Despite the name Accutron, where its latter syllable is derived from the word “electronic,” from the original model’s tuning fork movement powered by a button-cell battery, the Astronaut uses a mechanical movement instead. The Sellita SW330 is equipped with an independently moveable GMT hand, 56 hours of power reserve, and tuned to 28,800 vph. The former syllable in the Accutron namesake comes from the word “accuracy,” and the Sellita SW330 is most certainly game to stay true to the name as it keeps time at approximately +/-5 seconds per day. Although it’s not quite on par with the +/- 5 second per month accuracy rating of Bulova’s Accutron tuning fork movement, the Sellita SW330 will be definitely easier on the eyes when looking through the partial display-back case.
The Bulova Accutron Astronaut bezel display is a peculiar one. The split tone bezel is something that is of the norm when it comes to GMTs, and the 12 hour display within each section, as opposed to a full 24 hour display all around, is actually part of the original design. It’s where the split occurs that differentiates it from the rest. Instead of cutting the bezel in half at six, the Accutron Astronaut’s bezel starts the split at 5:30 on one side and 6:30 on the other. As a result, once the 12 bezel marker is centered with the 12 dial marker, the bezel display visually looks uneven. And even if you try to center the splits along the 3 and 9 o’clock markers, then the 12 bezel marker won’t line up with the 12 o’clock marker. This might be bothersome for those that have OCD and want the bezel markers perfectly aligned and zeroed out when its function is not in use (I think I might be guilty here).
The dial is in close resemblance to the original. Hour markers are accompanied by lume blocks within the minute track, and between each hour marker, a triangular lume marker resides which would prove useful when tracking another timezone in the dark Accutron’s wordmark is presented on the dial in a applied and polished fashion, and the signature italicized Astronaut is located right where it should be.