old bulova vintage accutron watches worth anything

This means that only a small amount of clearance exists, and some third-party straps may be too thick to properly fit given the extremely short length of the lugs themselves. Additionally, while the end links are connected by a standard straight 20mm spring bar, they are also slightly recessed into the sides of the case.

With that in mind, due to the way that the centers of the end-links protrude past the lugs, the actual lug-to-lug-dimensions of the modern Accutron Astronaut 1968 “T” Version ends up being closer to 48mm-long once you factor in the way that it connects to its bracelet. While the short, sculpted shape of the lugs is very consistent with what can be found on the vintage models, they are set 20mm apart on the modern version and extend downward to create a fairly compact lug-to-lug profile of approximately 44mm-long. For those models, this was a necessary feature due to the fact that they had both battery doors and hand-adjustment tabs located on their casebacks.ĭue to the heavily domed sapphire crystal, the overall thickness of the modern Accutron Astronaut comes in at 13.85mm. Not only does this two-part caseback structure help ensure that the engravings and display window will always be properly aligned, but it also somewhat mirrors the style of caseback that can be found on the vintage Accutron Astronaut models.

The reverse side of the case is fitted with a two-part caseback that consists of a central section with engravings and a semicircular display window, along with an outer ring that screws down over the perimeter to help create 100 meters of water resistance. Sitting within the bezel is a heavily domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating. Although this results in the appearance that the bezel is constantly misaligned, this unusual design element is true to the split-color bezel that was fitted to the original “T” version of the vintage Accutron Astronaut that was produced in 1968. What this means is that with the “12” indicator properly aligned with the 12 o’clock marker on the dial, the change from one color to the other on the bezel will not occur exactly along the horizontal axis of the watch. One thing that may aesthetically throw off some people is that one of the “6” markings on the bezel is entirely on the silver side, while the other appears entirely on the black half.

The bezel moves with a smooth non-clicking bidirectional motion. Rather than referencing the secondary time zone in a 24-hour format though, it will simply offer it in a more conventional 12-hour variety, with the light or dark color used to indicate day versus night hours. Using the double 12-hour day/night bezel fitted to the modern Accutron Astronaut is largely the same as using a 24-hour bezel. Additionally, since the modern Accutron Astronaut bezel is inspired by the appearance of the one from the 1968 “T” version of the watch, it is fitted with a black and silver split-color aluminum insert, with a double 12-hour day/night scale, instead of having a 24-hour scale like most other versions of the Astronaut. Rather than sloping downward like the stainless steel bezels that were fitted to the majority of the vintage models, the bezel fitted to the modern version has an entirely flat top surface with its side profile sloping inward to meet the smaller middle case. While the middle case itself comes in at 39mm in diameter, the rim of the bezel extends to 41mm. However, it is hardly an entirely faithful recreation of the original Astronaut watch, either in regards to its design or the movement used to power it.Ĭrafted from stainless steel, the case of the modern Accutron Astronaut 1968 “T” Version is very similar in its overall shape and profile to the vintage Astronaut models, although it is slightly larger and beefier in every single way possible. Similar to how the modern Spaceview watches are clearly inspired by the originals from the 1960s but are ultimately very different timepieces (both inside and out), the new Accutron Astronaut 1968 “T” Version Limited Edition is heavily based on its historic predecessor. That said, rather than making exact recreations of notable vintage references, the modern Accutron brand is creating updated versions that pay tribute to various historic models from its archives. Since becoming its own standalone brand in 2020, Accutron has been focused on honoring the famous Bulova models that were originally powered by its famous “Accutron” tuning fork movement.

Old bulova vintage accutron watches worth anything