# Two Americans.



## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Ok, itâ€™s that time again, prepare to be bored.









My two new watches arrived from Roy today, the Accutron and the Wittnauer.

The Accutron is a steel cased 218 with date and a champagne dial. I had it on a USA oiled leather to begin with but thought I try it on this flexi, I think it works well.

I donâ€™t think itâ€™s a â€œdressâ€ watch, more a 1970â€™s (1971 â€œN1â€ model) man about town watch. John Thaw dashing around in his Granada and doing rhyming slang. Well, maybe not.









The Wittnauer is a 17 jewelled manual wind, again steel cased with a silver dial. This time on a USA oiled leather. I think this is a mid 1960â€™s watch but Roy may know better than I do. I think some of my attraction to Wittnauer dials is the logo, I also like the numerals on this watch.

Well, I didnâ€™t waffle on to much this time, I hope you American watch fans like these.

I sure do, this is my first Accutron and I canâ€™t stop listening to it. I canâ€™t wait to see the wifeâ€™s face when I go to bed with it taped to my left ear!























The Accutron.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

The Wittnauer.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

I use to have a collection of about 50 Accutrons. I use to keep them in a box in the bedroom. The old gal complained like hell about the noise but they were so valuable I would not let them leave my sight.


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

I really must get my act together and look into getting an accutron. I've got a dead movement


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

pg tips said:


> I've got a dead movement


 I've got hundreds.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Roy,

Get selling them! Plenty of us like them. 

I'm all left handed like a new bride at the moment.









The movement of the seconds hand is amazing.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

No time Stan, they will stay here for my retirement fund.

I use to be heavily into Accutrons.

I do not know if I have ever told this story here but here it is.

About five years ago Max Hetzel's (The inventor of the Accutron) daughter was the working at the Swiss embassy in London. she started buying some Accutrons from me and we became quite friendly. She sent me her fathers Accutron from Switzerland for me to repair. Imagine that me repairing the Inventors watch. He also sent me a box full of prototype's ,that he was making for Omega that were never licenced, to see if I could get them going. I manage to make two good ones. One went to his daughter and the other I kept, well until I sold it. 

Just found Barbara Young-Hetzel's web site and you will see that I get a mention :

http://members.aol.com/msaccutron/


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Bloody hell!









That's amazing, you must be very proud?









I can understand the fascination with Accutrons, they are a bit special. I'm not suprised that you weren't too keen on selling AC104, it's a fine looking watch. 

Link added to favorites, thank you.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Prototype


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

I often wear an Accutron on my wrist when I sleep. My arm is under the pillow and the hum helps put me to sleep.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Cool! Can anyone translate?


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Sargon,

Gonna try that in about three hours.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Swissonic with its tuning fork.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Roy,

I thought tuning forks were smaller.

Am I right in thinking Accutrons are accurate to +/- 2 seconds a day?


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Some are, these wer'nt.

If they are set up right then they should be within those figures.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Thank you.


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Roy - Did you have in your possession a working Swissonic? Aren't there only like 2 or 3 of them in the world? Do they hum at a different pitch?


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

I've always wanted one of these, but I suspect if it broke I'd never be able to get it fixed.


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

After seeing Stan's Timex electric I have made a typically bold foray into the

world of vintage electrical watches ( o.k. so I spent a quid on a Timex ).

Whats it like to be a leader of fashion Stan?? 

Don't know if it works until I find a battery







.


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

I noted down the battery type for the Timex and I've lost it














.

Can anyone put me right please?


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Sargon said:


> Roy - Did you have in your possession a working Swissonic? Aren't there only like 2 or 3 of them in the world?


 Yes Sargon I had two of the three working ones.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

raketakat said:


> I noted down the battery type for the Timex and I've lost it
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Ian its a 357,


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Ian,

Once you buy one vintage watch you can't stop.









It's good that you're trying to keep a Timex electric alive, so many will get junked because they have Timex on the dial.









When there are few left and they become collectable we will have the satisfaction of being on the ground floor.
















I saw one being offer for sale at Â£80.









The 357 is also know as an SG13, a common camera battery. If you have any trouble getting one try a camera shop. Jewellers may charge up to Â£6 for one.


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## Fred (Feb 23, 2003)

Stan welcome to the Accutron club, the Wittnauer looks cool also. fred.


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## tgarn (Nov 9, 2003)

@Andy

May I offer a very rough translation of the text from the leaflet as seen on page one. Sorry for my English - I am not a native speaker...

Quote:

The SWISSONIC prototype is a design of Max Hetzel. He tried to design a Swiss tuning fork watch without using the patents from the Accutron watch. The prototype was finished in 1965, then Hetzel began with preperations for production. However, the watch was never produced because there were indeed some difficulties regarding the patents from the Bulova Accutron.

End quote

Best Regards,

Thomas (Germany)


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Thank you Fred.









