Bulova Accutron 'Golden Shield'

Overall Condition: Very good condition overall. Unpolished case shows moderate wear. Dial and matching handset show even patination.

In 1960, Bulova had a vision of the future — and in that future, there was humming.

The Accutron was the world's first electronic watch. About a decade before the infamous Quartz Crisis, Bulova put into production a watch that did away with the traditional balance wheel, favoring instead a steel tuning fork powered by electromagnets attached to a battery-powered transistor oscillator circuit as its timekeeper. Designed by Max Hetzel, the Accutron made waves, becoming the first wristwatch precise enough to be qualified for U.S. Railroad certification, and guaranteed to be accurate to roughly one minute per month, or about 2 seconds per day.

While Bulova had grand plans for their watch of the future, they never anticipated the success that the uniquely appointed Spaceview would generate. Designed to be a salesman's tool and display watch only, the Spaceview 214 was never intended for retail purchase. But when demands for the watch spiked, Bulova responded, producing versions with the same unique characteristics of their display models.

With its visible circuitry and tuning fork, the Accutron Spaceview was unlike anything before — and really, anything since. Though it remained in production for roughly 17 years, the tuning fork technology was eventually beaten out by quartz crystal movements, making this unbelievable piece of history a short-lived but totally revolutionary wristwatch.

This specific watch, although not a Spaceview, uses the same tuning fork technology. It features the upgraded cal. 218 movement which has a time-setting crown at the 4 o'clock position instead of on the caseback.

Housed in a gold filled 'shield' case with a domed acrylic crystal and a screw-down case back, it features a stunning 'sunburst' dial with applique numerals and an applied Accutron logo with tritium indices on the perimeter. No matter your mechanical-movement inclinations, there is no denying that tuning fork movement is a one-of-a-kind piece of horological history.

Oh, and the humming? Hold this baby up to your ear and you'll hear that tuning fork, humming away!