Found this on a junk for sale site for $120!

I have coveted your Space View ever since you posted it up.

The girl's grandfather had it, let the battery go dead, removed the battery, set it aside, bought a Rolex and forgot about it for 40+ years.

She took it with the box to a jewelry store to have the battery changed and they said that it couldn't be changed out and offered her $20 for it.

Now it's at a home where it will be loved for a VERY long time!

It's not a Spaceview, but it was made in 1967.

Very cool. A good friend wore one that he bought when he returned from Vietnam. Forgot all about them. Nice find!

Very cool watch. Totally Space Age.

Very nice vintage Bulova Accutron with the 218 case.
The story/history on it makes it more special IMO.

My 214 Spaceview with the diamond is the one I have a history on.
To keep it running, it needed a lot parts over the years including the back plate.
It began life the hard way as a soldier's watch in Vietnam.

Your 218 looks very original.

I wouldn't wear it at night because the humming sound can heard through my pillow.

I remember well when Accutrons came out. I was amazed at the accuracy they promised (one minute a month, if I recall); much better than the common wind-ups or even automatics. I wanted one!

Unfortunately, they don't typically get that kind of accuracy anymore because they were designed to run on mercury 1.35v batteries.
Today's batteries are silver oxide at 1.55v.
The best one I have for keeping time is about 1.5 seconds a day. Usually they do somewhere between 6 on 10 seconds a day.

You can adjust the watch somewhat to account for the voltage change but they usually run a little fast.
If you take an old 218 or 214 that was never adjusted to the increase in voltage, the 1.55v batteries make them run super fast, even by several minutes a day.

I am interested if this is the case with Mars 218. If it runs super fast, then it is super original.

I stopped collecting 2 years ago because of my illness.
I think I am up to 23 or something.

That is a very nice 218. As LBJ said, they can be modified to run reliably on silver batteries if yours does not. You cab also get special batteries. I have a few that just need cleaning, but I have not found anyone excited to work on the 218s. Let me know if you do.

I like those beads of rice bands. I thought only Omega had them.

It's very similar in size and weight to my Rolex Zephyr.

New that watch was $135. That's over $900 in todays money!
So a Bulova was NOT a cheap watch!

I can hear it singing on my wrist.

I guess getting this in 1967 was the equivalent of getting an iWatch?

A friend of mine in the Navy middle 60's bought one. Spent a whole months pay on it and had one of those Spidel twist-o-flex bands added to it. He was left handed and wore it on his left wrist. Was eating an apple and threw the core off back of ship he was on. He said he watched the apple core fly through the air with his Accutron w/twist-o-flex band right behind it.

Is there a good place to have them serviced? Mine needs a battery and a good cleaning and oiling.

quote:

Originally posted by cndrdk:
He said he watched the apple core fly through the air with his Accutron w/twist-o-flex band right behind it.

I can't help it, but that visual gave me a good laugh. What a shame though to lose a beautiful watch like that.

These are the models I remember.

quote:

Originally posted by lbj:I wouldn't wear it at night because the humming sound can heard through my pillow.

I had one in the late '60's and when I took it off at night I had to be careful to place it on a soft cloth on my dresser. If I put it down on the glass top, the humming could be heard all over the room, apparently using the dresser as a sounding board.

Love my acutron, only wear it on special occasions, I also have a spare tuning fork or what ever you call it in my first that was in my first, it quit running, took it to the repair man, he said it was not worth repairing and sold me a used accutron that is still running, with annual battery changes.

The bracelet as a vintage Spidel piece is stupid expensive now.

A vintage one in that shape is $150!

This is a 1966 Spaceview that I inherited from my father. I remember how amazed we were as little kids when we saw it.

quote:

Originally posted by cndrdk:
A friend of mine in the Navy middle 60's bought one. Spent a whole months pay on it and had one of those Spidel twist-o-flex bands added to it. He was left handed and wore it on his left wrist. Was eating an apple and threw the core off back of ship he was on. He said he watched the apple core fly through the air with his Accutron w/twist-o-flex band right behind it.

When I was a teenager my father gave me his watch, I believe a Timex, that had a flexible band. We took out one or two links but the watch would ride up my hand. I don't recall that it ever flew off.

quote:

Originally posted by Top Gun Supply:


This is a 1966 Spaceview that I inherited from my father. I remember how amazed we were as little kids when we saw it.

My father had the stainless version of that watch he got as a 25 year service award from Bell South. Stretchy Spidel band and everything.

I too was beyond fascinated by the humming space watch.

It was destroyed in 1994 when our home was flooded.