Accutron 214B

I had a 50th Anniversary Bulova Accutron Spaceview come my way for assessment, today. Limited edition # 9xx/1,000. Price on the tag was $4,000.00, but in whose currency, I don’t know. The movement showed some differences to the 214, but one of the most notable differences was that the movement is marked Made in Japan! I know Bulova is now owned by Citizen, so I shouldn’t have been surprised that this one was made in Japan. This one came to me without a cell. The cell cavity is marked on the floor, indicating a negative ground which differs to the Swiss Accutron. I tried a new cell with both polarities, and the circuit seems to indicate it is kaput. I have read elsewhere that the watch must go to Japan for service, as service centres turn them down. From what I have read, many of the parts in the 214B are not NOS, but of new manufacture. I have also read that Japan will not service these! A disappointment for the owner, I’m certain.

The MSRP was US$4,000. There was no opportunity to make this watch in Switzerland so Japan was the obvious choice, and no NOS parts were used, in fact the original plans no longer existed, so the watch was reverse engineered in Japan. I'd be surprised if Bulova completely abandoned the 1,000 owners with refusal to service the watch, but you never know.

They have a new Accutron Spaceview 2020 with a proprietary electrostatic movement which seems far more complicated than the traditional Accutron movement, but if they won't service a 2010 Accutron re-issue I'd be hard pressed to buy one of these exotic new Accutrons.