Bulova 1965 Accutron

Submitted by ChardonnayLuvr on May 3, 2015 - 9:07pm
218
Manufacture Year
1965
Movement Model
214
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
1-319015
Case shape
Round
Case color
White
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

I am simply cleaning out my parents' estate.  My Dad owned several Accutron watches in his lifetime.  I am guessing about the date (It does say M5 on the back of the watch) and I have no idea about the Movement Model because i don't want to take the back of the watch off.  Anything you can tell me would be greatly appreciated!  He passed away last week at the age of 85.  As you can see in the pictures, the band was a replacement by Speidel.

ChardonnayLuvr 1965 Bulova 05 03 2015
1965 Bulova watch
JP
Posted May 3, 2015 - 11:23pm

Movement model is a 214 and the watch is a 214 Accutron. As to the date, if the movement concides with the case it would be a 1965. The hands don't look quite wright and I don't ever remember black hands being used, they should be silver if I am not mistaken. It will take some looking through the Accutron data base to see what I might come up with.

Thanks for sharing it with us here at mybulova. What you have should be priceless to you since it is a precious heir loom, they are not often found in this condition and it would definitely be worth having it checked out by a good Accutron service tech or watch maker.

Geoff Baker
Posted May 4, 2015 - 6:59am

Welcome ChardonnayLuvr to myBulova. I like YOUR Bulova a lot. I'm a big fan of heirloom watches so I think  you have a marvelous keepsake from your father. John's right on the movement, the 214 was the first Accutron movement, Bulova started producing it in 1960. I'm not sure if the hands are black or if they just appear that way in the photo. Normally a stainless steel case like this will also have stainless hands. That stainless and black twist-o-flex was very popular in the 60's so I'm not surprised that's the one dad chose when the original one gave out. In fact is wouldn't surprise me if he had it installed new, they were that popular. Here's a link to an advert from 1965 that shows a similar watch (upper right) although the dial and hands are slightly different. It's likely that your watch is all original but I just haven't found an exact match yet. 

http://www.mybulova.com/sites/default/files/vintage_ads/Bulova_AD_1965_…

Bulova didn't 'name' very many Accutrons, so this one will most likely be ID'd as just "Accutron". I've seen some folks refer to this one as a 'bow tie' model but that is not an official Bulova designation. Thanks for sharing it! 

Geoff Baker
Posted May 4, 2015 - 7:22am

Ah, here's the advert, dated 1968 that shows it exactly. The question will be whether it says 215 or 218 for the model. I think it says 218.

Andersok
Posted May 4, 2015 - 7:51am

Found a couple of ads showing this as the variant "218" (not the 218 movement):

Looks like it should be non-luminous and have silver hands. Missing the "BULOVA" above the "ACCUTRON" on the dial, minor I think. Attractive looking watch and a very nice heirloom!

mybulova_admin
Posted May 4, 2015 - 8:59am

Very much agree with the Bulova Accutron "218". We also have an old catalog listing showing the watch. I suspect that the hands were painted black to match the metal bracelet.

ChardonnayLuvr
Posted May 4, 2015 - 2:44pm

Wow!  You guys are good!  Yes, the hands are actually silver.  It was just the lighting in the photo that made them look black.  My dad was a very big believer in Accutron watches but toward the end of his life he allowed my mom to purchase him "cheapies" much to my dismay!  This is the only Accutron I've come across as I go thru their estate.  What would you estimate this is worth?  eBay has this model selling for around $75 - $100.  I want to let my siblings know.  Thanks!

Geoff Baker
Posted May 5, 2015 - 6:32am

In reply to by ChardonnayLuvr

We really can't do an appraisal ChardonnayLuvr, there are just too many factors involved. EBay is a place to see what things sell for but know that sometimes things sell for less than they should /could (which is a very good thing for watch collectors). 

Dad's favorite watch? Priceless!!