I wore the Accutron at work today and I'm wearing the Wittnauer this evening. I might wear the Wittnauer tomorrow at work though I don't like wearing vintage stuff at work in case it gets knocked.

The Accutrons are a bit special, this may be my first but I hope to have more.

I have to, they are American and I collect American watches.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Thomas,

Thank you for translating.


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## tgarn (Nov 9, 2003)

Ooops - I am sorry Stan. Will not happen again...


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

No problem.


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Omega made an electric watch? Or have I missed something?

One of you is going to have to tell me about electrics - I haven't a clue. They've never appealled to me. Is it maybe because I prefer mechanical? I think i'm just thinking of them as quartz, which i'm not keen on.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Hello Paul,

The earliest electrics had a battery powered balance wheel but the watch was mechanical. It just meant that there was no winding involved.

Tuning fork watches like Accutrons were a completely different idea, they owed much more to electronics than electric balance wheel watches.

I'm no tech whizz but I think the oscilations of the tuning fork controls the accuracy in an Accutron much the same as the sliver of quartz does in a modern quartz watch.

It's a shame quartz watches don't hum.









But I know bugger all, at least until I've done some learning.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Mrcrowley said:


> Omega made an electric watch? Or have I missed something?
> 
> One of you is going to have to tell me about electrics - I haven't a clue. They've never appealled to me. Is it maybe because I prefer mechanical? I think i'm just thinking of them as quartz, which i'm not keen on.


 Omega have made lots of electronic watches.


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Well you learn something everyday. Well, I don't to be honest.

I suppose I will always be a die hard mechanical WIS. No offence Stan.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

No problem Paul. 

I love 'em all, even quartz.


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

I wish I did Stan. It would save me a few quid.........


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Paul,

Just go where your heart takes you and never look back.


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

I do believe me. And not just with watches


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Here's mine Paul. They made many styles all with f300 on the dial. Of course they made far fewer than Accutron so they are a bit rarer. Also I believe there is some fault with their index wheel and few to no spares.


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## JayGee (Feb 26, 2003)

Mrcrowley said:


> I suppose I will always be a die hard mechanical WIS...


Actually I still haven't decided whether the Accutron and it's kin are mechanical or electronic.

Sure there's a battery and a (very simple, with just one transistor and a handful of passive components) electronic circuit in there but the frequency standard is mechanical, the ratchet wheel is a phenominal piece of miniature precision engineering, and there's a conventional train in there. I think one of the reasons I like mine is that it represents either an evolutionary backwater or a mising link (again I can't make my mind up!) between the balance wheel and the quartz crystal.

I told my father-in-law (who's a retired mechanical engineer) how they work "well, you see there's this little finger sticking out from the tuning fork, and it kind of pokes this little wheel round and a ratchet pawl stops it slipping back...") when I got mine and he flat out refused to believe me until I showed him pictures


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

That's not bad at all Sargon.

Like you say though, it's going to be a pain for you electrics fans if they're running out of parts. Or are other makes quite well clued up on sourcing replacement stuff?.


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2004)

Never been that keen on electric watches, I've had a few Omega F300's but the styling was nothing to write home about.

I think I'd be too frightened to buy a Speedsonic like the one Sargon posted, surely a nightmare to repair. Roy will know better.

And who overpolished that case and bracelet?









I do like the look of your Wittnauer Stan, what's the movement?


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Several times I've almost bought a Speedsonic and every time I get to thinking it's not a wise decision. It doesn't look as good polished like that I agree. For some reason I've seen this very picture maybe half a dozen times on ebay. All in finished auctions. I wonder what's up with that?


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Hi Neil,

I don't know what the movement is, sorry.

This is a one piece case, I assume by the words "Use All Proof 1200 Wrench" on the back of the case. I don't have the ability to take the movement out via the crystal but I would like to know what the movement is, perhaps Roy can remember or hazard a guess.

I think Wittnauer used some Vertex/ Revue cal. 73s at one time, maybe it has a movement based on this?


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Sorry Stan I can't remember.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I'm not surprised Roy, so many to service. 

It seems Wittnauer liked one piece cases, did they work well, and are the a pain?


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## abraxas (Oct 21, 2003)

I was actually eyeing that Accutron on RLT but the picture on the site wasnâ€™t as clear as yours. I thought the case looked worn when in fact it looks lovely and sharp in your picture. Instead I bought this:










for which I wrote an amusing review here:

http://www.tz-uk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3193

More Swissonic:

http://www.elektron.demon.co.uk/swissonic.html

Enjoy your watch, itâ€™s got an adorable curved dial.

john


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

You lot got me looking all over now!

Stan sent you email 

Just seen this on another site, they liked their wierd case design didn't they?


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## abraxas (Oct 21, 2003)

pg tips said:


> You lot got me looking all over now!
> 
> Stan sent you email
> 
> Just seen this on another site, they liked their wierd case design didn't they?


