Accutron Spaceview Battery Changing is Weird

The Spaceview needs a new battery. Let's take care of that tonight!

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Audio:
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#watches #vintagewatch

[starfindings]

I've been repairing Accutrons since 1970 after graduating from Bulova school. A dime is used to unscrew the battery hatch which fits perfect, not a nickel. Also, you should check the battery hatch spring on the reverse side of the battery hatch to make sure it makes contact with the battery when screwed down.

[Quickened]

I just used a dime to open mine. It fits perfectly, with just enough room. No slop, no slip, no scratches...
Nice watch...

[dannyg]

Cool episode, I enjoy watching battery changes. And that is the coolest vintage Spaceview, love it! So mid-century/rocket era - I remember these being sold new when I was a boy.

[MiguelBricaBrac]

The moment you mentioned about replacing a battery I immediately thought, “rubber gloves”. I am sure you are now aware, but handling coin batteries with bare hands deposits oils on the surface of the battery that overtime can degrade the life of the battery faster than expected.

[Blinkerdd]

Ah, thank you, sir! I just replaced the battery in my grandpa's old accutron he had... he had a massive collection of timepieces and I REALLY wanted to hear that tuning fork! I thought the old battery had been removed but as I replaced it just now, I realized I was looking at the back of the old one. It had 11/75 etched on the old battery so I'd say it was long overdue for replacement. New battery in and it is humming away!

[MichaelMitchell-vklk]

The jeweler who works on my watches was wearing an accutron with the tuning fork. I mentioned that many people don’t like the loud hum. He told me he had to move it to another room so he couldn’t hear it. Cool concept for a watch and good looking piece. Another great video Norman, thank you.

[WATCHingJames]

It is a cool watch. Interesting to learn about the battery

[zillsburyy]

i have heard that these movements need maintenance after a while. i just changed the battery in my marathon navigator. same like opening

[NaNByZero]

What a wonderful watch!!! May I ask, how long modern batteries keep this lovely lady alive? I heard, the original ones lasted only two months or so. 🕐⏳⚙️

[TonyNL]

You ruined the battery by touching both sides with your bare fingers!
Now you lost a lot of charge.🤦
Touching both sides with your bare fingers could completely drain the battery.
That's why so many people place bad reviews on button cell batteries because they touched both sides, draining them completely so to them it seems like they came empty in the package.
Use latex gloves next time or just use plastic tweezers.
NEVER touch both sides with your bare hands or metal tweezers.

[anntart]

What is the other circle on back of watch for that has a handle and turns?

[FelonENews]

I've read that they need a 1.3v battery and you can only get a 1.5v. Supposedly the 1.5v works sometimes and sometimes it won't keep time properly and it'll speed up. What V was the battery you used and has it worked well?

[javaman]

I'm considering an Accutron, but I find the battery situation very confusing. They originally ran on 1.35V mercury cells, which were larger than the 1.55V cell you are using, so they would have lasted longer and wouldn't have required a spacer. Mercury cells were banned in the US for environmental reasons in the early 1990s. I've read that some Accutrons run fine on 1.55V cells, while others have to be modified in some way to keep correct time. Then there is the Accucell, which is an adapter that takes a 1.55V battery and uses a resistor to step down the voltage to 1.35V. I have adapters like that for my old film cameras that used mercury batteries, but the battery can be replaced when it dies. It appears that the Accucell may come with the battery permanently fixed to the adapter, so when the battery dies you have to buy a new Accucell at $10 - $20 each, and eventually these will become unavailable from the one person making them. I don't know if this is true, but I don't feel like spending money to find out if the battery can be separated from the adapter. I guess I'll find out when/if I get an Accutron.

[spaceted]

You could glue the spacer on the battery with some superglue. All the watches I have, the batteries only last a year for watches with hands.

[Adrian_]

Really interesting seeing the spacer which I knew about, I read on a n Omega forum someone asked the question "was the spacer necessary?" A guy Martin Marcus who works on Accutrons said it should still work without the spacer so I dropped a 394 in, screwed the hatch down, felt it buzzing and gave the case a rap and away it went! Battery lasted from Feb 2023 to Sept 2024! Thanks for the video 👍. Hello from NZ 😊

[michaelmis]

Thank you for taking the time to make and share your video.

[jozsefizsak]

I do love the Spaceview. One day I said to myself, "Self, you need to get a Spaceview for happiness to reign supreme." I then looked at how much they sell for and decided that it would serve no practical purpose for me to have one if I really think carefully about it. It's not looking any better today, unfortunately, but at least they will be preserved for future well heeled generations.

[gz]

Idea: put the battery on your finger, let the watch drop down onto it, then flip it over.

[orlandodonado]

BTW what’s the CORRECT battery reference?
“Ordinary” batteries display 1.5v and this Accutron works with a 1.35v

[gustavopomodoro]

It's true when you put a 1.55 volts batt they run faster? Tnx