My first Accutron.

[fluffnik]

I just bought it.

[andy_s]

Ooooh, what year is it from?

[fluffnik]

andy_s said:

Ooooh, what year is it from?

1970, with a 2182 movement.

...so there's no funky backplate mounted crown, but it will hum and the seconds will sweep.

[LHD]

Nice one Fluff.

Matches the 5 you had on last week.

Makes my TW4 look bloody huge.

[Kucho]

Nice! Just stumbled across these myself. Anyone know much about the fella from Oklahoma selling them on eBay?

[cyberface]

Tuning fork jobbie, right? Cool

Do these use batteries and integrated circuits much like a low-frequency quartz, or are they much more mechanical than that? Does the vibrating fork drive an escapement at all? You say it 'sweeps' so it can't be electronically regulating 'ticks' like a quartz?

I don't know anything about these types of movement, they sound fascinating but there must be a catch otherwise they'd be as sought after as fine all-mechanical movements, surely?

[fluffnik]

Kucho said:

Nice! Just stumbled across these myself.

Thanks. Just treated it to a new strap...

Kucho said:

Anyone know much about the fella from Oklahoma selling them on eBay?

Nope, his prices seem fairly realistic though.

[andy_s]

cyberface said:

fascinating but there must be a catch otherwise they'd be as sought after as fine all-mechanical movements, surely?

Hard to get repaired/serviced I've heard, only a few specialists plus some use batteries that are n/a meaning a conversion has to be done. I think they are pretty collectable, billed as the most accurate watch pre-digital, scarce, unique(ish) movement - and if you have a look at the Spaceview and Astronaut models, pretty cool lookers too. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf_fn3IgawY courtesy of someone on this forum in a previous post)

Edited by andy_s on Wednesday 2nd September 11:01

[fluffnik]

cyberface said:

Tuning fork jobbie, right? Cool

cyberface said:

Do these use batteries and integrated circuits much like a low-frequency quartz, or are they much more mechanical than that? Does the vibrating fork drive an escapement at all? You say it 'sweeps' so it can't be electronically regulating 'ticks' like a quartz?

The electronics are all discrete components and it's all mechanical after the tuning fork.

It does "tick" but at 360 Hz, so the second hand is fairly sweepy.

cyberface said:

I don't know anything about these types of movement, they sound fascinating but there must be a catch otherwise they'd be as sought after as fine all-mechanical movements, surely?

I remember them being advertised in colour supplements and went looking after seeing the video posted here...

There does seem to be a fairly active market in both watches and spares.

There's no hope for me now, I need a 214 Astronaut.