Bulova Accutron Watch Not Working - Amateur Repair
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- Опубликовано: 6 дек 2021
- Hi, in this 'Tea Break Fix' I attempt to repair an amazing piece of miniature engineering. This is a tuning fork watch, and the way is works is mind blowing especially considering it is 50 years old. It was purchased faulty on eBay. Can it hum again????
Mike's channel / myretrowatches
Many thanks, Vince 
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Watchmaker John V. here.. LOL, you learned the hard way about installing 218 stems. I still after years cannot repair these calendars, the day-date is a worse nightmare. The calender wheels are so thin, they can warp easily. The springs are a joke.. jewelers back in the day sent calender repairs back to Bulova. Thanks for the silver conducive paint 💡 idea. Advertised as the most accurate watch in the 1960s, also the most complex to restore. Good job...
John V. TIME & AGAIN
I personally love the watch videos, I watch others when there is no new ones from vince. Yes the tech repairs are great also but they are two very different types of repairs which I genuinely invest in myself so thank you vince for the electronic and mechanical fixes
Thank you 👍👍👍
It always amazes me that they could even make that tiny little gear wheel with so much precision in the 60's, incredible. Great fix Vince.
We support you Vince no matter what the repair is …so keep working on what you love ..ps I personally love the tech fixes lol
Nice one, thank you👍👍👍
I really enjoy wristwatch and vintage radio repairs. More please! Your channel is fantastic.
I like watching the modern console fixes, but older stuff is my preference.
I've been repairing Accutrons since 1970 for both the trade as well as private customers. When taking out the stem & crown, it is very important to put it into setting position FIRST before loosening the setting lever screw. If this was done, the dial and calendar sections didn't have to be removed, the reason being is that the clutch lever stays in the clutch wheel which is resting against the minute wheel. Also one other point when using the screwdriver. Very important that your forefinger is on the moveable top of the screwdriver. This prevents slippage and sliding off the screw head.
Aren't you something!. Bought a cool Accutron from the 70s. Oval with an orange face. Used a crappy screwdriver and turned the battery around which is counter logic. Whammo blammo! After a slight whack it started humming and keeps great time! You dah man! Thanks gazillions!
Thanks Vince. Because of your advice I have gotten my Accutron up and running. I used your video along with Mikes video plus his watch group on Facebook and with everyone we got it going again. Thanks Mate
It's crazy how RUclips put watch fixes in my feed last and now my main repair man is doing a watch!!
It filled me with joy when you reacted to it starting up, recently bought one of these and absolutely cannot wait to have one as my own
I think that as a guy who doesn't do this as an occupation you are pretty amazing. Nothing stumps you. You can really turn your hands to anything. Peace.
Great work. Some 218s had the hack feature to stop all motion and battery drain during periods of non-use. Despite the undeniably high-tech features for the time, one way to reanimate the accutron was to give it a gentle whack against a hard surface...loved the sound of your excitement when it buzzed into life. The greatest watch ever built in my mind. Well done on a lovely job...
Your right Vince a quality set of screwdrivers is well worth the investment. I collect vintage Seiko's and love to tinker and get some scrappers going and believe me I know what you mean about those pesky screwdrivers. You can get a little roller (it's 2 small wheels with a connecting bar) to rest them on and sharpen or reshape with some wet and dry sandpaper. Love your vids, great to relax with. Cheers
Great to see this humming once more, Vince. Love the watch repairs! And I didn't even do a watch related joke this TIME. 🤣
Boom boom!! If you ever do a watch Steve I will give you a HAND but is is TIME consuming and might TICK you off...I'm sorry! 🤣
Thanks for this video! I have the same model, bought some silver conductive paint and applied it to the same area as yours. 24 hours later, it's alive!!
I've been repairing Accutrons since 1970 for both the trade as well as private customers. When taking out the stem & crown, it is very important to put it into setting position FIRST before loosening the setting lever screw. If this was done, the dial and calendar sections didn't have to be removed, the reason being is that the clutch lever stays in the clutch wheel which is resting against the minute wheel..
