0 date code, and utilizes the Accutron Calibre 214 movement. In truly great condition throughout, this piece features a beautiful champagne dial to showcase the time display, bringing a dressy presence to the watch. Set with beautiful gold indices and central seconds, this example comes executed with a 14K gold case. To top it all off, this piece has a truly unique lug structure with a different lower lug profile than upper lug profile. No matter your taste, there's no denying that the Accutron 214 is an important part of horological history, and an incredible mid-century design object. 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! ACCUTRON FACTORY CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED Analog:Shift is proud to be partnered with Accutron as the exclusive retailer for Factory Certified Pre-Owned timepieces. Our longstanding relationship and shared passion for horological history and design have culminated in this unique offering. Each Accutron timepiece undergoes rigorous inspection and certification by expert watchmakers and is backed by the manufacture, ensuring unparalleled authenticity and quality.