1970 Bulova Accutron Spaceview 214 Gold-Plated 37.5mm
Ref: B85499
Specification
Lugs : 18mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : None
Case Material : Gold-Plated
Warranty : 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold as "Watch Only" and therefore comes with no original Bulova box or paperwork. The watch comes paired with a well-suited 18mm suede strap. The watch is from Circa. 1970 and is sold in worn, vintage condition but overall fair condition for its age as you can see from the photos. The watch comes with our 12-Months NON-Waterproof Warranty.
For more photos see here - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wZf49JtQVoGRK5bXwpoghsY2BUFON9sa?usp=sharing
4K YouTube video, skip to 28:03 - https://youtu.be/2wNwouWt3Gw
The Watch
Here we have a 1970 Bulova Accutron Spaceview 214 with a gold-plated 37.5mm C-shaped case that curves over your wrist with thick tapered lugs, and a lug-to-lug length of 42mm and a case thickness of 12.5mm ensures a comfortable fit. A domed acrylic crystal sits above the distinctive futuristic skeletonised dial. A grey outer minute chapter ring has baton indexes marking the hours. The iconic movement can be seen through the baton hands complemented by an orange sweeping second hand. At 8 o’clock we have the Bulova Accutron motif. On the reverse, a stainless steel case back we have the lift-up ring to move the hands and the hatch that houses the battery. Inside a Max Hetzel-designed Accutron 214 first released in 1960, it was the world's first tuning fork electronic watch and was the first movement to use a transistor, with only 12 moving parts, production continued until 1977. They were the first prototypes of the successful Quartz movement which were developed later. The watch comes paired with an 18mm suede strap.
Personal Note
I'll forever find it fascinating stocking these vintage Bulova Accutron Spaceview's, they still look futuristic today and you can just imagine the shock in the late 60s and 70s when this appeared in shops! Apparently, this was originally done as a display model for retail shops to show what the movement was inside, displaying this crazy new technology, but customers kept asking to buy the display model, this led to Bulova realising they had to make one without the dial and it apparently became a big success for them! How true that story is, I don't know, but its a great story and one I can imagine happening...
The Brand
Bulova Company was founded in 1875 by Joseph Bulova. Based in New York, they moved to 580 Fifth Avenue in 1920. In 1923 Bulova Watch Inc was introduced. 1927, on the rooftop of 580 Fifth Avenue, he set up an observatory to be able to determine the universal time precisely. In 1941, Joseph Bulova decided to increase his company's reach by utilising television advertising, producing the world’s first television advert, it was the first time that commercial advertising was allowed on US television. He developed standardised watch production and was the first to create a fully electronic watch using tuning-fork technology. Bulova has collaborated with many people and organisations including Lindbergh and NASA. During the very first moonwalk, a Bulova Accutron 214 timer was placed in the “Sea of Tranquility”. The company was bought by Japan’s Citizen Watch Company in 2008.