by: Joseph Scurro
website: www.discount-watches-guide.com
Bulova Corporation is celebrating over 40 years of leadership
in electronic timekeeping with the introduction of Bulova
Accutron Spaceview watches a unique reinterpretation
of one of the landmarks of 20th century watchmaking, the Accutron
Spaceview 21,.
Introduced to the public on October 25, 1960 as the world’s
first fully electronic watch, the original Accutron represented
the most fundamental change in timekeeping technology since
the development of the mechanical clock. Replacing gears and
balance wheels with the vibrations of an electronically activated
tuning fork, this remarkable timepiece hummed softly (in the
key of F sharp) as it split each second into 360 oscillations.
With only 12 moving parts, Bulova Accutron Spaceview watch
provided unprecedented reliability and durability –
a promise backed with the industry’s first guarantee
of accuracy. Each Accutron wristwatch was guaranteed to keep
time precisely to within one minute per month, translating
to 99.997% accuracy on the wrist. Chosen as one of the most
innovative inventions of the mid-20th century, an Bulova Accutron
was included in a time capsule buried at New York’s
1964-65 World’s Fair and intended to last for 5,000
years. By 1973, enthusiastic consumers had purchased over
four million of these truly state-of-the-art timepieces.
Even before its commercial introduction, the extraordinary
Accutron technology had become a vital component of the U.S.
space program. Although the earliest prototype, created by
Bulova engineer Max Hetzel, appeared in 1955, within four
years Accutron timers were an important feature of the Explorer
satellite program, essential for the control of data transmissions.
Throughout the ’60s, as both NASA and Bulova continued
to focus on ever higher goals, Accutron timers soared through
space. On July 20, 1969, their shared efforts culminated in
the first moon walk, during which an Accutron timer was placed
in the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility.
A tribute to these pioneering steps in space exploration,
the remarkable Accutron Spaceview wristwatch, with its distinctive
transparent dial, gave the ordinary consumers of the 1960s
an extraordinary glimpse of space age technology in action.
Originally constructed as a model to aid retailers in understanding
the tuning fork mechanism, this astonishing Bulova Spaceview
watch soon became the centerpiece of the Accutron line.
Today, this sense of wonder is recaptured in the Accutron
Spaceview 21 watches– a stunning first-hand view of
the finest timekeeping technology of the new century. Every
Spaceview 21 watch s powered by an oscillating microgenerator
that converts the movement of the wearer’s arm into
a continual power source for a rechargeable battery. An external
power booster provides instant energy for immediate use. Once
the Accutron Spaceview watch is fully charged, it will run
for up to six months without further motion or power boosting.
Including the transparent dial and unusual recessed caseback
setting crown of the original Spaceview, each Spaceview 21
features a stainless steel case and bracelet, domed sapphire
crystal, on-bezel date indicator, secure deployment buckle,
and water resistance to a depth of 30 meters. Customers can
select between silver finish (style 26B06, suggested retail
$950) and two-tone versions (style 28B64, suggested retail
$995). A must for connoisseurs, the Bulova Spaceview 21 will
have a numbered limited production run of only 2,000, with
1,000 of each version available.
Designed in America and handcrafted in Switzerland, Accutron
watches continues its proud tradition with sport, dress/sport
and special function watches combining superb styling with
today’s finest quartz technology.
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