Brilliant repair, and your joy was a great way to start the day.
Really enjoying these watch repairs
Thank you👍
That video was a very interesting watch.
3:50. and this is where I realized my battery was in upside down. Problem solved, and my N4 (1964, thank you for the tip) is now back to life. Found it for $5 at an estate sale.
Yep. Common mistake with those unfamiliar with the Accutron. Most batteries go into watches with the printed side up. Ooops! But good for you.
4.59pm est in The Bahamas. Unfortunately bad coffee today. Very interesting watch!
Hi Vince , firstly thanks for the shoutout! And I am glad my videos came to your rescue (again😂) so pleased for you on this one, they are fantastic machines and you found the most common problem on them and fixed it.
The reason the crown would not fit might be because you undone the stem release screw while the crown was in time setting position.
100% you need new drivers! Cousins do a set so I will PM you them.
Nice one Mike, thank you 👍👍👍
Love these watches. The humming !
Who gets bored of this guy trying his best to teach and entertain us.
Wow! You are a patient and persistent man. VERY impressive. Only someone with a lot of knowledge about this movement could have repaired it. You have great skill there.
Great work Vince. Your videos are so inspirational. I feel like repairing everything after watching your videos. Thank you and hope you sell your repaired items, i would buy from you.
Really enjoyed this. I have a N4 2182 Accutron, which is pretty much like this watch but with day/date.
Very interesting, thanks Vince.
Thank you Scott 👍👍👍
Whilst I don't really 'click' with the watch videos in a similar way that I do to the other repairs (largely because I have no idea what is going on with watches) I still find them fascinating. Keep up the amazing work buddy.
This guy still makes videos? Tbh I forgot about him for about 3 or 4 years and then this comes into my notifications! I guess I know what I’m doing while procrastinating on things
Ahh you don't know what you're missing man vince is the techspert these days 😝🥳
I absolutly loved this. I have a 218 that I want to tackle now.
Thank you, I look these tuning fork watches. Good luck with the 218👍
Your video confirmed my next step. Troubleshoot the coil circuit. I have never soldered wires this small. The average repair cost quotes has been $500 to $600 without parts.. I bought my model 218 in 1974 for $200.00 at a Department store. I have a 1918 Illinois Watch Co. pocket watch. grandfathers born in 1888. My newest one to mention is an Ernst Benz Chronolunar, 2014. my others don’t excite me.
I like the watch fixes.
I love all repairs you do is a good mix ! I could thanks to you repair many things ! Thank you so much for your efforts and work !
Best regards
Love your watch videos Vince!
Thanks Travis
I love your watch videos.
i love watching repair/restorations. keep it up. maybe in a few years vince will be reparing rolex and others swiss watches ;)
28 minute tea break? Can tell you were a phone engineer Vince …
Keep up the good work fella and stay safe.
Hahaha🤣🤣
Hi Vince, must say how much I enjoyed this video! Most of your videos truth be told, but this one in particular as I've been interested in Accutrons (218x) for many years. Very impressed that you managed to repair the coil, usually the cell coil is the bad one due to battery leakage or clumsiness, but I've rarely be able to fix coils and most often a doner from another watch is necessary. There are Accutron service manuals available on the web but you seem to be doing ok without? A microscope 10x or 15x is essential particularly for 'phasing' the index and pawl so great that you have one. Too late to tell you now, you already been through it but you MUST pull out the crown before you remove the stem (2 turns of the retaining screw). Gentle replacement to the same position and then tighten. Confession: I've messed up more than once even so! Bugger when it happens, stripping down to below the calender!
Excellent TBF.
I REALLY LOVE THIS WATCH VIDEOS
Thank you👍
Love you content man very inspiring hopefully i can do what you do as soon as i get over the fear of thinking i may break it lol
Wow nice fix Vince. When i started following you you're fixing xboxes etc but now you skill has reached a whole new level because watches are soooo tiny and you still manage then. Keep up the great videos 👍
You know it’s going to be a good day when vince uploads a video today!
