Why Do The Centers Of The White Spade Handsets Look Blue ?
Feb 24, 2018 17:25:19 GMT -8
Post by Accutronitis on Feb 24, 2018 17:25:19 GMT -8
Why Do The Centers Of The Accutron 214 Movement White Spade Handsets Look Blue ?
That's a very good question and I hear it all the time BUT there is a very simple answer !
But first a little background, When people talk of "white spade" Or what some mistakenly call them "white pear" hands for the Accutron 214/214H/214HN there is only ONE handset Bulova made for the Accutron 214 movements that is painted white and is "pear" shape if you like, The Bulova p/n WS-25 and is listed in the Bulova 1962 Accutron handset list shown below...
No other handsets from different Bulova movements will fit or work with the Accutron 214 movement ! None ! So if a handset is not on the list above they are not made by Bulova for the Accutron 214 !
The Bulova WS-25 part number breaks down as follows W=White / S=Spade / 25=Length of Hands, Some people might refer to them as "pear" but the Bulova correct term is "Spade" thus the "S" in the part number WS-25.
The Bulova p/n WS-25 handset was used exclusively (except on a rare few BTL clocks) on the Bulova timers Labs Aerospace timers, clocks, and timer clock switches beginning in 1960, Those rare few BTL clocks were large instrument panel clocks which had 1 3/4 inch dials which had hands that could never be used with the 1 inch dials clocks OR any Accutron 214 wrist watches !
Here are just some of clocks and timer switches made by the Bulova Timer Labs that were the first to use the Bulova p/n WS-25 handset...
And the P/N WS-25 handset was the only handset used on the 24 Hour wristwatches as well !
And here they are on a prototype black dial "railroad" type watch that was never put into production...
And they made a brief appearance for less than a year on the 1962 Accutron Astronaut Stainless Steel Watch, This is the watch given to all the X-15 test Pilots !
For more info on the X-15 connection please visit accutronfacts.freeforums.net/thread/204/facts-1962-accutron-astronaut-watch?page=1&scrollTo=246
And is seen in these 1962 Bulova ads showing the very same watch...
And seen in this 1962 Bulova Dealers Card which was only given to authorized Bulova dealers. Note the dial and hands are described as "Regular" which is not luminous !
The same watch can be seen on NASA Astronaut Scott Carpenter wrist on the 1962 cover of "Paris Match" Magazine !
The white WS-25 hands really stand out !
NOW to the question - "Why Do The Centers Of The Accutron 214 Movement White Spade Handsets Look Blue ?"
They seem to look blue or even black for the very same reason all of these other p/n WS-25 handsets below seem to look blue or even black, It has to do with the photographers' background and the lighting when the picture was taken...
One thing I noticed about the P/N WS-25 handset is although the hands are in fact silver or if you like "bare metal" as can be seen here with a very small amount of surface rust forming and the "grain" of the sheet metal the hands are stamped from clearly visible...
The top surface of that type of hands seems to be either "polished" and therefore very reflective, Or it is "crome flashed" which would also make the top surface very reflective as can be seen here (with some contamination present)...
The very reflective surface tends to seem to look like it is blue or black if the background of the person taking the picture is dark or shaded, Equally the very reflective surface tends to seem to look more like it is silver if the background of the person taking the picture is very bright or a very light color such as white or similar, It is also possible for the very reflective surface to seem to look like other colors like brown or red or more if the lighting and background of the photographer combine to allow it like in this picture where the centures of the hands seem to look a sort of redish/brown...
Many other colors are possible if the background and lighting conditions are just right...
Well, I hope this help clear up any confusion you may have either from not understanding how basic photography works and how lighting has a major impact on it, To confusion stemming from propaganda you may have read on the web somewhere, Lord knows there is no shortage of that on the web !
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 !