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Bulova Accutron Direct Read
Authorized Luxury Retailer
Renowned for expertise in luxury watch retail, Watches of Switzerland embodies the highest standards of craftsmanship and service. With a history dating back to the 1700s, the company offers a curated selection of premier timepieces and commits to excellence in customer experience grounded in a legacy of trust and industry proficiency.
Authorized Luxury Retailer
Free Expedited Delivery
Free Expedited Delivery on Orders $300 and Up (Estimated 1-3 Days)
Our secure shipping service operates Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For security reasons, an adult signature is required for for orders over $300 USD. Watches of Switzerland does not deliver to P.O. boxes or third-party forwarding services. For more information about delivery, click here. Tracking information will be made available upon shipping.
*Additional shipping fees may apply to domestic orders shipped outside the continental United States.
$15 Flat Fee on Orders Under $300 (Estimated 1 - 2 weeks)
Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information about delivery, click here. Tracking information will be made available upon shipping.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your order, please contact the Watches of Switzerland Client Services.
Free Expedited Delivery
Easy Returns
Our commitment to you does not end at delivery. We offer the following return services to make your experience as pleasant as possible.
10-Day Returns For Timepieces:
Timepieces purchased online can be returned or exchanged within 10 days from when they are shipped or collected.
30-Day Returns For All Other Purchases:
All other online purchases can be returned or exchanged within 30 days from when they are shipped or collected.
On presentation of the original receipt, your purchases may be returned or exchanged at any of our store locations. Alternatively, you may elect shipping to our facility with all the original paperwork. All refunds must be credited to the same tender used for the original purchase. To return the online purchases through secure shipping service, please contact our client service team who will provide you the shipping label, free of cost*.
All returns or exchanges must be in new, unworn condition, with no scratches or markings, not sized or adjusted and in their original packaging and with warranty cards / certificated and instruction booklets.
*For order under $300 and all international returns:
Return Shipping: Clients are responsible for shipping items back to our U.S. facility, including all associated costs such as duties, taxes, and carrier fees.
Refunds/exchanges only in the country of purchase.
Please refer to our Return Policy for details on eligible items, return timeframes, and conditions.
Easy Returns
Accutron Watches Bulova Accutron Direct Read - (Ref. 2186 N3) Product Details
Overall Condition: Excellent condition overall. Case and bracelet show light wear. Dial is excellent.
The 1970s imagined the future differently. It wasn’t round dials and sweeping hands—it was digital displays, integrated bracelets, and bold geometric cases that looked as though they had arrived from tomorrow. Long before LED and LCD watches took over, Bulova pioneered its own vision of the digital age with the remarkable Accutron Direct Read.
Produced in 1973, as confirmed by its N3 date code, this striking example features a commanding 42mm gold-plated case with an integrated bracelet and signed deployant clasp. Rather than a conventional dial, the watch displays the time through a horizontal viewing aperture. Hours jump instantaneously while minutes and seconds advance via rotating numbered discs, creating the illusion of a digital display despite being entirely mechanical. The result is one of the most distinctive and conversation-starting time displays of the decade.
Powering the watch is Bulova’s ingenious Caliber 2186 Accutron movement, an evolution of the company’s legendary tuning-fork technology. Instead of traditional hands, the movement drives a series of rotating discs that reveal the hours, minutes, and seconds through carefully shaped windows. The system combines the smooth precision of the Accutron with a display unlike anything else on the market at the time, earning the model the nickname of a “Driver’s Watch” thanks to its easily readable, in-line display.
The Direct Read perfectly captures an era when watchmakers weren’t afraid to challenge convention. While brands like Hamilton experimented with LEDs and Girard-Perregaux explored quartz, Bulova charted its own path by marrying its revolutionary Accutron technology with one of the most imaginative displays ever fitted to a wristwatch. Today, the Direct Read remains a cult favorite among collectors—not only for its unmistakably futuristic styling, but because it represents one of the last great innovations of the mechanical-electronic age before quartz forever changed the industry.
General
Condition
Pre-owned
Brand
Accutron Watches
Reference
2186 N3
Year
1970s
Family
Accutron Direct Read
Product Code
40993405
Watch Display
Analog
Case
Case Size
42 mm
Case Material
Gold Plated
Dial
Dial Color
Champagne
Movement
Type
Quartz
Bracelet
Bracelet Material
Metal
What People Are Saying
4.7 Average Star Rating
Shipping was ok
Shipping was ok
Eva H.
Perfect gift for my son
Perfect gift for my son
HAROON M.
Absolutely top notch service with
Absolutely top notch service with Watches of Switzerland. My watch was overnighted for free because it was over $300. On a Saturday, even! Impeccable.
Christopher S.
Thank you very much
Thank you very much
Wooin S.
Amazing service
Amazing service
Devon R.
We needed to get this
We needed to get this in about 24 hours before he left for school. It arrived right on time.
Linda S.
Great experience!
Great experience!
Shabnam M.
Kevin Phillips was really helpful
Kevin Phillips was really helpful
Rieko O.
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