Greetings , ive been given my father's watch and i would really like to get it running again. I have spent some time reading and realize im out of my depth to a large extent,hence my request for advice. This watch was left dormant for around 10 years while not running , my parents could not find anywhere to look at it. It is a 1969 218D. I did not find it difficult to remove the locking ring and back cover plate , i bought a new power cell from the recommended seller and replaced the cell and back cover. The watch now "hums" , i gave it a few soft taps on the 9 o'clock side which caused the second hand to move of its own accord for anywhere from a few seconds to 5 seconds at a time , this was not a one off , each slight tap causes it to glide easily for those few seconds but that's all.
My question is , is there anything i can do at this point more than ive done ? I was extremely careful when i opened it , very careful not to touch anything , i used a jewelers screwdriver to release the old powercell and fit the new one , everything looked clean , no discharge or mess from he old cell so i didn't feel cleaning it was required , it looked fine.
Id appreciate any advice , thank you.
I would say that, after sitting that long, the lubricant has probably hardened and the center wheel is stiff, not unusual in a 218 that has been sitting that long. The fact that it hums is very good but I'd take the battery out and get it cleaned and lubricated by a repairman who knows Accutrons, not just a jeweler. If you let us know where you live, we can probably advise you re a repairman if needed.
I agree with what Lyle advises, it is best to get it to an Accutron guy, there are a couple in the US who have NOS parts and specialize in Accutrons.
One thing I should mention, and this is mirrored in a post I did about battery changes:
Never touch the battery with your fingers or touch the movt, always use finger cots. I get many watches that have leaked or the battery has run for far less than its normal life because of this handling issue. Only touch the battery with plastic tipped tweezers, as well.
Gentlemen , thank you , i really do appreciate and i'm very grateful for your help. It would mean the world to my Mom if i can get the watch working again , it would also mean a lot to me. As you are well able to estimate it was not an easy task to replace the cell , ive never seen a screw that small and i was very lucky indeed to accomplish the task without the appropriete tools. I very much would like any assistance or advice on who would be able to help further,i'm in Bucks County , Pennsylvania.
This is a very nice watch , i have spent a couple of days looking for one that's the same but so far i havnt seen another identical. It has an octogon shape face and that's been the difference between the ones ive seen. One thing that i'll ask although i think i know the answer , with the date codes , can i say without doubt that the date codes are correct ? Mine has M9 which i took to be 1969 but my Mom who actually bought the watch for my Dad says no that is wrong , it was 1967 or thereabouts , she is quite adament about that. All parts to this watch are original and ive no reason to think otherwise , the date code is on the back cover plate where my Dad's name is engraved so i know it's the correct cover plate. My question , as i say , is perhaps a dumb one , i have read the date codes correctly ? Is there any other way to put a date on this watch to confirm ? Thank you for your time and attention to this , i really do appreciate it.
Yep, M9 means 1969. I don't know how scrupelous Bulova was about the dates on the back covers but I would be very surprised indeed if that watch goes back to 1967.
I can provide the names of a couple of repair people if you want to provide your email address but I will wait a while. I don't want to step on the toes of a member of this forum who may be in that business and wants to step forward.
I think you will be very pleased with the watch when it is done, the accuracy can compare to modern quartz watches, the hum is hypnotizing and they are nowhere near as fragile as some would like to claim. I have a 1970 Accutron that has been on my wrist to experience thousands of rounds of 12 gauge recoil.
While not fragile to wear, they can be very fragile to work on, and require a few specialized tools that not every watchmaker has at their disposal.
I do work on and can repair, but do not specialize in Accutrons like Bob Piker or Old Father Time. Those two places are the Bulova Recommended people to send your Accutron to, but it is reflected in the premium they charge. If price is no object, I would recommend Mr. Piker out of the two. In my experience he is a great person to work with and is incredibly responsive.
If you would like more information and what to expect with the repair of an Accutron feel free to send me any questions through PM or at [email protected]
Best Regards,
Aaron