#accutron

© tag christof

Spring has finally sprung! Making a pop of color with my Accutron. 🦚🪴🌷🌻

And because it's 55 years since Apollo 13 review board conclusions! August 1970, as NASA had just published the "Apollo 12 Preliminary Science Report", the agency confirmed there was much to be changed to future Apollo missions due to Apollo 13 "Lessons Learned". The Apollo 13 astronauts were still hot news and their October European Goodwill tour saw them visiting Iceland, Ireland, Germany, Greece, Malta and Switzerland. By December 1970, the story of the "crippled Apollo 13 mission" was voted story-of-the-year by AP member editors. Celebrating 55 years Apollo 13 with the lightweight H-shaped foldable metal "Timely" wrist calendars which were used by NASA astronauts during NASA training and onboard Apollo 7. In October 1968 the Apollo 7 astronauts were the first to wear a Timely Calendar on the Velcro of their Speedmaster in space! Usually the Aluminium sheet "Timely" wrist calendar was worn over the steel mesh Jacoby bender Champion bracelet, but astronauts also wore it over their leather watch band (Duke, Slayton) and even on a bund strap (Young). US Navy LtCdr James Lovell was a great "Timely" calendar fan, wearing the foldable sheet wrist calendar on his personal Zodiac Seawolf automatic and Rolex GMT-master 1675 Pepsi automatic pilot watches. Patented in September 1967, 1968 onwards the "Timely" calendars came with reversable sides, as each piece in a set has two sides, a "Silver" colored side and a "Gold" colored side. Perhaps a bit difficult to spot but in this photo January to June show the "Silver" colored side, July to December show the "Gold" colored side. (Photos: NASA/MoonwatchUniverse)

The Nisus (WWII dial with confirmed radium lume) was much worse than it looks now – the B‑72 actually improved contrast and legibility and brought the minute track back a bit. And the Omega Seamaster dial had sticky, breaking‑down lacquer that grabbed dust and grime; now the patina is frozen in place instead of collecting new gunk. It’s not bulletproof, but with normal care these dials should stay exactly where they are instead of slowly disappearing.

1972 Bulova Accutron advertisement

This is an uncommon 1967 38mm. BULOVA ACCUTRON all original “ASTRONAUT” with an original dial, scratchless case and “just cleaned” 214 tuning fork electric Accutron movement, with original  box, hang tag, spare battery envelope and metal Accutron tag that came complete from the original owner. This watch was expensively cleaned in September of 2019 and working perfectly. The bracelet came with the watch and looks great-not BULOVA though. The dial, hands and luminous look spectacular. This watch essentially appears EXTREMELY clean. This is truly one of the best examples of an ACCVUTRON ASTRONAUT you will find anywhere.

1962, Mercury 7 astronaut Virgil “Gus” Grissom got assigned for the first two men Gemini III mission in 1965. Note that astronaut Grissom wore a Bulova Accutron wrist watch at a steel mesh JB Champion bracelet. (Photo: NASA)