Facts About The 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" Watch !
Dec 25, 2017 6:03:19 GMT -8
Post by Accutronitis on Dec 25, 2017 6:03:19 GMT -8
UPDATED - 4-21-2019
The first all stainless steel Accutron Astronaut, The 1962 Bulova Accutron Astronaut "X-15"!
This thread is an in-depth look into the background and history of the very rare 1962 Accutron Astronaut 1st Gen, This Accutron Astronaut 1st Gen is all factory original with the exception of the crystal and the handset which was replaced with the same factory original Bulova handset P/N WS-25 that came on the watch from the factory and is the correct handset for this model and year, The factory original 1st Gen "Simple" dial & handset is referred to by Bulova as a "Regular" (non-luminous) dial & handset in promotional materials in 1962.
The reason this watch is thought of as the "X-15" is that of one of the ways it was advertised and promoted by Bulova in 1962 but more on that later, Let's take a look at the very rare 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" watch...
To start with here are two of the three 1962 Bulova Accutron Astronaut "A" variants made in stainless steel that is known to exist in this side by side shot with a 1962 24-hour friend!
The early 1962 1st Gen "X-15" in the middle, And the later 1962 2nd Gen to the right, With the 1962 24-hour dial watch to the left, Many Thanks To Mr. David Soucie For Making This Incredible Picture Possible!
It should be pointed out that 1962 was the last year Bulova used the "fils" sweep seconds hand, Starting in 1963 Bulova switched to the "cone" sweep seconds hand on most all of their Accutron 214 watch lines, If someone is claiming their watch is a 1962 Accutron Astronaut and it does not have a "fils" sweep seconds hand the watch is not 100% factory correct, The "fils" sweep seconds hand is next to impossible to find today as the 214HN required the use of a "long tube" sweep seconds hand and Bulova only used the "fils" on the Accutron Astronaut for one year before switching to the cone type making the "long tube fils" hand incredibly rare !
And let's not forget a shot of their bracelets!
Now to the first ever stainless steel Accutron Astronaut, The M2 1st Gen or as it's been come to be known as, The X-15!
More than a few people that are unfamiliar with this very rare model have tried to say that this watch "has the wrong hands" but that simply is incorrect as can be shown by the many Bulova adverts dated 1962 which includes this Bulova factory sales card that was only given to authorized Bulova dealers...
And as this 1962 factory handset list clearly shows the white spade handset on the list of the only handsets that were available during that time frame for the Accutron 214 movement and frankly if the handset isn't on this list then simply didn't exist or could not be used due to the unique OD tube size of the Accutron 214 movement, All other Bulova movement calibers handsets are incompatible with the Accutron 214 caliber movement and without exception could not be used on the 214 movement !
The "white spade handset" p/n WS-25 has its roots in the Bulova Timer Labs aerospace clocks and timers which had been using the same part number handset for two years prior to their use for one year on the 1962 Accutron Astronaut, From what I have found it was said that starting with the 1962 first all stainless steel Astronaut (Astronaut not on the dial at that time) Bulova was making a wrist watch along the lines of the no non-sense Bulova Timer Labs aerospace clocks to try to leverage the rapidly growing interest in the "Space Race" that was sweeping the USA at the time and it would seem that it worked as Astronaut watches constantly outsold even the highly coveted "Spaceview" watches !
It's very easy to see where the 1962 Astronaut got its aerospace styling from!
Some WS-25 handsets have rough paint edges like these below on this never released Accutron 214 prototype...
Some factory WS-25 handsets have smooth paint edges like this set below...
And if all of that isn't enough to prove which hands were used on this watch here is more proof! There is a little web cancerous troll trying to say the hands are some nonexistent "skeleton hands" but there is no doubt the hands were just "regular hands" because it is right here in black and white on this 1962 Bulova Dealers card for this very watch!
When Bulova used Luminous Dial And Hands they clearly said so as they did on another 1962 Bulova Dealers Card for a different model in the 1962 line-up!
If dimwits and trolls just did a little research they wouldn't end up with egg on their face all the time...
