Bulova Accutron Spaceview, c. 1966

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

In 1960, Bulova had a vision of the future — and in that future, there was humming. The Accutron was the world's first electronic watch. About a decade before the infamous Quartz Crisis, Bulova put into production a watch 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 as its timekeeper. 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, they never anticipated the success that the uniquely appointed Spaceview would generate. Designed to be a salesman's tool and display watch only, the Spaceview 214 was never intended for retail purchase. But when demands for the watch spiked, Bulova responded, producing versions with the same unique characteristics of their display models. With its visible circuitry and tuning fork, the Accutron Spaceview was unlike anything before — and really, anything since. Though it remained in production for roughly 17 years, the tuning fork technology was eventually beaten out by quartz crystal movements, making this unbelievable piece of history a short-lived but totally revolutionary wristwatch. This specific example dating to roughly 1966 is one of the earliest 214 movement executions, marked by the crownless case design — a design that Bulova moved away from when they developed the 218 movement, which had a time-setting crown at the 4 o'clock position. Housed in a 35mm stainless steel case with a signed, acrylic crystal, a screw-down case back and a flip-up crown, it features a stainless steel chapter ring with tritium indices, a matching ‘ obelisk ’ handset, and the Cal. 214 Accutron electronic movement. No matter your mechanical-movement inclinations, there is no denying that the Spaceview is a one-of-a-kind piece of horological history. Oh, and the humming? Hold this baby up to your ear and you'll hear that tuning fork, humming away!