Review: Bulova Accutron II Alpha
Heard of Bulova? The name might ring a bell. If you consider yourself a full-on watch buff, the history of Bulova is worth knowing, because it’s one of those brands of firsts; not just for mechanical innovation, but also for creating an operational model that most brands still follow today. Bulova standardised the mass-production assembly line in watchmaking, debuted the world’s first line of men’s jewelled wrist watches, broadcast the world’s first radio advertisement, broadcast the world’s first television advert and, most importantly, developed the Accutron movement.
The Accutron, brainchild of Swiss electronics engineer Max Hertzel, was the world’s first tuning fork movement. It replaced the traditional mechanical balance with an oscillating transistor that powered a pair of electromagnetic drive coils. The coils bore a resemblance to a tuning fork and gave off a high-pitched hum, hence the name. The 360 Hz operation (the source of the distinct hum) not only provided twice the accuracy of a mechanical movement, it also gave the second hand the same sweeping motion.
The Accutron sold for ten years before falling into decline. Seiko’s quartz oscillator moved the game forward as technological change came at a speed the Swiss watch industry was not used to. When Bulova swapped out its characterful Accutron units for quartz ones, it slipped into obscurity.
But now it’s back. The Accutron II Alpha takes inspiration from the open-dialled Accutron Spaceview of 1960, a watch originally created as a visual demonstration of the Accutron movement. Jewellers were supplied with these cutaway Spaceviews so customers could see the revolutionary technology within, but the watches, intended only for educational purposes, came under great demand, and so were made available for sale as they were.
The Accutron II Alpha also borrows the asymmetric case of another early Accutron, coming together with the open dial to offer a supremely sixties experience. Some might say it’s a gimmick (and for those, more traditionally styled Accutron II watches exist), but there will be others who love the appeal.
There is a but, though, and it’s an unfortunate one: the Accutron II isn’t a tuning fork movement. Based on the company’s Precisionist movement, it’s actually a hi-beat quartz movement, which performs with six times the accuracy of a standard quartz movement and retains the sweeping second hand of the original. The open dial doesn’t have as much going on as the tuning fork Spaceview, but it still retains a level of interest and quality that leaves no doubt as to the heritage of the piece.
Nice, you may be thinking, but not nice enough to splash out a few thousand pounds on. Well, you won’t be spending a few thousand pounds on one — no one will. At a shade under £350, Bulova has placed the Accutron II well in the ‘go on then’ arena, offering a fresh slice of watchmaking history that won’t break the bank. A watch that’s actually cheaper than you expected? Now that’s another first.
Watch Spec | Bulova Accutron II Alpha 96A155
Case: Stainless steel Dimensions: 42mm dia, 12.3mm thick Water Resistance: 30m Movement: Torsional resonator, quartz Strap: Leather Functions: Time
