Another Buzzing Accutron - Thanks Geo!

[Lee]

After Geo started the time to hum topichttp://www.watchrepairtalk.com/topic/426-time-to-hum-again/?hl=accutron#entry2872 I had to have one!

 

I brought this little number yesterday & it arrived this morning.

these are a really pleasing watch, prices are VERY reasonable & there's loads of history available about them online & the buzz from the tuning folk is lovely to listen to. I'm amazed these aren't dearer to buy.

 

Anyway mines a 1969 (year I was born) Accutron  spaceview,  with the Swiss 770 case, wide gray chapter rings & orange second hand. the wider chapter ring & orange second hand tie in with it being a later 1969 as they changed these details due to falling sales against the increasingly popular 218 models. also my case back is missing the mention of water resistance which was taken off later in the 1969 year so its quite easy to date.

 

Lee

 

[autowind]

Thats very nice Lee and I feel very tempted.  There is a chapter on the accutron watch in "Practical watch repairing" in case you were not aware,  which is very interesting.  The book is available as a PDF file should you not have it. 

[Lee]

ive put batteries in them over the years but never seen a spaceview until Geos topic. I just liked the look of it & when I realised how reasonable the prices are I kept my eye open. I also have a thing about being left handed & crowns, it bugs me that watches are rarely available as a leftie. so this fits the bill as the adjustments made from the case back, that I like! its a watch that ticks a lot of boxes for me!

[Vich]

Lovely watches, I just like the humming noise.  I put the manuals for the 214 and 218 and some others in the info forum if you are interested.

 

Cheers,

 

Vic

[bobm12]

Excellent looks, Lee!

[Geo]

Hi Lee, that's a really nice looking example that you have managed to acquire. I'm glad that posting a picture has ended up with you getting one. Enjoy!

That's me just back from holiday and I had my Omega hummer with me for a change. A word of warning though, if you leave it on a bedside cabinet that is empty, the cabinet acts as a sound board and you will end up with an amplified 300 htz keeping you off your sleep. It took a while before I worked out where the noise was coming from!

[Lee]

in the first couple of days this watch was gaining a minute a day, so I brought an Accucell-1 from the small battery company. These are nicely made, they have a resistor packed in somehow to reduce the voltage. It broke my heart having to pay £7.80 for a single battery! but its now keeping time to the second!

 

[Geo]

I should have mentioned earlier that I have to use an accucell to get mine to keep time. The other pain is it only lasts about six months!

[Lee]

Have you tried taking an old accucell apart for a battery change? or brought a new one each time?

[CKelly]

Hi,

  I just read this question about taking the accucell apart. I have done that and it will work for several battery changes. You have to be careful in that there are two copper plates inside the plastic ring and they are attached to the battery with what appears to be hot melt glue. You do not want to damage the small diode that is between the plates. You will need to remove these plates from the battery then reinstall them inside the spacer ring along with new battery. The new battery should hold the plates in place inside spacer without using any glue. I have managed to reuse them 3-4 times before they failed. The good thing about trying this is the battery will be dead when you start to work on it so you have nothing to lose. One other thing you will need to watch out for is that the battery is not too thick when you finish. Make sure you use proper battery and everything seats properly, otherwise it could be thick and damage the plastic plates of the movement.

Charles K

[WillFly]

Nice looking addition, Lee!

[Geo]

Have you tried taking an old accucell apart for a battery change? or brought a new one each time?

I must have missed this.

I have not tried to re-use the accucell case, but having just read Charles' post, I'll probably give it a go.

Thanks for the detailed explanation Charles!

[Vich]

Just a few observations and please pardon me if its stuff you already know.

 

I have a few Accucell-1 batteries and when I started messing around with Accutrons the main thing I had my attention drawn to was the battery choices and Voltage which is 1.35 as opposed to the Renata 387 which is 1.55.  There is a handy table on another site:

 

Model Mercury type Silver Oxide type 214 387 387S, 394**, SR936SW** Accucell 1 218 343 344, 350. SR1136SW Accucell 1 219 343 344, 350, SR1136SW Accucell 1 2210 388 329, SR731SW*** Accucell 2 230 343 344, 350. SR1136SW Accucell 1 224 343 344, SR1136SW Accucell 1 ESA 9162/4 343 344, 350, SR1136SW ESA 9210 343 344, 350, SR1136SW Omega 1220 343 344, SR1136SW Omega 1300 313 357, SR44 Omega 1301, 1302 343 344, 350, SR1136SW

***Not a perfect fit, but there is no direct equivalent to the 388.
** These are not supplied with the little plastic spacer. Re-use the spacer from your old 387 mercury cell.

