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Very Interesting! Good luck! I couldn't help but notice how closely the wheel in your 5th picture resembles the index wheel and fingers of a Bulova Accutron (at least I think it does)

That's terrible.. I believe a similar thing once happened to my grandad's Zenith.. and my grandma's Accutron gained a quartz movement at some point.. eventually I'm hoping to replace the dial / install another Accutron. It's frustrating to see these things happen - good luck in getting this sorted for your friend.

Welcome Brad, I did run across this blog https://jpmoeller.com/2017/01/03/bulova-accutron-2181/ that might help you a bit further. If this was a "hey, I just found this old watch from Dad and I'd like to tinker with it" project, then by all means, go ahead (cautiously) and get some practice movements first. If this is an heirloom that you want to keep and wear to remind you of your father, then I'd highly recommend taking it to a professional watch repairer rather than attempt it yourself. With your first watches you take to pieces you WILL break parts, lose parts and be unable to identify parts for replacement, let alone being able to source them. It's part of the journey we all take and it's best to cut your teeth on something that wouldn't be too difficult to toss into the bin.

Take a look here. It may help a bit. https://watchguy.co.uk/service-bulova-accutron-2181/

Hi, Brad Kuhn here. I really appreciate a well designed and well made device be it mechanical or electrical, cars, machines, or watches. I am completely new to the watch repair world, although I have worn and appreciated a Rolex for many years. One reason I am here is that the Accutron 2181, given to my father in 1976 as a retirement gift, no longer hums, and I want to try to repair it myself. The other reason is that I found the discussions on this forum (that I read) to be congenial, informative, encouraging, and free of rancor. I am starting pretty much at zero, although I do have an Accutron 218 movement holder, some seemingly decent tweezers and screwdrivers. Although I do not intend to become a fully qualified watch repair man, I do have the Accutron repair and two other movements that I could improve. My initial thoughts are: what tools are necessary? What book/books should I read? What online courses should I take (would rather not take a course)? Anyway, here I am, not sure how to start. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks, Brad Kuhn

Giving my Accutron Yellow Dot a try today, first time on the wrist

Just checked ebay for sold Accutron 214 bowtie watches. Most sold for $85 to $185 and one sold for $300. I searched more accutron repair sites and $300 is typical, just for a cleaning and lube. If it needs any parts like coils, cost could easily be $500 or more and that doesn't include any cosmetic work. I'm going to sell is as non-working.

The Accutron is in great cosmetic condition. With the naked eye the crystal is scratch free and face and hands look new. There are a very few light surface scratches on the back, sides, bezel and bow ties. From a foot away they hard to see. Any idea what it might be worth after repair?

I'm not a watch collector but may become one. My Accutron 214 that I bought new in 1966 stopped working and after searching for repairers, I found it would cost about $300. So I started searching for good quality used watches and settled on Seiko and Longines. My first purchase was a Seiko Diver 200m 7n36-6A49 in near mint condition. I'm not a diver but it looked cool and was in great condition. After more than 1 month it is still accurate within +-1 second. I then started reading about HAQ watches and bought a Longines Conquest VHP quartz L237.2 L1.613.9 probably made around 1993. It has not lost or gained one second after 3 weeks. This watch looks like it has never been worn and it came with two extra links, extra pins, original outer box, inner box, instruction booklet in 4 languages including English, the warranty card with fields blank, another small card in Japanese and the jewelry store business card in Japanese. All these items are also in mint condition. Pages of the manual look they were never turned. Even the clasp appears never to have been opened as it is very tight with no sign of wear., So Maybe I've caught the collector bug because I continue reading about watches and have joined about six watch forums. henryr

I just received a Timex Electronic in the mail a couple of days ago. It still had the original Timex Type A battery inside. But luckily it hadn't leaked. The hand setting is fine, but the day/date function seems to be stuck. The balance is able to swing freely. A quick test with my Accutron test meter shows that the coil is still ok. How is this movement different from the Timex Electric? At 1st glace it looks identical. How do I get to the calendar works? Do I need to pry open the dial tabs to get the dial off? I hate doing that. I just can't get the dial factory tight again. Thanks in advance.

Hello, I'm a retired aerospace engineer and recently developed an interest in older watches. I bought an Accutron new in 1966 and it recently died. I wanted to replace so I started researching watches and decided on getting a used watch. I recently bought a SEIKO 7N36-6A49 Scuba Divers made in 1995 and a Longines VHP quartz probably from the late 1980s. Now I want to learn more.

Measuring the current consumption of a watch can be difficult and usually involves expensive equipment. The le arsi tester is an economical way of accomplishing this. It is able to provide a variable power supply and by the sound indicator and LEDs, give an indication of the current consumption. I was going to buy a le arsi tester but then I discovered that the Bulova Accutron tester that I already owned could do that job too. Putting an appropriate battery into the battery test clip would also give the correct voltage to power the watch under test. The deflection of the meter will show the current consumption. In this way, the static and dynamic current can be measured. Accutron testers do come up for sale on ebay occasionally. Sometimes for less than a le arsi tester.