The white spade handset WS-25 was also used with the 24 hour dials in some very rare wrist watches as well, The 24 hour dials used in those wrist watches differed from its panel clock counterpart in that the 24 hour dials used in wrist watches are "dished" whereas the 24 hour dials used in the panel clock's are "flat" making the wristwatch version of the dial much rarer!
The Astronaut 214HN dial is different than all other Accutron 214 and 214H dials in three ways...
The first way is the slightly enlarged center hole to accommodate the added forth GMT hand...
The second way should be very obvious to just about anyone with any Accutron experience which is the large cutout on the movement side of the standard Accutron 214 dial which is to make clearance for the setting wheel & setting wheel spring which raises up when the settings handle is disengaged from the movement...
The cutout on the standard Accutron 214 and 214H dials is not needed on the Astronaut dials due to the 214HN dial shim #138 that is needed to make room under the Astronaut dial for the fourth 24-hour hand's gear (wheel), That added room gives the setting wheel & spring ample clearance making the cutout unnecessary...
Contrary to posts by any dimwitted troll the dial shim #138 is not only a factory part BUT it is a necessary part for any Accutron Astronaut 214HN watch (if you want your watch to ever run)...
And the third way it differs is not so obvious which is the mounting posts are slightly longer to accommodate the gap the dial shim #138 creates moving the dial away from the movement...
An Internet forum troll has tried to say "all original dials of this type are lumed" but that is nothing but more troll nonsense and is easily shown to be false with these 1962 Bulova Dealers Cards that Bulova only distributed to authorized Bulova dealers...
Here is the card for this 1962 Accutron Astronaut and it clearly states "Regular Dial And Hands"!
And to make sure there is no doubt about this here is another of those 1962 Bulova Dealers Cards for a different model in that 1962 Accutron model line up only this watch does have a "lumed" dial and is clearly stated "Luminous Dial And Hand-Applied Markers"!
This leaves no doubt that "troll" claims are nothing but nonsense!
Now back to the Bulova facts about this rare watch!
The white spade handset WS-25 was all set to be used on this Bulova prototype but it was never put into production for unknown reasons...
Once again this factory WS-25 handset has rough paint edges...
A great undistorted view of this WS-25 handset which clearly shows the fact that this watch's handset has silver centers, There's a Dimwitted troll running around claiming these hands are blue but these close-ups prove that's just nonsense and is just a lame attempt to discredit this very rare watch coming from a person who has never even owned an Accutron watch EVER...
Here's another great shot showing the silver centers!
Here are some of the Bulova ads all dated to 1962, It's a fact that every Bulova factory picture that dates back to 1962 clearly shows the white spade handset and one more distinguishing feature is the factory dial which only says "Accutron" on the dial and lacks the white "dots" between the hour marks and was only added after 1962...
Here is a close-up and detailed view of this 1962 Accutron Astronaut's movement, It's a 214HN with a date code of M2 (1962)...
Some facts about the M2 214HN movement, A factory correct M2 movement will have no letter or number codes on the center fork mount, It will have the earliest three wire coil assembly with the downward facing transistor, on the back of the movement there will be no patent pending number, It will have the large model number 214HN inline and angled, And of course it will have an M2 date code.
If any of these distinguishing features of the 214HN M2 Astronaut movement is not present the movement is not 100% original like the 1962 Accutron Astronaut 214HN movement shown above!
Now back to the "X-15" designation I have personally given to this watch (Bulova never called this watch the "X-15") I call this the X-15 watch because of one of the ways Bulova advertised it back in 1962 and is shown in these 1962 date adverts...
And these rare 1962 Accutron Astronaut watches can be clearly seen on the wrists of the X-15 pilots on the outside of their pressure suits below, Sometime around late 1961/Early 1962 all of the X-15 test pilots were given one of these 1962 Accutron Astronaut watches and it is unclear if these first all stainless steel 1962 Accutron Astronaut watches were ever released for sale to the general public...
On July 17, 1962, Robert White flew the X-15 to an altitude of 314,750 feet -- 59.6 miles above Earth at over 4000 MPH which is above Mach 6 !
