My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

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ShaunMcGill
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My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by ShaunMcGill »

I wrote the following back in 2015...

When I was a child, my father used to wear a Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet which I was always fascinated by. He treasured it a lot and I remember watching him staring at it for much longer than he needed to when he was checking the time. It was there when we played in the garden and when he helped me with my homework. It was there when he played football in the park with me and when we did everything else together, including letting me put it to my ear to listen to the familiar electronic buzz of the movement. This watch is such a distinct reminder of my father that it became my grail watch a long time ago, but there is a problem.

For a father to pass down a watch to his son that is a big thing, but unfortunately my mother cannot find the watch. My father is in the latter stages of Alzheimer’s and many possessions have sadly gone missing, along with his oh so brilliant mind, and so we continue to search for the one thing I would like to be handed down to me. It is the perfect memory of my father and one which I dearly hope to retrieve when he passes, which is expected to happen soon. Maybe I am grasping anything to remember him by, a small trinket to keep him alive, but the reality is that his personality died long ago and so we are left with the shell of a man who we watch decline month after month.

If I could find that particular watch, and I mean the actual watched he wore during my childhood, it would mean so much more than a keepsake or a memory. It, to me, is him because it was there during my formative years and I want that exact watch on my wrist, and I want my son to feel the same way about it when I pass it on to him. Only a watch can do that for me purely because he was not a man who wore jewellery and so it is the only object that would mean so much.

Until that time I will have to live with a shell of the watch I really want, but it is a fantastic piece of technology which marries the best of old and new in a form which is delightful to look at from any angle. The Bulova Accutron II Snorkel is a clever recreation of the original and as you can see below, it most certainly follows the lines and form of the 666 feet well.

The internal rotating bezel remains, as does the instinctively 1960’s design, but inside is the latest Accutron movement from Bulova which is accurate to +/- 10 seconds per year. There is no day indicator, but in every other respect it is the original, if you don’t look too closely, just with a slightly modernised face.

I could buy an original for £750, roughly twice the price as the one above, but it has to be the one my father wore to make me wear it every day and to cope with lesser accuracy. Sadly the latest Accutron is a shell of the original, just like my father is of himself today, but if you want style, functionality and something that is a little different, this is the watch to buy at the moment…

…and then my mother called to say that she had found the watch in the loft. It had somehow come out of a box of ‘stuff’ and was nestling in the corner in the dark, alone and in poor condition. I really did not care because all I wanted was the watch and to see it again.

It arrived and I spent an age just staring at it, playing with the crowns that both struggled to even move and looking at it from every angle. You can look at this watch from any angle and always see something new, something clever and an original aesthetic which is rare in modern watches no matter how expensive they are. A look inside proved to be disheartening because it looked dire, rusty, nothing moved and so I imagined it would just sit on a shelf as a keepsake from the man who is still somehow hanging in there.

I searched for someone to repair it and found Paul from Electric Watches. I emailed him and duly sent the watch to be looked at. Paul was quick to respond and had all of the parts it needed to come back to life, and the quote was much better than I expected.

Two day’s ago I received the Snorkel back and it is humming nicely, it is deadly accurate and it is in near perfect condition. All that is missing is an original strap, which is not easy to find, and that’s it. The watch retains a sense of age in places which is an advantage and really does feel like the one I used to admire so much.

My father bought this watch to celebrate my birth just after I was born and he always wore it, and I shall do attempt to do the same. It brings home to me that a watch for many people is often much more than a beautiful tool used to tell the time. It can be everything.
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Shaun McGill
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by missF »

Welcome to the forum.
This is a wonderful piece of writing, a truly personal watch. Thank you for sharing so eloquently :D :clap:
watching you fail in your quest for a “one watch” has been great entertainment
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by welshlad »

I really enjoyed reading that, Shaun. A very personal reflection, but with plenty that I can relate to as well, and not just on the watch front. Thank you - and, as MissF said, welcome to the forum. :thumbup:
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by Kip »

Excellent story. A personal reflection that many can relate to.

The watch itself...A real beauty. Wear it in good health and may you recall those memories every time you look at it.
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by Thermexman »

A well written piece. your Dad's watch is superb!
Welcome to the Forum by the way.
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by Thegreyman »

Welcome to the forum Shaun.

What a lovely story to share about your dad and his watch and a great turn of events that the original watch was found and restored.

What a superb looking watch it is too :thumbup:
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by Robotaz »

That’s a very cool watch, especially with the family connection.
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by ShaunMcGill »

Thanks for the comments everyone :D

It makes all of the difference knowing that it was his, but truth be told I love the design of the watch anyway.
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

That's a great story, and a lovely watch, thank you.

It is fabulous that your Mother found it and you have been able to get it restored.

On a side note, I wonder if this is one of the watches CW used when seeking reference points for the C65 Super Compressor?

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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by jkbarnes »

Now that’s how you introduce yourself to the forum! Thank you for sharing such a wonderful and heartfelt story. I’m looking forward to more great posts from you.
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by ShaunMcGill »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:08 am On a side note, I wonder if this is one of the watches CW used when seeking reference points for the C65 Super Compressor?

Guy
That is exactly what I thought when I first saw it.
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by jimbo »

Welcome Shaun,

Sorry to hear of your fathers health. You will however always have his watch and the your memories. It is a fine looking piece. Enjoy :)
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by ShaunMcGill »

jimbo wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:43 am Welcome Shaun,

Sorry to hear of your fathers health. You will however always have his watch and the your memories. It is a fine looking piece. Enjoy :)
Thank you. He passed 3 years ago and the watch is all the more special because of him.
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by Viognier »

ShaunMcGill wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 11:36 am
Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:08 am On a side note, I wonder if this is one of the watches CW used when seeking reference points for the C65 Super Compressor?

Guy
That is exactly what I thought when I first saw it.
+2 for me as soon as I saw it. Great read and a warm welcome to the forum Shaun!
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Re: My Father's Bulova Accutron Snorkel 666 feet

Post by gannet »

Welcome along and what a wonderful story, and a lovely watch too.
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