Accutron 2210 ⚡ 15 jewel ⚡ 440 Hz ⚡ 1974
With a lot of technological advancements it’s all about making it smaller. In this instance the Accuton was developed to take up less space – the tuning fork wraps around the battery compartment and individual components have been reduced in size and changed position to make this one compact movement. The coil was also in a much more accessible position – it was possible to remove for servicing requirements without disrupting any other components.
It’s only 4 mm thick, 19.4 mm tall and 17.4 mm wide. Bulova achieved some of this size reduction by using a tiny gearbox with worm gears on the first 2 step downs in the gear train. The reduction provided was 840 to 1.
This is the most basic format for an accutron as it does not include a sweep second or andy day/date complication. If the crown is pulled out the watch enters an energy saving mode and uses 1/3 normal power – perfect for long times off the wrist.
One problem this movement suffers from is that the original mercury 387 battery it was developed around is no longer in production. This means that they’re often seen with an incorrect size sometimes with a spacer to take up the excess space.
