Bulova Accutron Accuquartz 'Gold Fumé', 1973

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

In 1960, Bulova had a vision of the future — and in that future, there was humming. About a decade before the infamous Quartz Crisis, Bulova put into production a timepiece that did away with the traditional balance wheel, favoring instead a steel tuning fork powered by electromagnets attached to a battery-powered transistor oscillator circuit. Designed by Max Hetzel, the Accutron made waves, becoming the first wristwatch precise enough to be qualified for U.S. Railroad certification, and guaranteed to be accurate to roughly one minute per month, or about 2 seconds per day. While Bulova had grand plans for their watch of the future, the quartz movement quickly captured the broader market. To keep on pace with the Japanese, Bulova Accutron worked in the development of the first quartz Swiss quartz movement, the Calibre Beta 21. In 1970, Accutron presented the Accuquartz with the Beta 21 movement. This specific watch, is one such example. It dates to 1973, given its N3 caseback engraving. "N" representing production in the 1970s, and "3" being the specific year within that decade. Housed in a swollen gold plated case, it features a dark sunburst dial with an outer minute track, applique stick indexes, and a baton handset. This piece also includes a date window for added functionality. No matter your mechanical-movement inclinations, there is no denying that this watch is an important piece of horological history. 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.