More Information, Accutron Repair Prices Below

Which battery? An Accutron 214 needs a 387s battery or a 394 with a reused plastic ring from the old battery for a 394. A 218 requires a 344 or 350 battery. Occasionally, the existing combination of pawl, fork, index wheel and coil will not allow an Accutron to run slower with today's higher voltage 1.55v batteries. If that is the case, short of swapping parts while looking for a winning combination (forks were oftentimes modified back in the day by removing metal material at their base) an easy solution might be to use an Accucell battery to reduce the voltage by .2v. Directly from Bulova on their web site, about Accutron # 214 battery problems: "Silver oxide cells are 1.55 volts, compared to mercury's 1.35 volts. The use of this slightly higher voltage cell will not affect the performance of a correctly adjusted Accutron. If the watch does not operate properly with a 1.55 volt substitute, the fault is either an incorrect adjustment of the movement, or worn parts in the movement. USING A 1.55V (Replacement) CELL WILL NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE TO THE MOVEMENT."

How much does it cost to fix an Accutron? Most all 214 models are $210 and $20 shipping/insurance. 218 and other models are $245 and $20 shipping/insurance. Accutron clocks are $275 because they take a lot more assembly work. You'll find there's one out there that will charge you well in excess of $1,000, mentioning numerous parts needing replacement when they usually don't. When you have their paid estimate in hand, you'll know who I am talking about.

Why does my Accutron run fast? A fast running Accutron needs to be rephased to accommodate today's higher voltage batteries. Additional resistors do not need to be added to the movement. Occasionally, a movement can not be adjusted to run more slowly, in which case an Accucell battery will need to be used for a lower voltage, but most will run reliably with today's 1.55v batteries. A little known fact...Accutrons were designed to accommodate 1.8v at the factory, so today's1.55v silver oxides are just fine in a clean movement.

How often should an Accutron be serviced? I recommend treating it like a Rolex and having it serviced once every 5 years to extend the life of the coils.

Are Accutrons reliable? Yes. In fact, I wear one most every day.

What is an Accutron 214 and a 218? A 214 has a bow on the back to change the time, whereas a 218 has a crown on the side, most commonly at the 4 position.

How do you set the time on an Accutron? For a 214, you can set the time in either direction. For a 218, pull out the crown and turn in either direction. If it has a day and/or date, pull out the crown and turn the hands clockwise until the date changes. Stop, turn it backwards with the crown out to 5:30 and then go forward again to change the date quickly (fast set). Keep doing that until you get the correct date. If it has a day, do the same until you get the correct day and then push the crown in. Then, rotate the crown clockwise to get to the correct date.

Is there a cooler watch than an Accutron? Absolutely not!

Are Accutrons waterproof? They are water-resistant, but I prefer not taking a chance as the parts can be harder to find for replacement nowadays and submerging an Accutron is never a good idea. Washing hands or an occasional rain drop is fine.

Can I tune my guitar with my Accutron? Yes, it hums at F sharp.

How fast can you repair my Accutron? Most Accutron, Accutron Spaceview Repair, Astronaut Accutron Repair and/or Accutron Restoration turnarounds are 2 weeks currently. Please feel free to call if you have any questions.

Is my watch insured? It is insured for as much as you would like to have it insured for when you ship it to me. Otherwise, I always insure for replacement value when shipping. I receive packages at my P.O. box because it's the safest place to receive a package and requires me to sign for every watch received when insured so that we both have a tracking record.

