FEATURE

American Brand: The History of Bulova Through 10 Milestone Bulova Watches


In this feature from our archives, we explore important watch milestones from Bulova over its 140-plus-year history.

Founded in New York City in 1875 by Bohemian immigrant Joseph Bulova, the Bulova Watch Company has been responsible for numerous watch world milestones in its century-plus of existence and continues to innovate well into the 21st Century. Here we look at 10 important timepieces from Bulova’s history and discover what they meant for the brand and for the watch industry as a whole.

Bulova had already become known for several watch-industry firsts — such as standardization of watch parts, launching the first full line of ladies’ watches, and airing the first radio commercial — by 1927, the year in which legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh became the first man to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. This accomplishment earned Lindbergh the Bulova Watch Prize of $1,000 and the opportunity to be the face of the company’s Lone Eagle wristwatch, which commemorated the record-setting flight. The original Lindbergh Lone Eagle, which was priced at $37.50, was described by Bulova as a “handsomely engraved 14-k white gold filled case with non-breakable crystal in back to protect the movement from dust. Has 15-jewel reliable Bulova movement.” With Lindbergh touting the watch in advertisements as “my pleasure to wear, keeps accurate time and is a beauty,” the Lone Eagle became Bulova’s best-selling watch of the era.

Bulova Lindbergh Lone Eagle watch
myBulova.com

 

In the early 1940s, with World War II threatening and American involvement in the conflict imminent, Bulova entered into a contract with the United States government to produce instruments that would aid the American war effort. Many of these had little to do with timekeeping, including altimeters, variometers, telescopes for range-finding on artillery, and time fuses for explosives. However, Bulova also provided the wristwatches that were issued as official gear for American troops. The so-called Bulova “Hack” Watch was equipped with a special lock-down apparatus that allowed for precise synchronization, an asset in the planning of wartime missions. As one of the few American watch companies, Bulova took its patriotic duty quite seriously: many of the company’s male employees joined the armed forces, leaving the Bulova factories of that time manned largely by women. The company also devoted 25 percent of its advertising to the promotion of war bonds and stamps, a service for which it was awarded a distinguished service certificate by the Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr.

Bulova Hack Watch

The Bulova 23 series — named for its 23-jewel, self-winding movement — debuted in the 1950s and brought wide popularity to a Bulova invention first used in a watch in 1953: the mechanical “Wrist-Alarm,” a breakthrough in the industry that would later be adopted by other brands. Bulova 23 watches were known for their “unbreakable” mainspring and shock-resistant, waterproof cases, which at the time were made entirely in the United States. This series was one of the first of many successful launches under the leadership of Omar Bradley, the decorated World War II general who had recently joined the Bulova company as Chairman of the Board of its Research and Development Laboratories.

Bulova 23 advertisement

The 1960s saw Bulova’s most famous and influential contribution to the science of watchmaking — the Bulova Accutron, the world’s first fully electronic watch. Rolled out under worldwide scrutiny at the World’s Watchmaking Fair in Basel, Switzerland (now called Baselworld) in 1960, the watch incorporated a revolutionary new technology that utilized a 360-Herz tuning fork, powered by a one-transistor electronic oscillator, to drive the timekeeping functions rather than a traditional balance wheel. The brainchild of Bulova engineer (and Basel native) Max Hetzel, this technology ensured an oscillation rate of 360 times per second — nearly 150 times faster than that of a mechanical, balance-wheel-driven timepiece — and guaranteed an accuracy to just one minute per month. The Accutron was distinguished by its telltale humming instead of ticking, a sound generated by the vibrating tuning fork. The first Accutron model, called Spaceview 214 and featuring its now-famous open dial showing off the high-tech movement, also deviated from traditional wristwatch design with its lack of setting stem and crown on the side of the watch; these elements were instead placed on the back of the case. The Accutron has been the cornerstone of Bulova’s portfolio ever since. In 2010, its 50th anniversary year, Bulova released a special, limited-edition replica of the Spaceview with a modern movement.

