The Accutron 219

The 219 is a very interesting version of the Accutron, being derived directly from the 218. You will notice that it has only one drive coil. The other side of the tuning fork is simply a mass to balance the fork. The single coil also contains the feedback winding. The circuit components are mounted on a fibreglass circuit board and have been spread out over a large area (for greater ease of manufacture). The jewel bearings, previously mounted in little "chatons" or carriers, are pressed straight into the watch framework. Note also that the number of jewels has been reduced from 13 in the 218 to 8 in this movement, the end-stones in the gear train being omitted. Perhaps Bulova were feeling the pressure from the large Japanese watch manufacturers, and had to cut costs. The Model 2190, listed in their Technical Data Sheet, was never manufactured, only the 2191, 2192 and 2193. The 219 works as well as the 218, and is very collectible.