[time-nuts] NERC/TEC test

[William H. Fite]

I bow to your expertise, Chuck.  I thought the tone of year earlier post was
a bit dismissive, given the significant role that the Accutron played in
early aerospace history.

Not everyone agrees with you concerning the Ag2O cells.  I have been
collecting Accutrons since I bought my first one in 1965.  I know, at least
casually, several of the legitimate Accutron
specialists/restorers/rebuilders in the US and one in Australia.  Their
consensus is that ~80% of Accutrons will run on 1.55v cells without
overdriving and "jumping" (as they call it) the index wheel.  Some of them
do the resistor mod as a matter of course (unless the owner is a purist who
wants a completely unmodified movement) but even those folks will tell you
it usually isn't necessary.

I've been told that the danger isn't so much to the coil as to the jewels on
the pawl and index fingers, but you doubtless know a lot more about that
than I do.  Coils go when someone puts a new battery in a watch that hasn't
run in years and has a gummed up gear train.

There certainly used to be a lot of Accutrons that could be picked up in
pawn shops and at yard sales for a song.  I have a beautiful chapter ring
Spaceview that I bought for $25.  Alas, haven't seen one for that money in
many a year.

With respect to Accutrons in your dresser drawer, I was just being a
smartass.  [?]

Bill



On Fri, Jul 8, 2011 at 11:41 AM, Chuck Harris <cfharris at erols.com> wrote:

> Hi Bill,
>
> You obviously don't know me!  I've been an amateur watchmaker for a lot
> of years, and I have serviced just about anything that ticks.  My
> collection of clocks and watches, though modest compared to most
> collectors,
> is certainly eclectic.
>
> My observations about Accutrons are accurate.  It isn't all that hard
> to find them, but when you do, they are mostly taking up space in a
> jewelry drawer... even among watch enthusiasts.  They show up all the
> time in yard, and estate sales for giveaway prices.... like all non
> working watches.
>
> Most Accutrons do *not* run perfectly on 1.55V cells, the tuning fork is
> over-driven, and tends to kick the pawls unevenly.  214's are not at all
> amused by that... just listening to them try makes me cringe.  I recall
> that the later 218's are better about silver oxide cells.  (I can't help
> but think such over-driving will have an effect on the life of the watch.
> Coil failures are already rampant in the species.)
>
> The proper thing to do is change the biasing resistor in the watch.  The
> cells will last longer, and the watch sounds much happier.
>
> I have had the opportunity to own just about any watch I want, and I
> tend towards $50 Russian automatic dive watches, and 1950's Bulova 10BPAC
> (10BOAC) automatics.  I have a certain fondness for the manual wind 10AK
> movements too... But I never much cared for the Accutron.
>
> I may be dumb, but I do know the market rates for Accutrons.  If I had
> any, I would be fixing and selling them, not giving them away.
>
>
> -Chuck Harris
>
> William H. Fite wrote:
>
>> Oh, Chuck!  You have no soul.  [?]  People collect and use Accutrons for
>> the
>> same reason that people collect and use manual Omega Speedmaster
>> Professionals.  And the same reason that some of us keep old shipboard
>> chronometers (mine was built by Thomas Bassnet a little over 250 years
>> ago)
>> and other vintage timepieces.  We pay a mint to have them cleaned and
>> lubricated and we understand that their inaccuracy is not a fault but a
>> measure of where the technology was when they were built.
>>
>> Those cranky, noisy, inaccurate old devices that you scorn took explorers
>> across the oceans and to the moon and back.  They are not to be lightly
>> dismissed.
>>
>> Most Accutrons run perfectly on 1.55v Ag2O cells and those that don't are
>> very easily modified to do so.  There are a number of highly capable
>> watchmakers who can restore and maintain them though some 214 parts are
>> becoming scarce.  A number of hacks, too, of course.
>>
>> I also like automatic movements and am wearing an Omega Seamaster right
>> this
>> minute.
>>
>> The hum when you lay it on the dresser is part of it.
>>
>> You can send me all the Accutrons that are doing drawer duty at your
>> house.
>>
>> Bill
>>
>
>  ______________________________**_________________
> time-nuts mailing list -- time-nuts at febo.com
> To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/**
> mailman/listinfo/time-nuts<https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts>
> and follow the instructions there.
>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: 343.gif
Type: image/gif
Size: 97 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://febo.com/pipermail/time-nuts_lists.febo.com/attachments/20110708/58ff56f7/attachment.gif>