A striking 1970s Bulova Accutron Astronaut with warm pumpkin lume, steel case, and vintage charm – a true space-age classic with commanding wrist presence, sold new in 1983!

Bulova was founded in 1875 by Joseph Bulova in New York and quickly became one of the most innovative names in watchmaking. The brand pioneered mass production techniques, making reliable timepieces widely accessible. In 1926, Bulova aired the world’s first radio commercial, and in 1960, it introduced the revolutionary Accutron, the first electronic tuning fork watch. Bulova also supplied military watches during WWII and became tied to space history when its timing instruments were used on NASA missions.

What's on Offer

Here we have a superb Bulova Accutron Astronaut dating to the 1970s but looking at the accompanying paperwork it comes with, it would appear from the original receipt that it wasn’t sold until 1983. Besides its original receipt it also comes complete with its original box and guarantee booklet/instructions. The watch is still on its original Steelux/Bulova supplied, elasticated bracelet.

The watch is powered by the innovative tuning fork calibre 212.07, a hallmark of Bulova’s forward-thinking electronic technology.

Its black dial with rich pumpkin lume on the hands and hour plots adds warmth and character, giving it a true vintage charm.

At 38mm, the Astronaut has a striking presence on the wrist, exuding both tool-watch functionality and timeless style.

A fantastic opportunity to acquire a well-preserved classic with undeniable personality. This watch is in fantastic condition as hopefully you can see from our photos. The case, bracelet and most importantly the dial, hands and black Bakelite bezel insert are all in immaculate condition, showing only very light surface scratches likely from handling the watch rather than wearing! The immaculate condition and the fantastic colour the tritium lume plots have turned on the dial, bezel and hands is what firstly attracted us to this watch.

Closely associated with aviation and even worn by NASA pilots, the Astronaut is as much a piece of space-age history as it is a collectible vintage timepiece. 

Be quick as this rare piece won’t be around for very long if you have an eye for these things.