Nice one Jenson👍
The watch videos are awesome keep them coming 👍
Dear Vincent.
These watches are so intriguing the way they work way way for advanced for the time tuning folks who would come up with an idea like that, that's massive innovation the watches Seiko start the battery quartz revolution, bulova took it way beyond a watch, Rolex probably are the best watches in the world(submariner) but I prefer his cousin Tudor (black bay submariner).
Omega gave us James bond 007 omega seemaster. So today is a belova watches twin tuning forks.
Thanks if you can't fix your own watch you are not a true tinkerer of things tiny and huge
I love these watch videos
I love the watch vids!
I know you're doing things right because the missus just said "oh god my mate vince again" when I started the video 😂
Awesome stuff vince, keep up the great content and hopefully your "watch" time increases with this video 😂
Hahaha, sorry Phil!!! She must dread everytime my annoying intro comes on!!🤣🤣👍
@@Mymatevince haha she just makes fun now, it goes like this
Oh god it's my mate vince who isn't even your mate
😂😂😂
@@TheCod3r Hahahaha, what!!!! Tell her we are good mates, RUclips mates but still mates. Well at least you are my mate, might not be reciprocated..now have you been slagging me off to her again cod3r🤣
@@Mymatevince hahaha don't worry I tell everyone we're bezzies, makes me look popular. It's like oh yeah I'm good friends with vince, did you know he has 3/4m subs on youtube 😂 trust me people get impressed real quick lol 😆
@@TheCod3r Haha, don't tell them that 95% of that 3/4 of a million never watch my videos! That will be our little secret🤫🤣
I saw the cogs moving and was shouting at the screen around 12m 30s "it's working, Vince! it's working!!" LMAO. well done!
Hahaha, I bet you were. When I was editing it looked quite obvious but my eyes were focusing on the stem release 🤣🤣👍👍👍
Vince i like the bulova accutron spaceview on the left love them because they are larger than the normal 214 case
good job mate.
Didn’t move because the crown was out? Started after you pushed it in ( after the wire fix) great job fixing that tiny connection. I’m impressed👍🏻👍🏻
Epic yo! Serious, epic !
I like you doing the watches Vince. I'm sure he is already on your Radar but Nekkid is an excellent watch repair channel. The guy is crazy talented very funny and very chill/Zen. If you haven't already you should definitely check him out.
Thanks Chris👍 Yeah, I've seen him restore a couple of watches. UK based as well🙂
Vince Always make sure the crown is pulled into the time set position, because the castle wheel can get askew, and that's what cost you the time.
I have recently acquired a pair of Accutron , his & her , Watches. Neither have been used for Donkeys. On inspection the Ladies Watch looked like it had water ingress at some point , & the seal had rotted. So , only having one Battery , I tried the Gents Watch first. No luck. So I then tried the Ladies & , again , no luck. I then fumbled & the Watch gently bumped on my work mat & Bingo! It started working. I excitedly removed the Battery & repeated the same trick with the Gents Watch & I now have a pair of rare , working Bulova Watches!! I wonder if there are many sold as not working , when all they need is a light tap to get them going? I see the watch in the video started after the Crown was pulled out & pushed back in , giving the Movement a ‘bump start.’
Love the videos mate I've tried copying from this video to fix my later dad's accutron but no success UpTo now keep going brilliant mate👍
Enjoying a nice Earl Grey tea just now (4:44 pm Montreal time) and looking forward to your repair endeavor. 👍🇨🇦 P.S. In those and many other watches with capacitors, they are often passed keeping energy in reserve and need to be replaced. I know, I had a beautiful Citizen Ecodrive Chronograph, bought as an anniversary gift, and it ran faithfully for 12-13 years until the Caps and Coils expired. Not worth fixing due to parts cost and jeweler labor, so…. On to Casio GSHOCK.