"This is a fantastic view," he reportedly radioed while flying weightless.
He said after landing that it was too cloudy to see the ocean, "but I could see the coastline of the Western United States from well above San Francisco Bay down into Mexico."
Calling him "the nation's newest space hero," Life magazine featured a photo of White on its cover greeting son Greg, then 7, after the flight. Said the headline: "Boy, That Was a Ride."
At a 1962 ceremony on the White House South Lawn, President Kennedy presented what had been called the nation's most treasured aviation award, the Robert J. Collier Trophy, to White and three fellow X-15 pilots.
Robert White can be seen above wearing his 1962 Accutron Astronaut watch after his record-setting flight!
In late 1962/early 1963 Bulova added the "ASTRONAUT" on the dial to commemorate (and further capitalize) on the 17 July 1962 event.
Bulova had record-setting watch bands produced by a local watch company for the watch given to the X-15 pilots in order for the pilots to wear the watches on the outside of the X-15 pilots pressure suits, Wearing the Accutron Astronaut on the outside of the X-15 pilots pressure suits meant that the watches were exposed to the extreme environment of the X-15 cockpit ! The record-setting watch band is talked about in this November 14, 1962, newspaper article...
Accutron Issued to all X-15 test pilots!
X-15 pilots were not the only ones to get their hands on the very rare 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" with the P/N WS-25 white spade handset, They could also be seen on the wrists of NASA Astronauts with the P/N WS-25 white spade handset really standing out!
Here is a NASA Astronaut SWIMMING while wearing his 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" and again even in the high glare environment of water the P/N WS-25 white spade handset really stands out! Wow, they really were "water resistant" back then!
Here is a great review of the Bulova Accutron Astronaut watch of the 1960's as well as the true history of the Bulova Accutron Astronaut Watch on youtube , It is accurate and right to the point and is completely free of any "Web Cancer" BS that's on the web, I highly recommend you give it a watch...
The first 1962 Accuton Astronaut 1st Gen watches are unbelievably rare to find and the watch I owned was unquestionably one of them as is the 1962 Accutron Astronaut 2nd Gen watch I now own!
UPDATE - Although I sold my first 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" to a collector for an offer I just couldn't pass up, BUT my incredible good fortune for finding rare Accutron 214 watches continues with this beautiful example of the 1962 Accutron Astronaut practically falling into my lap !!! And this one I'm keeping!
The luminous paint is almost 60 years old so a black light is needed to activate the glow which only lasts for seconds before fading away...
The watch above is a rare variant of the 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" in which Bulova applied luminous paint to the dial & handset and the hands in particular which Bulova has only very rarely applied luminous paint to the tops of hands like can be seen on these two Accutron 214H "Railroad Approved" watches of that era and caliber...
Here is the movement in this incredibly rare watch which is an M2 214HN and is as described above and is 100% factory correct...
Here are two pictures of the 100% factory original dial in this watch and is more than likely one of the three rarest dials Bulova ever made for any Accutron 214 caliber wrist watches!
The factory original ink stamp can clearly be seen on the 1962 "X-15" dial below, There are some people who mistakenly believe the ink stamp is a date code but this has been proven many times to be incorrect, If the date code theory is to be believed the "code" on the back of this dial would date to 1961 which all Accutron 214 collectors will tell you is highly unlikely with the Accutron Astronaut in stainless steel (they all know better than to say never with Bulova)...
And once again as stated above the cutout on the standard Accutron 214 and 214H dials is not needed on the Astronaut dials due to the 214HN dial shim #138 that is needed to make room under the Astronaut dial for the fourth 24-hour hand's gear (wheel), That added room gives the setting wheel & spring ample clearance making the cutout unnecessary, The 214HN dial shim outline can clearly be seen on the back side of the dial after 60 years of being pinched between the pillar plate and the dial...
This video show just how radioactive this dial still is after 60 years and also proves it's the real deal, You can't fake radioactivity ! Science for the win !
This thread is dedicated to the dimwit "Web Cancer" bobbee
Dedicated To The Spread Of Propaganda since 2015!
