Elvis Presley wore a number of watches throughout his life. We commonly associate early Elvis with the Hamilton Ventura, which he got as a product placement for the movie Blue Hawaii in 1961. But before that, he wore a Bulova Accutron, in 1960. This is slightly after gold lamé-Elvis, and just after Army Elvis. The Accutron is a time capsule of late 50s design.
In the early 60s, when the Accutron was new, electric watches, powered by batteries, were all the rage. The technology was very new, and it’s easy to imagine Elvis being into it.
Today’s Accutron 521 re-issue uses a mechanical movement, which looks to be a Sellita SW200. The case retains its original dimensions, 32.5 by 32.8mm. The gold-tone mesh bracelet looks like it came out of the packaging from the original.
What made the Accutron 521 unique at the time besides its movement was the unusual “TV” shape. Instead of a square case, it’s an asymmetric trapezoid with the lugs almost subtly extending below the top surface of the case. The crystal has to have the same asymmetric shape, and was made of mineral glass back in the 60s.
For $1550, you could have the gold or stainless steel 521 Accutron on the bracelet. Or, for $1450, you could wear it on a brown lizard-embossed strap with deployant clasp. All told, there will be 1200 watches produced, 600 each. If you’re feeling a little loose in the hips and have a gold lamé jacket in your wardrobe, the 521 is for you.
