Accutron is one of the great stories of 20th-century watchmaking: the first watch to keep time with a vibrating tuning fork, more accurate than any mechanical watch of its day. Today it is a brand of its own, with an unusual electrostatic movement. We have 65 Accutron watches in stock, from $1,190 to $29,920.
A short history
Bulova introduced the Accutron in 1960. Instead of a balance wheel, it used a tiny tuning fork vibrating 360 times per second, driven by a battery and electronics. It was accurate to about a minute a month, a large improvement on mechanical watches of the time, and it made a gentle humming sound rather than a tick. The Spaceview version, with the movement visible through a dial-less front, became the icon. Accutron movements were also used in instruments of the American space programme.
Quartz watches made the tuning fork obsolete in the 1970s. Bulova, owned by the Japanese Citizen group since 2008, relaunched Accutron as a separate brand in 2020, with a new electrostatic movement and reissues of its historic designs.
The main lines
Spaceview 2020 and Spaceview Evolution. Watches with an electrostatic movement: the motion of the watch generates electrostatic energy that powers it, and the seconds hand glides smoothly. The movement is visible through the dial.
Spaceview tuning-fork revivals. Limited editions such as the Spaceview 314 that bring back a tuning-fork movement and its hum.
Legacy. Reissues of mid-century Accutron and Bulova designs, such as asymmetric and space-age cases, mostly with automatic movements.
DNA. Modern sporty designs with the electrostatic movement.
What Accutron costs
Our Accutron watches run from $1,190 to $29,920, with a median of $3,390. New pieces start at $1,275 and pre-owned at $1,190. Legacy automatics are the entry points; electrostatic Spaceviews and tuning-fork revivals cost more.
References we stock most
- 26A212 — 3 in stock, from $4,310
- 26A211 — 2 in stock, from $4,310
- 27A206 — 2 in stock, from $27,720
- 2SW6B003 — 2 in stock, from $1,190
What to check before you buy
- Which movement. Accutron uses electrostatic, tuning-fork and automatic movements; the listing states which, and they behave differently.
- Service. Electrostatic and tuning-fork movements need specialist service; ask about the history.
- Strap or bracelet. Check the condition and the original buckle.
- Our pre-owned checklist covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What was the original Accutron?
A watch introduced by Bulova in 1960 that used a tuning fork vibrating 360 times per second to keep time, with a characteristic hum.
What is an electrostatic watch?
Accutron's current Spaceview movement turns the motion of the watch into electrostatic energy to power it, with a smoothly sweeping seconds hand.
Is Accutron the same as Bulova?
Accutron began as a Bulova model in 1960 and became a separate brand in 2020; both belong to the Citizen group.
How much is an Accutron?
Our Accutron watches start at $1,190. For other watch technologies, see automatic vs quartz.