- Hey Dimwit, FYI, This is what a mountain of REAL PROOF looks like!
The first all stainless steel Accutron Astronaut, The 1962 Bulova Accutron Astronaut "X-15"!
This thread is an in-depth look into the background and history of the very rare 1962 Accutron Astronaut 1st Gen, This Accutron Astronaut 1st Gen is all factory original with the exception of the crystal and the handset which was replaced with the same factory original Bulova handset P/N WS-25 that came on the watch from the factory and is the correct handset for this model and year, The factory original 1st Gen "Simple" dial & handset is referred to by Bulova as a "Regular" (non-luminous) dial & handset in promotional materials in 1962.
The reason this watch is thought of as the "X-15" is that of one of the ways it was advertised and promoted by Bulova in 1962 but more on that later, Let's take a look at the very rare 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" watch...
To start with here are two of the three 1962 Bulova Accutron Astronaut "A" variants made in stainless steel that is known to exist in this side by side shot with a 1962 24-hour friend!
The early 1962 1st Gen "X-15" in the middle, And the later 1962 2nd Gen to the right, With the 1962 24-hour dial watch to the left, Many Thanks To Mr. David Soucie For Making This Incredible Picture Possible!
It should be pointed out that 1962 was the last year Bulova used the "fils" sweep seconds hand, Starting in 1963 Bulova switched to the "cone" sweep seconds hand on most all of their Accutron 214 watch lines, If someone is claiming their watch is a 1962 Accutron Astronaut and it does not have a "fils" sweep seconds hand the watch is not 100% factory correct, The "fils" sweep seconds hand is next to impossible to find today as the 214HN required the use of a "long tube" sweep seconds hand and Bulova only used the "fils" on the Accutron Astronaut for one year before switching to the cone type making the "long tube fils" hand incredibly rare !
And let's not forget a shot of their bracelets!
Now to the first ever stainless steel Accutron Astronaut, The M2 1st Gen or as it's been come to be known as, The X-15!
More than a few people that are unfamiliar with this very rare model have tried to say that this watch "has the wrong hands" but that simply is incorrect as can be shown by the many Bulova adverts dated 1962 which includes this Bulova factory sales card that was only given to authorized Bulova dealers...
And as this 1962 factory handset list clearly shows the white spade handset on the list of the only handsets that were available during that time frame for the Accutron 214 movement and frankly if the handset isn't on this list then simply didn't exist or could not be used due to the unique OD tube size of the Accutron 214 movement, All other Bulova movement calibers handsets are incompatible with the Accutron 214 caliber movement and without exception could not be used on the 214 movement !
The "white spade handset" p/n WS-25 has its roots in the Bulova Timer Labs aerospace clocks and timers which had been using the same part number handset for two years prior to their use for one year on the 1962 Accutron Astronaut, From what I have found it was said that starting with the 1962 first all stainless steel Astronaut (Astronaut not on the dial at that time) Bulova was making a wrist watch along the lines of the no non-sense Bulova Timer Labs aerospace clocks to try to leverage the rapidly growing interest in the "Space Race" that was sweeping the USA at the time and it would seem that it worked as Astronaut watches constantly outsold even the highly coveted "Spaceview" watches !
It's very easy to see where the 1962 Astronaut got its aerospace styling from!
Some WS-25 handsets have rough paint edges like these below on this never released Accutron 214 prototype...
Some factory WS-25 handsets have smooth paint edges like this set below...
And if all of that isn't enough to prove which hands were used on this watch here is more proof! There is a little web cancerous troll trying to say the hands are some nonexistent "skeleton hands" but there is no doubt the hands were just "regular hands" because it is right here in black and white on this 1962 Bulova Dealers card for this very watch!
When Bulova used Luminous Dial And Hands they clearly said so as they did on another 1962 Bulova Dealers Card for a different model in the 1962 line-up!
If dimwits and trolls just did a little research they wouldn't end up with egg on their face all the time...