Bulova Accutron Spaceview

Bulova also lent its expertise to the U.S. government during the late-1960s Space Race with the Soviet Union. During its decades-long partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Bulova helped outfit numerous satellite missions with Accutron timekeeping technology, starting with the Vanguard 1 in 1958. All timekeeping instruments, including instrument-panel clocks, aboard NASA’s manned spacecraft missions leading up to and including the legendary first Moon Walk on July 21, 1969, were equipped with Bulova Accutron tuning fork technology. (At the time, even NASA scientists could not know how a mechanical timekeeper would function in low-gravity conditions.) Of course, watch history buffs are well aware that it was the Omega Speedmaster Professional (now appropriately nicknamed the Moonwatch) that won the right to be official NASA watch and hence the first watch worn on the moon during the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969. Fewer may realize that astronaut Buzz Aldrin also placed a Bulova Accutron timer in the Sea of Tranquility to help transmit critical data transmissions. In commemoration of its role in the Space Race, Bulova subsequently released a limited-edition Accutron “Astronaut” watch, with Buzz Aldrin’s signature on the caseback.

Bulova Astronaut watch

 

A Bulova Accutron chronograph wristwatch finally made it to the lunar surface in 1971, on the wrist of Apollo 15 mission commander David R. Scott. Scott wore the watch, which had been specially engineered to withstand lunar conditions, as a backup after the crystal on his NASA-issued Omega, according to records, had popped off. Scott’s Bulova watch — the only privately owned watch ever to visit the moon — recently sold at auction for $1.62 million. To commemorate the record-setting sale, Bulova released its Special Edition Moon Watch Chronograph — aesthetically a very faithful re-creation of the original (which was never made available commercially), but outfitted with a modern UHF (Ultra-High-Frequency) quartz movement, which Bulova says gives the watch an extremely high degree of timekeeping accuracy, losing just seconds per year. It also powers a continuous sweep seconds hand for the chronograph function, a feature rare in quartz chronograph watches. The classical tricompax dial features what the brand calls “super-luminous” treatment on the hands and hour markers and is surrounded by a tachymeter scale for calculating speeds. One other consolation to modern tastes and convenience is the small date window at 4:30. This watch is currently available at retail for $550.

Bulova Moon Watch Replica - soldier

Nicknamed the “Stars and Stripes” by collectors for its combination of red, white, and blue elements, and introduced to the market in 1970, the Bulova Chronograph “C” is among the most collectible of Bulova watches, as it was discontinued just about a year after its debut. Design-wise, the watch stands out for several reasons — its 43-mm steel case, which was very large for the era; its colorful dial and oddly shaped hands; its bezel, which is notched but does not rotate; its lack of traditional lugs; and its heavy mesh bracelet that attached directly to the underside of the case. The movement, which is front-loaded, is a mechanical Valjoux 7736, which powers the timekeeping and stopwatch functions. Despite its brief time in the spotlight, the Chronograph “C” is appealing to many for its “patriotic” theme and represents a touchstone to the United States bicentennial year of 1976, even though the watch was long off the market by then.

Bulova Chronograph C

As electronic watches and quartz watches began growing in popularity throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, Bulova continued to forge ahead with innovations such as the Accutron Quartz, the first quartz-crystal watch sold in the U.S.A., and boasting a case made of 18k gold. Shortly, Bulova catered to the era’s growing demand for digital timekeepers by adding a line of Accuquartz watches with digital LCD time displays, and eventually the all-digital Computron LED, with its very unconventional and (at the time) somewhat futuristic trapezoidal case with LED display on the side. This style is often called a “drivers’ watch” because its layout enables a driver to check the time without moving his wrist from the steering wheel; in the case of the Computron, the angled time display — the wearer would press the command button once for the time, and again for the date —  also addressed the problem of glare from direct sunlight impairing the visibility on an LED watch.

Bulova Computron LED

In 2008, Japan’s Citizen Watch Company acquired the Bulova brand. One of the most significant new product releases under the new management regime was the Bulova Precisionist, billed as “the world’s most accurate quartz watch with a continuously sweeping seconds hand.” Citizen developed and manufactured the Precisionist movement — whose oscillator vibrates at 262,144 times per second, eight times as fast as a standard quartz crystal — exclusively for use in Bulova watches. The oscillator has three prongs instead of the standard two and functions as a “torsional resonator,” meaning that instead of vibrating back and forth like a standard quartz-watch oscillator, the prongs twist to and fro, as in an electric guitar. Unlike other high-precision watches that rely on external time signals or need to sent away for recalibration after a battery change, Precisionist watches use lithium ion batteries that can be as easily replaced as those in other quartz timepieces.