Hi, Hector here. I am a dentist by training and it has been my day job for the past 34 years. My other pastimes include building and repairing all sorts of stuff. Just keeping my office equipment in working order has made me learn plumbing, electricity, electronics, computing... Jack of all trades, master of none. I took up a basic course in watch repair about 1 1/2 years ago because I couldn't find any watch repairer willing to repair my daily ticker. And I got hooked! In the last 18 months, I've serviced mechanical, automatic, quartz, electric, an Accutron, a long case clock, a ship's clock, kitchen timers... It has been a really interesting, challenging, frustrating and rewarding 18 months. And I look forward to the next project...

right you are, the simple "multimeter" is not sensitive, presisign, enough for electronics. I can't remember the one that was. i'll drag the one out that is. also, accutron had a special meter for that mvt. (I have one of those too). ALSO; I think we have a eleictronics engineer in this forum? OH - how I hate eleictronics ! vin

Today I'm wearing my Bulova accutron "hummer" This was my second electronic watch. I bought it as a bare movement, then got a case and dial combo. It's a pretty finicky movement. It will randomly stop for no apparent reason. I have to tap on the case at the 2 o'clock position several times to Kickstart the tuning fork. I'd love to get it serviced and properly tuned, but there are so few people who work on these and my finances won't allow it, so I just deal with these quirks. I certainly am not a confident enough watchmaker to tackle one of these myself.

It's a standard problem for 218 watches. If you're not familiar with the watch you really should have the service manual if you're not familiar with the watch you probably shouldn't work on the watch. Page 30 of the PDF manual below shows the Canon pinion labeled as center wheel assembly. Then it's also found on page 35 showing how it's lubricated just don't use their lubrication recommendation as it's a very poor choice. Then before you rush out in order your canon pinions/center wheel assembly you'll have to take the old one out and measure the height. http://www.decadecounter.com/accutron/Accutron218ServiceManual.pdf

Which model is it? When was it last serviced? Accutrons are backwards of mechanical watches, in that you have the power source turning the escape wheel, which then powers the train up through the hands. In a mechanical watch there is an increase in speed and a reduction of torque from each gearing to the next, so there is almost no power on the escape wheel. In an Accutron the tiny power and movement of each vibration of the tuning fork is increased by 7 or 8 fold at each gear set, so that at the hour and minute hands there is tremendous power. The instantaneous date system on a 218 model will shake your wrist! And it would stop or hinder a regular mechanical watch. The upside is a well adjusted Accutron is very reliable and runs for years and years, the downside is that they will run long after the lubrication had dried and grind the pivots to dust. I suspect the friction between the driving wheel and canon pinion has become weak, and the canon pinion and hour wheel are sticky, so the watch runs but doesn't move the hands. As the seconds pinion is before this intersection it continues to move, and the hand setting works since that is another gearing that drives the canon pinion directly. As it does run, it should just need a service. But the longer it runs in this state the more potential damage that can be done.

I understand this seems to be a common problem related to the canon. Does anyone have any advice or a link to a manual or diagram that can explain how to fix this? the watch gums fine and when setting it the hour and minute hands move correctly.

Accutron use these weirdos, let me find what size they are.....

I've repivoted Accutron wheels before, probably the best route for you. I've read that not only the pivots are different but the wheels themselves are slightly different, enough that they don't interchange even with resized pivots. These are apparently exceedingly rare- one source I saw says around 1000 made.

nice job ! is thre a quarts mvt. than can be fit into an accutron, space view watch case .? vin

I have a problem. Ive got this Slava Transistor watch--the one the Russians ripped off in the 60's of the American Bulova Accutron 214.... Its a fairly close match,-- visually they look identical, quite an achievement IMO... My issue is this. Its third wheel has a rusted off pivot, fairly common on the Accutron version due to moisture or batt leaks and there's fair evidence of a leak in this one.. The Accutron 3rd wheel wont fit--2nd Moscow Watch Co (Slava, Seconda, Vostock etc) in their infinite wisdom made their staff smaller in diameter than the Americans, no idea why... My only solutions as trying to find a correct good third for this mega-oddball are near impossible, are- 1/ machine down Accutron third wheel pivots.... 2/ Replace the jewels but dont know if plate holes are the same size and I dont have the equipment to deal with jewel replacement anyway. So--Anyone good with the watchmakers lathe fancy having a look?

If anyone out there has ever wondered if a Kif Duofix spring from an Accutron 214 movement will work with a Rolex 2030 the answer is YES. They are exactly the same. I would still be interested to know if one can be used from a Rolex series 1500 movement though.

I have had success as well with things like polywatch. I figured because the inner workings on the accutron are so interesting and tend to be a focal point all of the somewhat deeper scratches that are left behind to me would still feel kinda obvious.

I'm not sure about the 2210 movements, but I know with the 214 1st gen movements, the battery voltage was critical. I have been told that the later 218 and 219 movements were ok to run at 1.5 volts and do not require any adjustments. From what I've learned, the indexing pawls are what need to be adjusted on the 214 movements to get them back in time. I also know that when Omega got the license to produce the Accutron, they hired it's inventor, Max Hetzel, to improve the design.