The white spade handset WS-25 was also used with the 24 hour dials in some very rare wrist watches as well, The 24 hour dials used in those wrist watches differed from its panel clock counterpart in that the 24 hour dials used in wrist watches are "dished" whereas the 24 hour dials used in the panel clock's are "flat" making the wristwatch version of the dial much rarer!
The Astronaut 214HN dial is different than all other Accutron 214 and 214H dials in three ways...
The first way is the slightly enlarged center hole to accommodate the added forth GMT hand...
The second way should be very obvious to just about anyone with any Accutron experience which is the large cutout on the movement side of the standard Accutron 214 dial which is to make clearance for the setting wheel & setting wheel spring which raises up when the settings handle is disengaged from the movement...
The cutout on the standard Accutron 214 and 214H dials is not needed on the Astronaut dials due to the 214HN dial shim #138 that is needed to make room under the Astronaut dial for the fourth 24-hour hand's gear (wheel), That added room gives the setting wheel & spring ample clearance making the cutout unnecessary...
Contrary to posts by any dimwitted troll the dial shim #138 is not only a factory part BUT it is a necessary part for any Accutron Astronaut 214HN watch (if you want your watch to ever run)...
And the third way it differs is not so obvious which is the mounting posts are slightly longer to accommodate the gap the dial shim #138 creates moving the dial away from the movement...
An Internet forum troll has tried to say "all original dials of this type are lumed" but that is nothing but more troll nonsense and is easily shown to be false with these 1962 Bulova Dealers Cards that Bulova only distributed to authorized Bulova dealers...
Here is the card for this 1962 Accutron Astronaut and it clearly states "Regular Dial And Hands"!
And to make sure there is no doubt about this here is another of those 1962 Bulova Dealers Cards for a different model in that 1962 Accutron model line up only this watch does have a "lumed" dial and is clearly stated "Luminous Dial And Hand-Applied Markers"!
This leaves no doubt that "troll" claims are nothing but nonsense!
Now back to the Bulova facts about this rare watch!
The white spade handset WS-25 was all set to be used on this Bulova prototype but it was never put into production for unknown reasons...
Once again this factory WS-25 handset has rough paint edges...
A great undistorted view of this WS-25 handset which clearly shows the fact that this watch's handset has silver centers, There's a Dimwitted troll running around claiming these hands are blue but these close-ups prove that's just nonsense and is just a lame attempt to discredit this very rare watch coming from a person who has never even owned an Accutron watch EVER...
Here's another great shot showing the silver centers!
Here are some of the Bulova ads all dated to 1962, It's a fact that every Bulova factory picture that dates back to 1962 clearly shows the white spade handset and one more distinguishing feature is the factory dial which only says "Accutron" on the dial and lacks the white "dots" between the hour marks and was only added after 1962...
Here is a close-up and detailed view of this 1962 Accutron Astronaut's movement, It's a 214HN with a date code of M2 (1962)...
Some facts about the M2 214HN movement, A factory correct M2 movement will have no letter or number codes on the center fork mount, It will have the earliest three wire coil assembly with the downward facing transistor, on the back of the movement there will be no patent pending number, It will have the large model number 214HN inline and angled, And of course it will have an M2 date code.
If any of these distinguishing features of the 214HN M2 Astronaut movement is not present the movement is not 100% original like the 1962 Accutron Astronaut 214HN movement shown above!
Now back to the "X-15" designation I have personally given to this watch (Bulova never called this watch the "X-15") I call this the X-15 watch because of one of the ways Bulova advertised it back in 1962 and is shown in these 1962 date adverts...
And these rare 1962 Accutron Astronaut watches can be clearly seen on the wrists of the X-15 pilots on the outside of their pressure suits below, Sometime around late 1961/Early 1962 all of the X-15 test pilots were given one of these 1962 Accutron Astronaut watches and it is unclear if these first all stainless steel 1962 Accutron Astronaut watches were ever released for sale to the general public...
On July 17, 1962, Robert White flew the X-15 to an altitude of 314,750 feet -- 59.6 miles above Earth at over 4000 MPH which is above Mach 6 !
"This is a fantastic view," he reportedly radioed while flying weightless.
