www.espresso-restorations.com
The Espresso Machine Restoration site
A non-commercial site for those interested in espresso equipment repair and restoration.
My other passion - vintage watches
When did it start?

The first "real" watch I purchased was an Omega Seamaster Pro back in 1997.  The SMP as we watch geeks would
say is a fabulous design. It was a few years later that I started trawling Ebay and then looking at www.timezone.com
(which sadly I no longer have time to do).   Like coffee machines I feel something towards vintage pieces -
particularly unique pieces that play an important role in the history and development of a business.  For that reason
I started getting interested in early electronic timepiece - in particular the Bulova Accutron and it's derivatives.  The
Accutron watch movement is such an amazing invention that relies on a small Tuning Fork - yes it hums if you put it
to your ear!

Enough history here are some from my collection.  One last point - like my espresso machines, these are some of
the best examples you will find anywhere in the world.
Classic Accutron 218 - approx 1970
My favourite Accutron 218 -approx 1971
The famous Accutron Astronaut - approx 1963
The famous Accutron Spaceview - approx 1971
Another Accutron Spaceview - approx 1973
Omega Seamaster Electronic - approx 1971
Omega Electronic - approx 1971
Omega Constellation Electronic Megaquartz - approx 1974
Omega Flightmaster cal 911 - approx 60's
That's all for now - I have a lot of other pieces to add but they are safely locked away  in storage.  Next time I take
them out I will take some pics of them.
This website is created by Paul Pratt, Hong Kong 2004. If you would like to use any of the images or text I am sure I
will say yes, but please ask first!  

Email me here.


Classic 218 10KGF
Quite small by today's standards.
This was one of my first vintage watches.  It was a New Old Stock
(NOS) piece from around 1970.  It came with the original boxes,
hang tags, price tags, warranty cards and receipt.  
A different 218 with original bracelet.
The dial has a great patina to it.
This is a good size - about 38mm accross.
This is one of my favourite watches.  It is not NOS
but I had the case "refinished".  It came with the
original bracelet and the dial was original.  

This watch always gets noticed when I wear it.
Accutron Astronaut 214 with original bracelet.
24hr bezel and a 2nd timezone hour hand.
The Accutron fork logo.
The Omega Speedmaster Pro gets all the glory for being the "Moonwatch" however the Accutron Astronaut
was widely used throughout the Apollo missions.  In fact the cockpit timekeeping instruments were Accutron
clcoks and these sometimes crop up on Ebay.

The bracelet on this watch is more rare than the watch itself - I have several!
Bulova Accutron Spaceview
This is a
This was restored in HK.
A great example of this fine timepiece.
This watch is probably the one that people think of when they hear the word Accutron.  The Spaceview is
so-called because it has no dial allowing you to see the movement. You can actually see the tuning fork too -
the top of the fork has two coils.  This watch is NOS.
TV style Spaceview.
Original bracelet.
I love watches with integrated bracelets.
70's styling to the max.
This case style is slightly harder to come-by than the example above.  This is what we would call TV style
because of the shape.  This is very much the late 60's early 70's styling and really like these.

This watch is NOS - still has the purple wax on the back of the case.
One heavy chunk of steel.
F300hz - the frequency of the tuning fork vibrations.
With original bracelet.
A huge watch -approx 46mm accross.
2 piece case - very unusual.
The Europeans were a little taken aback by the success of the American Bulova Accutrons and the earlier
Hamilton electric watches.  So it wasn't long before the big Swiss companies hit back with their own Tuning
Fork watches.  The movements however are stamped on the back "made under licence from Bulova".

This is a very unique Omega F300hz Seamaster.  It is absolutely huge and again has that 70's full-flow
styling with the integrated bracelet.
Simple and elegent.
Supposedly a diver's watch.
A dial shot.
Another of my first watches.  These are
available frequently on Ebay but mine is just
a bit special.  I had the bezel remade in steel
not the aluminium on all others.
Another big Omega.
I even have the original magazine advert from 1974!
This is one of the first quartz watches.
I started to like the 70's huge Omega watches
more and more.  This Constellation is just
enormous and the bracelet is solid steel.  

One of the first Omega "quartz" movements.
Omega flightmaster cal 911
A very thick and heavy watch.
An enormous watch!
I am very lucky to own this watch - the
condition is NOS which for flightmasters is very
very rare.  It weights a tonne.

This was a spin off from the Speedmaster line -
and was used by Russian cosmonauts in the
70's