What type of formal training have you had as a watch repairer? As of 2022, I've had 30 years of hands-on Accutron repair experience. I started out slowly and now repair 10 to 12 Accutrons per week for customers from around the world. I am a member of the NAWCC (National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors). All that means to you, though, is that I know a lot of watch and clock people and I get a lot of magazines. I fix one kind of watch and one kind only...ACCUTRONS. That's my specialty, and I have little interest in muddying the waters by working on any other type of watch. I consider myself an Accutron expert, so you can take comfort in the fact that your cherished Accutron will be in the hands of a bona fide Accutron aficionado/nut and the repairs are my paramount interest. Really, would you rather have a real Accutrons expert working on your cherished timepiece or someone whose experience can only partially be attributed to Accutrons when most of their bench time has been spent working on mechanical watches? I'm not formally trained. So very, very few people are nowadays. And those that are in their 80s. Those that claim to be formally trained aren't because there hasn't been a formal Accutron training school for many, many years. They may be trained, but not with Accutrons. My training comes from hands-on experience with nearly 10,000 Accutrons since I've been repairing them as a service. The things I've learned about Accutrons are the tidbits which allow me to perform successful repairs beyond the scope of a repair manual, so many years later, to a model few people have the understanding to accomplish. That's why so many watch repairers won't touch them. They truly are an animal unto themselves, beyond the scope of a trained watch repair person who hasn't spent all of his bench time looking at Accutron movements.

Are there any burglary protection devices installed to protect my Accutron? I have video security recording anyone who steps into my office, whether I am there or not, and am notified immediately if that were to happen. Not to mention the fact that I'm a good-sized guy, making it extremely difficult for anyone to persuade me to part with an Accutron in my care.

Why are my prices so reasonable for repairs and, frankly, so low? Because I do not have a brick and mortar store with high rents necessitating the need to charge higher prices in order to offset costs, and I do not have a staff requiring paychecks. Why in the world should you have to pay more than $210 - $245 to repair an Accutron if parts aren't needed? If you receive an estimate from another repair facility with numerous parts mentioned needing to be replaced, then you should consider another repairer. Believe me, there is one out there who will charge you well in excess of $1,000 if you send yours for a quote, and you'll pay the quote fee regardless of a repair. I charge for my single-minded experience and ability with Accutron repair, and generally charge very little more than my cost for most coils if needed. They usually are not needed. I have all the tools, equipment and experience necessary to get your Accutron working like a champ once again. I do not charge an estimate or diagnosis fee since it only takes a couple of minutes to diagnose an Accutron.

Is there a written repair warranty? If you ask for one, I will gladly provide it without question, and it is stated on my site. It is easy to know where you stand after an Accutron repair has been performed by me. I'll say it again here...I warranty repairs for a full year...just like when it was new. Regardless of cost, I'll always do everything possible to keep an Accutron working as it should. Believe me when I say there is a multitude of factors to consider outside of the repair manual when it comes to making an Accutron repair, and I'll look at them all. There isn't a better guarantee available. Keep your Accutron clean and service it like a good mechanical watch. Doing so will reduce greatly the need for a future part replacement.

Repair Services and Fees
A competitor calls me a "hobbyist" on another website, and also likes to leave bad reviews about me on places like Yelp and Google, but my repair abilities speak for themselves. One day, I'll write the book on Accutrons. I truly love Accutrons and definitely enjoy repairing them. I'm one of the fortunate people who have been afforded the opportunity to turn a hobby into a profession and still like what I do. And if you want case restoration, there is an additional fee because there is additional work. Anyone who claims not to charge for restoration work is simply building the labor for restoration into their service fee. My fees are very low compared to theirs and if you get a repair estimate from them in the range of $1000-1400 when standard service from me would cost you, on average, $210 or $245 for a 218, then ask yourself who you would rather have working on your cherished Accutron. I'm confident the thousands of Accutron customers whose Accutrons I have repaired are thankful to have paid only for what was truly needed instead of for parts that didn't need to be replaced at all. Really, parts are rarely needed, but when they are, I'll let you know first. Unlike some others, I do not charge a "diagnosis" fee and at your request would gladly return any parts which truly needed to be replaced. I always try to do this anyway.

