A beautifully preserved Swiss-made Bulova Accutron from the 1970s, with a deep matte blue dial, stainless steel case and bracelet, and the famous 360 Hz tuning-fork movement. Instead of the familiar ticking of a mechanical watch, an Accutron produces its characteristic quiet continuous hum, while the seconds hand moves with an exceptionally smooth sweep.
This example is particularly attractive because it comes with its original Bulova presentation box, International Guarantee papers and period instruction leaflet. The guarantee documents were never completed, so unfortunately they cannot provide us with an exact date of sale. The watch itself does not carry a visible year code, so we prefer not to invent an exact production year. However, the stainless steel ref. 7541 case combined with the Accutron 2181 movement is documented in other surviving examples from around 1974, so we date this watch conservatively to circa 1974.
The dial is one of the strongest features of the watch: a clean matte dark-blue surface with white printing, applied steel hour markers and a framed date aperture at 3 o’clock. The restrained blue-and-steel combination gives the watch a very clean 1970s appearance without looking overly decorative.
The tiny “- T S -” marking at 6 o’clock is also interesting. The T identifies the use of tritium luminous material, while this shortened Bulova-era marking is associated with Swiss-made dials. In other words, it is a period Tritium/Suisse marking.
About the Accutron system
Bulova introduced the Accutron line as a revolutionary alternative to traditional mechanical watches: instead of a balance wheel, the movement uses a tiny electrically driven tuning fork regulated by a transistor electronic circuit. This gave Accutron watches their famous high-frequency hum and excellent precision for the pre-quartz era.
Specifications
Brand: Bulova
Model: Accutron 2181G Reference 7541
Year: circa 1974
Country: Switzerland
Movement: Bulova Accutron 2181G electronic tuning-fork movement
Frequency: 360 Hz
Function: Hours, minutes, sweep seconds, date
Case: Solid stainless steel
Crown: Original steel Accutron-signed crown
Crystal: Acrylic
Dial: Matte dark blue, applied steel baton markers, framed date aperture at 3 o’clock
Hands: Steel baton hands with luminous inserts
Lume marking: “- T S -”, period tritium / Swiss dial marking
Bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet
Accessories: Original Bulova box, International Guarantee papers and period instruction leaflet
Servicing and Warranty
Fully serviced with disassembly in our Bristol shop
Vintage tuning-fork watches require specialist knowledge, and not every workshop is comfortable servicing them. We can repair and service Bulova Accutron / tuning-fork watches in our atelier.
Important Notes
Quick date setting: leave the crown fully pushed in and turn it clockwise to advance the date. Pull the crown out to set the hands. This “instant-correct” date system was a specific feature of the Accutron 218 date movements.
When setting the time, remember that the date changes around midnight; this allows AM and PM to be established correctly.
The watch is approximately 50 years old and no water resistance warranty is provided.
