The Bulova Accutron was the
first electronic wrist watch and marked a revolution in
horology in the early 1960s. It was entirely different in principle from traditional
timepieces. The greatest difference between the Accutron and conventional watches was the
use of the tuning fork as the time standard instead of the
traditional balance wheel and hairspring which had been used for over 300 years.
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Astronaut Scott Carpenter with his wife on
the cover of the 9 June 1962 Paris Match issue.
Scott is wearing an Accutron Astronaut.
Accutron =
Accuracy through Electronics
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Because the Accutron uses a precision tuning fork it is extremely accurate. It
eliminated the balance wheel and hairspring, the parts which limited the accuracy of
conventional watches.
Bulova was able to guarantee that this timepiece would not gain or lose more than
one minute a month.
This meant that Accutron was approximately ten times as
accurate as a conventional fine quality mechanical watch.
It was so accurate for its time that it was used in the Explorer VII missile.
Bulova supplied Accutron to turn off the radio equipment in the satellite.
Later Accutron was used by NASA and its Apollo Astronauts as it was the most
precise watch available in the sixties.
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How is the Accutron different from
conventional watches?
External differences:
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Accutron does not "tick", it "hums". The humming sound is
caused by the vibrations of the tiny electro-magnetically driven tuning fork and its
associated indexing mechanism.
Another difference is the smooth motion of the sweep-second hand.
The early models of Accutron did not have a visible crown. The setting mechanism
is engaged by a small recessed handle on the back of the case.
The spaceview model (above) with its absence of a dial clearly demonstrates that
Accutron does not have a conventional movement.
Internal differences:
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For the first time a tuning fork was used as the time standard in a wrist watch.
Another first was the use of a transistorized circuit, making it the first
electronic watch.
Yet another innovation was the use of plastic parts in a watch. "Dapon"
(diallyl phthalate resin-based compound) is used to insulate and protect the
microminiature circuitry of the Accutron.
The Accutron has fewer parts than a conventional movement. This fact promotes
reliability and ease of servicing.
The Accutron was a tremendous
scientific achievement for its time.
The feeling of a new era in watchmaking was reflected in the press
articles of the early 1960s.
