Published October 7, 2026

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The reborn Accutron has functioned as an upmarket sister brand to Bulova since its 2020 revival, but it’s yet to really find its footing.

The brand returned with somewhat confusing messaging. It debuted with a new electrostatic movement instead of the tuning fork movement that made it famous. It then resurrected arguably its most iconic watch, the Astronaut, but oversized and with a Miyota automatic movement for some reason.

More recently, Accutron has started to right the ship by finally bringing back the tuning fork movement earlier this year with the new Calibre 314, signature hum and all, which so far has only appeared in a new Spaceview.

Now, the brand has launched three new lines using a pair of new movements. But I think they’re muddying the messaging once again.

Two of the lines use the new Resonator movement, which is an ultra-high-frequency, high-accuracy quartz movement on par with Bulova’s Precisionist movements. (I think this probably is a rebadged Precisionist movement, tbh, or is at least based on one.)

More interesting is the new Horizon line, which has a plain ol’ quartz movement without any tuning forks, high frequencies or electrostatic doohickeys, but is packed to the gills with complications.

The watch combines a chronograph, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendar with moonphase, all in a legible and attractive layout. Functionally, we’re looking at quartz-powered Patek Grand Complication-style complications, but at a price below $2,500.

The case is made from higher-end 904L stainless steel and measures 41.5mm across and 15.1mm thick. That’s a chunky watch, no doubt about it, but remember that it features arguably the three most prestigious complications. Quartz or not, this watch is impressive.

It’s also pretty. The dial features a Denchu texture and the four subdials are made of sandstone that resembles a starry sky. The layout is busy but legible, with the moonphase at 12:00; running seconds and 24-hour time at 3:00; month, leap year and chronograph hours at 6:00; and day and date sharing the 9:00 subdial.

Accutron’s branding and messaging are still pretty confusing to me. Most of its models are still using the electrostatic movement, but I’ve never heard a single person talk about this movement since the brand launched it. It just feels irrelevant.

The new Resonator watches are among the most accurate you can buy, but at around $2,000, they’re far pricier than Bulova Precisionist watches that offer the same performance.

The Spaceview 314 is the brand’s clear flagship with its tuning fork movement, and even its ~$6,000 price tag is justifiable when you consider the innovation and R&R required to modernize and resurrect this groundbreaking movement.

Then we have the Horizon, which has me a bit torn. At $2,190 on leather and $2,590 on a steel bracelet, the watch isn’t cheap, but it offers a lot of complications for the money. Still, it doesn’t really feel “Accutron” to me. If this said Citizen on the dial, I think it’d make a lot more sense (Citizen owns Accutron and Bulova).

Personally, I find the Horizon impressive but nonsensical for Accutron. What the brand needs to do, in my opinion, is launch a new Astronaut. Size it at 40mm or below without being too thick. And, most importantly, power it with the new 314 tuning fork movement.

The Astronaut is one of the coolest and most storied watches of the mid-century. It is to Accutron what the Speedmaster is to Omega and the Submariner is to Rolex, and it was a peer of those watches back in the 1960s, having been worn by early astronauts and CIA pilots testing the fastest plane ever made.

It’s past time for the Astronaut to fly, and hum, again.