Yea they did. American eccentrics are a study unto themselves. The RICHARD ARBIB designs is a good place to start.

http://www.hessfineart.com/arbibview.htm

The Electrics are not as reliable as the Accutrons for day to day wear.

JD


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

PG,

I got the mail, thank you. I will take a look at that link. 

JD,

That Accutron diver is a real prize, 20 atm wr on an Accutron! Bulova knew how to make a watch. 

I love Richard Arbib's designs, so 1950's but also timeless and simply "classy".

I'm not suprised that Hamilton make a quartz Ventura today. Shame it has no UK dealers.









Are vintage American watches a fashion statement? The dial and case designs of vintage American watches seem to have a certain flair not seen in most other watches. I choose watches that I like the look of, most are vintage watches from American makers.









I know, it's a taste thing.


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## abraxas (Oct 21, 2003)

Stan said:


> I'm not suprised that Hamilton make a quartz Ventura today. Shame it has no UK dealers.


I saw a few at silly prices (Â£200-Â£300) for a simple 3 hand quartz. I can keep an eye out, but I think they are overhyped because of the "Men in Black" association.

JD


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## peterjacko (Jan 10, 2004)

Stan,

Very nice Accutron, very smart and typical styling.

We think alike as preservers of a part of history. Bulova marketted their Accutrons as the most accurate watch of the time. If I could possibly have afforded it at the time, I would probably have bought two or three, but not for the reasons I would buy one now. They were one of the few watches with no visible crown, hence my consolation purchase of a Timex electric.

About the wonderful (to some of us) sound that Accutrons make, my wife woke up one morning and told me she had not slept much due to that "buzzing" sound. I found that putting the beautiful little offenders on a folded hanky cured the problem. It seems that the surface they are on acts as a sounding board!!

As an electrical engineer interested in electronics and watches, the Accutron is bound to fascinate me. I know only little about the mechanics, which in itself is an enormous credit to its inventer, but the electronics also are excellent for their simplicity. The oscillator design had to ensure minimum drain from the power cell.

One small criticism of the original design would be the lack of a hack stop. My 214 is very difficult to set to the correct time.

Peter


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Thanks Peter,

Preserving a vintage watch gives me a lot of satisfaction. My vintage watches are stored in ziplok bags with a pack of silica gel, thence into a tuppa ware box that is kept away from strong light.

Thatâ€™s when Iâ€™m not wearing them, which I love to do.

The 214 was the great Accutron movement it seems, beloved most by collectors.

There were moisture vulnerabilities as with any watch of that era but no more than most non- divers watches.

My Accutron is a 218 that has a hack feature and after having many quartz watches this is a feature I have become used to. Most mechanical watches omit this feature and I have had trouble getting used to it.

Many mechanical watches canâ€™t match the Accutron for accuracy, this is not a problem for me. If a mechanical watch is accurate to + 15 seconds a day I can live with that, I hate watches that loose time (donâ€™t know why).

Unlike many people I donâ€™t have a problem with quartz watches, they are the children of the Accutron and the early electrics, IMVHO.

I find it interesting that Max Hetzel had to go to an American company to get his invention produced. Itâ€™s also interesting that the Swiss claim to have had a working quartz watch (they may have) before Seiko demonstrated one.

Now, I wouldnâ€™t mind having a Seiko Astron, even though itâ€™s not American!


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## Sargon (Feb 24, 2003)

Peter - most (all?) swiss made Accutron 214's have the hack mechanism, as do all Accutron Astronauts.


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## peterjacko (Jan 10, 2004)

Sargon - My 214 does not have the hack feature, my 218 does. I think it was introduced on later 214s. Roy will know. The setting procedure for the 214 non hack involves unscrewing the battery cover until the watch stops and leaving it stopped for the number of seconds it was fast - a very hit and miss affair. And yes, Stan, an even more complicated procedure if it ran slow. It is perhaps as well that the watch is so accurate and doesn't need resetting very often!!

Apart from their extreme accuracy, my greatest attraction to radio controlled watches is that they don't need to be set, ever. Not withstanding the probs I have had with my Citizen Spacemaster, dicussed at length in another topic. I've spent more time messing with it than ever I would have resetting the time on a quartz or Accutron







.

Interestingly later Accutrons did have a quartz based oscillator instead of the transistor one. The tuning fork was still there, but did not provide the accuracy as far as I know. These were know as Accuquartz.

Peter


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## peterjacko (Jan 10, 2004)

Sargon - After reading your post again, I realise you specify SWISS 214s. I do not know whether my 214 is Swiss or USA - Peter


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I could be mistaken but since Roy adjusted my Accutron it seems to be running at - 1 second a day.









I didn't think Accutrons could be that accurate?


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## mat (Feb 25, 2003)

Mine was running at +1s a day when I wore it everyday.

I've just checked it and its a little under 2s fast. I haven't set it since mid December after it got its new crystal!


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