Thanks Michael. I looked at an Omega ladies quartz the other day off camera, and it had a faulty capacitor (I think it is used for more accurate timing on the early quartz watches). I was well happy, first time I have had a faulty one👍
One of my recent acquisitions was a 1976 Sovereign Electronic which uses the Timex M43 hybrid movement. It arrived dead and after blasting it with Holts electronic circuit board cleaner and fitting a Renata AG13 battery correctly... it sprang into life and hasn't stopped since, it was virtually flawless with clean crystal and scratchless gold case, I won't mention what I paid for it as it upsets people (like my £4 solid gold 1940's Avia cough cough) but I am well pleased with it and only reason its not on wrist is I have a 78 Seiko 6309 large "TV" on there at mo.
Forgot to mention Sovereign is a Benrus brand
My dad bought a new Accutron in 1968 then beat it into the ground over the next 20 years doing factory work. It didn't have a plastic crystal back then.
Very nice job! Watches are very hard to work on!
Well done Vince ! 😊...you have waaaay more patience than me !...lucky for me,if i get stuck i have a watch guy i know to help me !
Cheers Mike👍
@@Mymatevince Love this channel,a normal guy that fixes things,right up my street,no pretention or otherwise,just a real guy doing real life things ! i do the same,but i can't be arsed being a RUclipsr !
@13:07 always that wonderfull moment, always make me laugh hard!
Doesn't matter wat you repair is, always thrilling and fun to watch!
🤣🤣👍
OMG thank you for covering HOW TO REMOVE THE CROWN!!
A Bulova watch was worn by Dave Scott on August 2 1972 Apollo 15 mission, the watch first of its kind tuning forks, it was more accurate than the mechanical watch movement. Seiko had just invented crystal quartz movement.
In fact the quartz nearly destroyed mechanical movement watches but in the end it saved mechanical movement watches, because Swatch bought several watchmakers ( Blancpain, Breguet, Certina, ETA, Glashütte Original, Hamilton, Harry Winston, Longines, Mido, Omega, Rado, and Tissot ).
A Little bit of history, my favourite watch brands are longines and omega 👍🏻.
Lovely repair Vince =D
Thank you so much Gadget👍👍
You have the patience of a saint ,well done Vince ! Have a happy Xmas. Cheers mate from Rick in Sydney Australia 🇦🇺 👍
seconds seem so smooth
So smooth Emma, hard to believe how many ticks they are doing per second and how little error there is over the day👍
you can also use metal polish cream to polish the crystal, also cotton buts are very usefull for more detail polishing
Thanks, do you think the Brasso would do the same job as the PolyWatch???
@@Mymatevince i ve never tried brasso for the crystal
@@Mymatevince Also if you come across a dirty metal bracelet, put hot water in a mug with about a finger of window cleaner, leave it for a minute or two in the solution, and then shake it in the solution, and watch most of the dirt fall off, a toothbrush will take care of the more persistent dirt
Wow nice fix Vince so microscope work you realy need a lot of patience to fix watches.
I enjoy the movie . Thank you it was the first time i see the inside of the watch. Keep up the good movies. Thank you
Man you spoiling us tonight top man 👍
Haha, cheers Jinxy👍👍
I would love to see you work on a really old clock like a coo coo clock love the watch vids vince
BRILLIANT
It was so great seeing the movement start (I think moving the crown made it go?) and knowing that you were going to notice it in a few seconds. :)
Thanks, yes I think the vibration/shock caused by the crown set it off. Once it starts vibrating it will keep going then 👍
i have a few of these and apparently, some really don't start until you give them some sort of knock on the case. This gets the tuning fork vibrating
When I saw how he removed the crown stem- I knew from experience he'd have trouble. Pull the stem out to the setting position, then unscrew the set screw just enough so there's no resistance to sliding out the crown stem. Reinserting the stem is the tricky part, insert stem far enough in so the catch grove is past the catch lever. Tighten down the set screw, the pull the stem out to the setting position to see if it will catch. THEN you can push the crown all the way in to running position.
I'm looking all over RUclips for how to do this. I've watched a few videos, but no one show's this. Could you explain this to us more indepth... my vocabulary isn't jiving with what you're saying and I want to attempt to relume watch hands on one of my Accutrons, but getting the movement in and out is not explained well anywhere. I read what you just wrote.. still not getting a clear picture. Could you break it down a little more.. pretend I'm stupid... it's not a stretch. LOL.
