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Bulova Accutron Astronaut GMT (Ref. 546-2) "Type 4", 1967 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Bulova Accutron Astronaut GMT (Ref. 546-2) "Type 4", 1967

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Bulova (maker)
Date
1967
Country of origin
United States
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 38 mm
Stock no.
BLVAAGMT-2
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (BLVAAGMT-2)
Catalogue title (original)
1967 Bulova Accutron Astronaut GMT (Ref. 546-2) "Type 4" (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number BLVAAGMT-2), this is a wristwatch by Bulova, made in United States, dated 1967. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 38 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

The vintage Bulova obsession in the watch community is very real and here to stay! The unique and funky watches that Bulova made from the 60s-80s are always a cause for conversation. Ranging from colorful diving chronographs to eccentric electric watches like the famous Accutron. This rare Type 4 Bulova Accutron Astronaut ref. 546-2 features distinct details that set it apart from the rest of the Astronaut family. The raised markers inlaid with tritium lume are accented by an unusual 24-hour hand that features a step to perfectly move above the markers and around the dial. The classic Accutron "tuning fork" logo at 12 o'clock is fully lumed and the watch features a distinct luminous bakelite bezel. SPECS Stock # BLVAAGMT-2 Brand Bulova Accutron Style Astronaut Model N/A Serial M7 Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Matte Black Millimeters 38mm Bracelet Bulova Accutron Bracelet CASE & BRACELET The unpolished case retains strong factory brushing and angles. The black bakelite bezel is in overall excellent condition and exhibits normal wear from age. The case back retains its factory finishing and retains all of its factory finishing in deep and crisp condition. The Bulova Accutron bracelet retains 11 links that display no stretch from use. DIAL & HANDS The matte black dial is in exceptional condition that shows only minimal signs of age. The tritium-filled applied makers and lume Accutron logo have aged to a handsome yellow coloration and exhibit no degradation when inspected under U.V. light. The original tritium hands have age to a more golden coloration and show no degradation when inspected under U.V. light. The stepped 24-hour hand is original and in excellent condition as well. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is operating perfectly and keeping excellent time, and just received a new battery.

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

  • Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
  • High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
  • 24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
  • Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
  • Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
  • GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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