In 1960, the launch of the first electronic watch, the Accutron Tuning Fork Watch, fundamentally changed how time was measured, becoming the most accurate watch ever made overnight.
That innovation was accelerated by the 1950s space race and the need for accurate technology, which lead Bulova to work closely with NASA on defense and space contracts. In fact, the Accutron movement was used as a timer aboard communication satellites and even on the Apollo 11 seismometer. The brand itself was launched by Omar Bradley, the last five-star general in the U.S. military and then Chairman of the Board of Bulova Watch Company.
The iconic Spaceview was never meant to be sold. It was originally devised in 1960 as a clear “training watch” to help salespeople and consumers understand the mechanics of the new electronic movement. However, jewelers and the public loved the visible tuning fork, and the original display piece became a cult favorite.
The challenge of remaking the tuning fork technology led to the creation of a commercially viable, modernized movement. The new Spaceview offers the signature humming F-sharp and sweeping secondhand, and feautres a more vibrant, better detailed, finishes than the original timepiece. It features a skeletonized back, a modernized index wheel, and is constructed with high-grade 904L steel, and sapphire crystal on both sides.
Accutron is also looking to the future with their Electrostatic watch, the world’s first electrostatic powered watch, which was also over 10 years in development. This dual-technology approach—Tuning Fork heritage and Electrostatic innovation—shows a massive investment in the brand’s heritage watch technology. Bulova Managing Director Michael Benavente notes Gen Z is particularly excited about watches, seeking out analog devices and sophisticated craftsmanship as a counter to the digital age they’ve grown up in.
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0:00 The Revolution of the Tuning Fork Watch
0:39 Innovation Driven by NASA and the Space Race
1:30 The Spaceview’s Origin: From Training Watch to Cult Favorite
2:39 The Painful Process of Recreating 1960s Tech
3:28 The New Spaceview: Humming F-Sharp & 904L Steel
4:29 The Electrostatic Watch: Accutron’s Next 65 Years
5:30 Why Gen Z is Moving from Digital to Analog Watches
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