I'll never get bored of you doing watch videos you can try to fix literally anything and i can sit here and enjoy all of it.
I did the same thing to one of mine a couple of days ago pushed the crown back in and knocked the clutch wheel out of the yolk had to take the whole dial and calendar apart get it back in the right place and put it all back together.
My dad has 3 Bulova Accutron's. One like you have here and two with the clear face so you can see the inside of the watch. He calls them hummers because of the hum the tuning fork makes . The one like you have here kept starting and stopping , so took it apart and found that the second hand was hitting the bottom of crystal cover on the front of the watch. One of the clear faced watches stopped working and he found a bad sprocket and fixed it from a parts watch he had. The parts are so small magnifying glasses are required. What ever you do don't sneeze while you are working on it or your $@%&^!. Very go watches, still running today.
Great i had nothing to watch and you dropped a video 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍🤩🤩
All watches have a way of speeding them up , or slowing them down
When using a screwdriver, your forefinger is supposed to go on top that swivels. Not doing this can easily slip off the screw and damage the watch.
Hi buddy when I did a watch repair course I was told to never hold the battery like you do it should be held from the side as holding the flat sides will short the battery especially with 3v batteries
Thanks Believer 👍👍
awesome 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks Anonymous👍
Hi, thanks for your video. I inherited a Bulova Accutron M7 watch that belonged to my Uncle. I put in a new battery 344 and it works but stops every day when the calendar should change to the next day. About 3 to 4 hours before but it changes so I can't say for sure. Basically it works from manual date change untill it stops before the next date change. The second hand still works even when the main 2 hands stop before the date change. Do you have any ideas why? Any advice will be appreciated
You should do a showcase of your watches m8
I love job 👍
I owned one of these back in the late sixties. Bulova guaranteed that watch to be accurate to a minute a month.
Pretty amazing for back then 👍👍
Sweet
I enjoy the watch videos. :) I suspect the modern console vids get you more views, but too much of anything gets a bit samey.
What would be the problay if the watch ran but wouldn’t change time
I love watches
The watches are not my kind of repair. I like console repairs, mods etc. But I guess there a plenty of viewers who enjoy the watches. Keep it going.
Hmm... I noticed you put the battery back in reverse... But interestingly it still worked... 😜
Dont listen to the haters i love watches especially your watch videos
"Tea Break" always wondered how you made repairs fit. ; ) Very Nice. ? > WHAT about Seal for Stem, was there one?
Yeah, never really know how a tea break will turn out. I should really put a little seal on that stem. I presume that is what the black goo was originally. I need to order some as my o rings are bigger. I presume it is to help with dust ingress and also slight waterproofing 👍👍
hi vince i watched a lot of your vids and i love what you do, i remember that vid about a camera a fujifilm finpix hs 10 and i bought the same one from scratch and its half working the it is showing me an error focus on the display and it does not film or take pictures so i thought i you could help me plz just to know if you did see this comment i'm from MOROCCO
KEEP GOING VINCE
Hi, from memory I didn't get that camera working. I think it was dead with no power, so I don't know what could be causing the focus error. Sorry 👍
After replacing the battery in my 218D Accutron, the tuning fork didn't start vibrating until I knocked the side of the watch against the palm of one hand. I later discovered that's actually the method mentioned in the service manual to help kick things off if it doesn't start itself. I acquired my used watch some 35+ years ago and it would never run for more than 2 to 3 hours before stopping. Recently I pulled it out and replaced the battery, but again it stopped after a short while. Then I decided to exert a bit of finger pressure on the plate up near the coils and rapped it again with my hand. It then started up and ran for a few days. Perhaps one of the coils was slightly misaligned after having been dropped before it came into my possession. Wish I knew someone with the calibration meter to adjust the tuning fork. Each coil has a tiny fingered metal piece facing the other coil, which can be rotated to calibrate, as you may know.