The Bulova Accutron is a high-frequency tuning fork movement with a smooth sweeping second hand. But Bulova also made self-winding mechanical watches bearing the Accutron name.
Bulova Accutron Automatic Review
This Accutron is one of the Swiss-powered versions of the Bulova Accutron. It has the ETA 2824 movement instead of the high-frequency quartz and is, therefore, more comparable with a “normal” mechanical watch. I understand it was one of the watches made after Citizen took over Bulova in the 2000s. You can read our feature on Bulova watches here.
The watch itself has the standard features of a mid-range Swiss timepiece: 316L steel case, self-winding ETA 2824 movement (running at 28800 bph or 8 ticks per second) with about 28 hours power reserve, and a sapphire crystal. The bracelet is a work of art, each link made out of 13 separate pieces. Lovely to look at but a nightmare to resize!
The screw-down crown is easy to operate and a good size. Usually, the addition of 1/8second markings around the chapter ring would mean that if you like that kind of thing, you could time things to great accuracy. Except you can’t, because this is not a chronograph watch so the only way to stop the second hand is to pull the crown out to the time-setting position to engage the movement’s hacking feature.
What’s It Like to Live With?
The watch is pretty easy to live with in the long term. The bracelet is comfortable, the dial is easy to read and the movement is as reliable as your would expect from ETA. There are a few minor annoyances: the bezel on my watch became a little loose and picked up a couple of scratches over time, and a regular service is needed to keep the movement accurate and smooth. On the other hand, that bracelet hides scratches and scuffs really well thanks to its multi-part design and the clasp can easily be refreshed with a Brillo pad if you so desire. If you can pick one of these watches up on the cheap it’s well worth considering adding to your collection.
Buy a Bulova Accutron
Your only hope of finding this particular model of Bulova Accutron is on the used market. You’ll occasionally come across this kind of Bulova watch on eBay. However, the most common Bulova models in the shops now come with their smooth quartz movement, in which the second hand moves with an even more smooth motion than most mechanical watches. You can find Bulova watches on the high street or from the usual online stores such as Watch Shop and, of course, Amazon and eBay.
