Bulova Accutron space view

[Accutron]

Accutrons have many quirks, too numerous to list here. They must be cleaned every 5-10 years, or they will eventually self destruct. Major servicing is relatively delicate compared to a conventional mechanical watch, and requires a microscope and preferably a suitable model of Vibrograf timer. Critical replacement components like the coils and parts of the index mechanism are expensive and hard to find. If you're experienced with servicing mechanical watches and feel like a taking on a new challenge, an Accutron might make a good restoration project. Otherwise, you're better off getting a recently serviced model from a reputable seller, and making friends with an experienced technician.

The biggest problem with shopping for Spaceviews is confirming that they're a genuine Spaceview instead of a conversion. The watch in that auction is a correct Spaceview T, but the case has definitely been re-surfaced. The bottom corners of the lugs have all been ground round, probably to get rid of some pretty bad gouges. I don't know what a good deal on a Spaceview T is in Germany, but that's a terrible price in the USA. I'd say it's worth maybe $400 on the top end, and I'm pretty sure they weren't using that box yet in 1971.

I generally don't recommend buying Spaceviews, as virtually all of them are conversions. Even the 'authentic' pieces often have aftermarket crystals and hands. If you're determined to get a Spaceview, you should take a look at my Spaceview Conversion page, which lists all of the known Spaceview case numbers. This is only the first step in the authentication process, but it's an easy way to identify many of the conversions. Even if you don't care about authenticity, you should still try to authenticate anything you're trying to buy, so you don't pay genuine Spaceview prices for a conversion.

A properly regulated Accutron should be accurate to within 2 seconds per day.