He said after landing that it was too cloudy to see the ocean, "but I could see the coastline of the Western United States from well above San Francisco Bay down into Mexico."
Calling him "the nation's newest space hero," Life magazine featured a photo of White on its cover greeting son Greg, then 7, after the flight. Said the headline: "Boy, That Was a Ride."
At a 1962 ceremony on the White House South Lawn, President Kennedy presented what had been called the nation's most treasured aviation award, the Robert J. Collier Trophy, to White and three fellow X-15 pilots.
Robert White can be seen above wearing his 1962 Accutron Astronaut watch after his record-setting flight!
In late 1962/early 1963 Bulova added the "ASTRONAUT" on the dial to commemorate (and further capitalize) on the 17 July 1962 event.
Bulova had record-setting watch bands produced by a local watch company for the watch given to the X-15 pilots in order for the pilots to wear the watches on the outside of the X-15 pilots pressure suits, Wearing the Accutron Astronaut on the outside of the X-15 pilots pressure suits meant that the watches were exposed to the extreme environment of the X-15 cockpit ! The record-setting watch band is talked about in this November 14, 1962, newspaper article...
Accutron Issued to all X-15 test pilots!
X-15 pilots were not the only ones to get their hands on the very rare 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" with the P/N WS-25 white spade handset, They could also be seen on the wrists of NASA Astronauts with the P/N WS-25 white spade handset really standing out!
Here is a NASA Astronaut SWIMMING while wearing his 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" and again even in the high glare environment of water the P/N WS-25 white spade handset really stands out! Wow, they really were "water resistant" back then!
Here is a great review of the Bulova Accutron Astronaut watch of the 1960's as well as the true history of the Bulova Accutron Astronaut Watch on youtube , It is accurate and right to the point and is completely free of any "Web Cancer" BS that's on the web, I highly recommend you give it a watch...
The first 1962 Accuton Astronaut 1st Gen watches are unbelievably rare to find and the watch I owned was unquestionably one of them as is the 1962 Accutron Astronaut 2nd Gen watch I now own!
UPDATE - Although I sold my first 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" to a collector for an offer I just couldn't pass up, BUT my incredible good fortune for finding rare Accutron 214 watches continues with this beautiful example of the 1962 Accutron Astronaut practically falling into my lap !!! And this one I'm keeping!
The luminous paint is almost 60 years old so a black light is needed to activate the glow which only lasts for seconds before fading away...
The watch above is a rare variant of the 1962 Accutron Astronaut "X-15" in which Bulova applied luminous paint to the dial & handset and the hands in particular which Bulova has only very rarely applied luminous paint to the tops of hands like can be seen on these two Accutron 214H "Railroad Approved" watches of that era and caliber...
Here is the movement in this incredibly rare watch which is an M2 214HN and is as described above and is 100% factory correct...
Here are two pictures of the 100% factory original dial in this watch and is more than likely one of the three rarest dials Bulova ever made for any Accutron 214 caliber wrist watches!
The factory original ink stamp can clearly be seen on the 1962 "X-15" dial below, There are some people who mistakenly believe the ink stamp is a date code but this has been proven many times to be incorrect, If the date code theory is to be believed the "code" on the back of this dial would date to 1961 which all Accutron 214 collectors will tell you is highly unlikely with the Accutron Astronaut in stainless steel (they all know better than to say never with Bulova)...
And once again as stated above the cutout on the standard Accutron 214 and 214H dials is not needed on the Astronaut dials due to the 214HN dial shim #138 that is needed to make room under the Astronaut dial for the fourth 24-hour hand's gear (wheel), That added room gives the setting wheel & spring ample clearance making the cutout unnecessary, The 214HN dial shim outline can clearly be seen on the back side of the dial after 60 years of being pinched between the pillar plate and the dial...
This video show just how radioactive this dial still is after 60 years and also proves it's the real deal, You can't fake radioactivity ! Science for the win !
This thread is dedicated to the dimwit "Web Cancer" bobbee
Dedicated To The Spread Of Propaganda since 2015!
- Hey Dimwit, FYI, This is what a mountain of REAL PROOF looks like!