 

You note that for the 218 they advocate use of Accucell and also the 344/SR1136S but the main difference between the batteries is the Voltage ie 1.35 as opposed to 1.55. The use of either battery on a 218 is possible (if not recommended) but if the watch is normally phased for 1.35 and if you then use a 1.55 then it can lead to double indexing on the index wheel.  Some repairers re-phase the 218 to use standard Renata 1.55 cells.  I suppose what I am saying is replace like for like as if it has been re phased and you put an accucell in then it could lead to a problem.  I have a few movements that are humming nicely but even though they are only movements without cases I always check them out with an accucell.

The 214 has a similar sort of choice, if you buy a Renata, the 387 is shown on the package and it has the black plastic spacer disk on it but the positive side of the battery shows the number 394 and it is 1.55v. 

 

I have just returned my Accutron (bought in May) to the dealer I bought it off because gold on the case and crown was literally rubbing off.  It looked great when I got it but it had obviously been brush plated to give it a thin gold coat.  Give the guy his due and the benefit of the doubt he appeared quite surprised when he wrote back to me after inspecting it and agreed that it was not acceptable.  He offered to source a replacement case which he sent pictures of and I have accepted.  It makes a nice change to get customer service - I had expected a bit of a struggle.

 

Anyway its nice to see the hummers getting a bit of attention.  Lee put me on to the Stereo Microscope which has made a great difference for examination of the index wheels.  They are not easy watches but definitely have less bits inside that the Mechanical ones :D

 

Cheers,

 

Vic

[Vich]

sorry the formatting on the table got lost when I posted, tried to edit/delete and could not, so I will type the table out long hand and re post it.

 

Apologies,

 

Vic

[SeikoWatch]

ive put batteries in them over the years but never seen a spaceview until Geos topic. I just liked the look of it & when I realised how reasonable the prices are I kept my eye open. I also have a thing about being left handed & crowns, it bugs me that watches are rarely available as a leftie. so this fits the bill as the adjustments made from the case back, that I like! its a watch that ticks a lot of boxes for me!

 

 

These books(pdf) are very informatives. I have them and I have one but my watch need some repairs...there's no 'hums ' enve if i put a battery in it..anyway, I keep it :D

[SeikoWatch]

oups.. sorry, wrong QUOTE :)...

[Vich]

Battery Selection Table
 
Model             Mercury     type         Silver Oxide type
214                               387             387S, 394**, SR936SW** Accucell 1
218                               343             344, 350. SR1136SW Accucell 1
219                               343             344, 350, SR1136SW Accucell 1
2210                             388             329, SR731SW*** Accucell 2
230                               343             344, 350. SR1136SW Accucell 1
224                               343             344, SR1136SW Accucell 1
ESA 9162/4                  343             344, 350, SR1136SW
ESA 9210                     343             344, 350, SR1136SW
Omega 1220                343             344, SR1136SW
Omega 1300                313             357, SR44
Omega 1301, 1302      343             344, 350, SR1136SW

 

Hope this is better.

 

Cheers,

 

Vic
 

Edited November 4, 2014 by Vich

[noirrac1j]

Lee that is a super-looking watch and the strap is sharp too! Besides Omega, Bulova is one maker that I keep close to me because I love their history and designs. My Omega Constellation f300Hz chronometer (198.0022) uses energizer 344/350 with no problem

 

But this is a different movement than the 2xx series by Bulova and was modified under license by Omega. A few other watch companies used this hummer topower in their watches too such as Zenith, IWC, Movado, Longines, and I think Certina. They all used a variant of the ESA movement 9162 which is basiclaly what is inside my watch--a Omega 1250 caliber. I have a watch that  takes the best of both companies. By the way, I had my watch serviced here in New York by Ernie Goldman of StarFindings (its on the web) down on Canal St. and he only does Accutrons and is a graduate of the Bulova Schook etc., etc. He told me a lot of baloney all the time about batteries and stripped index wheels and such and not to believe it because this movement is actually very robust. I mentioned this because Ernie is a very forthcoming person and he's been in the business a long time![attachment I do agree with Vichy when he says replace like for like and don't just go and buy the accucell replacement. My watch runs as good as any watch in my collection--In fact I use it as a reference to set the others.

JC

 

Here it is again showing off

 

Getting back to your watch Lee...that is beau--ti---ful....wear it well buddy!

Edited November 5, 2014 by noirrac1j