After many compliments regarding my Accutron Repair, Accutron Spaceview Repair, and Astronaut Accutron Repair Service, the Accutron Spaceview and Accutron Astronaut watches in my personal collection, and regarding those Accutron Spaceview and Accutron Astronaut watches I have sold in the past, I've decided to offer the same service to those interested in making their worn and tired Accutron Astronaut and Accutron Spaceview and other Accutron models once again perform and look as good as they did years ago. Feel free to look at my Accutrons, Accutron Spaceview, and Accutron Astronaut watches for sale. The photos on my site will give you a very good idea as to the results that you can expect to see for your Accutron Repair, Accutron Spaceview Repair, or Astronaut Accutron Repair.

If you choose more than a standard repair, my Accutron Repair, Accutron Spaceview Repair, and Astronaut Accutron repair services include the removal of scratches from cases and bracelets, polishing of your watch for a beautiful finish, replacement of original vertical case back and circular finishes on battery hatches and crowns, crystal replacement--all restoration--hack spring adjustment to once again stop your sweep during time-setting, movement cleaning/repair, index adjustment (re-phasing) so that it keeps time using readily available 387s or 344 batteries, and hand replacement or hand relumination.

When it is all said and done, depending upon the level of Accutron Repair, Accutron Spaceview Repair, or Astronaut Accutron Repair or Restoration you prefer, your vintage Accutron, Accutron Spaceview or Accutron Astronaut can be made to look nearly new with a factory-like finish. Send me an email and include your phone number if you would like me to call you to discuss Accutron Repair, Accutron Spaceview Repair or Astronaut Accutron Repair.

Accutron Repair Form

I offer a one-year labor warranty on all repairs, and when they last that long, there's no reason to believe that they won't last for another generation with good care...having them cleaned once every 5 years is my recommendation.

Please do not send any boxes which you want back, as I do not keep them for return. Also, please do not overpackage your Accutron with bundles of tape, making it difficult to remove them from the packaging. I do have a usual 2-week turnaround once payment is received. Please be sure to include the name of the person I will be communicating with instead of the name of the person making the shipment if it is different. You would be surprised how many of these I receive, making it difficult sometimes to associate a particular Accutron with a person calling for status.

If at all possible, please include an email address on my mail in form, and I'll be able to use that to make sure you get a receipt if payment is by credit card for repair and a tracking # when I ship. Please be sure to clearly write your contact information on the mail in form. You may be able to read your own writing, but please make sure that I can, too.

I would be happy to just replace a battery for you, just an Accutron crystal, just Accutron gaskets, fix/shorten/lengthen a broken Accutron bracelet, relume Accutron hands, relume an Accutron dial, or even just restore an Accutron case to a like new condition, too.

Accutron case bezel refinishing, $50

Accutron case back refinishing, both circular and vertical graining (includes crown and battery hatch on 214 models), $50

Rotating Accutron Astronaut bezel refinishing, circular (gold or steel), $75

214 Accutron movement cleaning, service/repair and index adjustment, $210 (will fix most Accutron 214 models)

Accutron 218 movement cleaning, repair and index adjustment, $245 (will fix most Accutron 218 or other models)

Accutron clocks, $275

Accutron Bracelet refinishing (includes buckle), $100

Accutron Crystal replacement, $40 to $125 (most spaceviews are $50)

Accutron Chapter Ring relume, $50

Accutron Hand relume, $50

Accutron Dial relume, $50

Accutron Full set hand replacement, $50 - $75.

Accutron Astronaut lumed sweeps, if needed, are $50 individually and will need to be tracked down by me first.

Replace battery only, $10, $15 for return insured shipping.

If you would like to contact me directly about Accutron Repair, Accutron Spaceview Repair, or Astronaut Accutron Repair, please send an email to: [email protected], or call(309) 287-2627, and I would be happy to help you with your Accutron Repair, Accutron Spaceview Repair or Astronaut Accutron Repair.

Accutron repair, Accutron service, Spaceview repair, Accutron astronaut repair, the best at repairing Accutrons, recommended for Accutron repairs by thousands.