Bulova Precisionist

At Baselworld 2016, Bulova introduced what it calls the world’s first curved chronograph watch, the Bulova CURV. In an engineering feat, Bulova took one of its proprietary ultra-high-frequency quartz Precisionist chronograph movements and bent it. Then it fitted the movement into an ergonomically designed, slim, curved case. The CURV collection consists of sports and dress models priced from $599 to $899. The leader model, shown here, has a see-through dial, a titanium case ($899; it also comes in steel at $799), a transparent back (rare for a quartz watch), and a black rubber strap. The CURV’s movement has a frequency of 262 kilohertz, which is eight times greater than a standard quartz watch movement. At that rate, the watch’s seconds hand does not skip from second to second as on a standard quartz watch, but moves in a continuous sweep around the dial, in the manner of a mechanical-watch hand. With the development of this very distinctive watch and movement, Bulova demonstrates its devotion to continuing its long history of watch-world firsts.

Bulova CURV
Bulova CURV

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No Responses to “American Brand: The History of Bulova Through 10 Milestone Bulova Watches”

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  1. I love my Bulovia. Friends always complement my watch.

    Very good time piece.

    Reply
  2. Michael McMahon

    Thank you from across the Pond for a very informative article on BULOVA. Question please – have a vintage BULOVA wind-up 21 jewel 6 ATM Divers Watch with chequered-flag type decor around the inner dial. It is in great working condition. Numbers on back of case are 102169DD & 20656. Have tried to ID this for a name/model but no success. Can you help?.

    Reply
  3. John McNamara

    My dad was a graduate of the Bulova School of Watchmaking. Bulova made a promotional movie about guys who went to the school and my dad was one of the 3 students in the film. Circa 1972, James McNamara loved Bulova and they loved him!

    Reply
  4. richard john heer

    i worke, the right waythereker kerkerker apprenice then journyman tool maker, there were three ways of doing things in those daysd at bulova watch co. in providence,rhode island from 1952-1962 as a toolmaker,there were three ways of doing things in those days, the right waythe wrong was and the bulova way !!!!!!!!!!!!

    Reply
  5. James hagar

    Do you appraisal ,I have a bulova that was given to a relative when he retired in 1975

    Reply
  6. Phillo Johan Badenhorst

    I have a 1970’s Actron with a gold plated case that still keeps perfect time

    Reply
  7. Elisher r Belfoure

    I own several Bulova watches and was wondering what they are worth?

    Reply
  8. Ray Pini

    I have a BULOVA N5
    Serial #J045473
    What is it worth now…?

    Reply
  9. George Faille

    I owned a Bulova watch when I was in the Marines 1964-1967. I would sure love to have that watch again. Can’t find a photo of it though.

    Reply
  10. Douglas Rush

    I love Bulova i have owned atleast 20 watches. And still have 8 of them i will not buy any other watch. Lifetime Bulova owner

    Reply
  11. Richard McLeod

    I have a Bulova watch and I need a new band. Please respond,. Note: I will be glad to submit a picture, so you can see the type of band that I need. Thank you….

    Reply
  12. Anthony Morell

    I love my bulova watches and I’m greatful for this historic information. Thank you

    Reply
  13. John Tillery

    You should make the devil diver 666 with demonstrator back. Also, the name Bulova should not have the letters linked together. It would be nice if the lumin was Tritium. I have the 1969 edition and love it!

    Reply
  14. Elia Leo Sotiros

    I purchased my Bulova watch in 1952. A gold wind up watch, thin as 50 cent piece. Have worn it ever since. The only watch I have wore and at age 82, I still wear it every day and it still keeps perfect time. About 15 years ago I sent it back to Bulova and had it worked on and restored. There has never been, nor will be, a more beautiful or functional watch for me. As a young boy of 15, when I saw the watch for the first time I knew I had to have it. The jewerly store allowed me to pay weekly until I paid for the watch. One of my finest purchases.

    Reply
  15. Just a note, but the line stating David Scott wore a Bulova “Accutron” chronograph to the moon is misleading. The watch was a Bulova mechanical piece, and not an Accutron. Since prior to this line the article was about tuning fork movement Accutrons, and then immediately led into this sentence, it would be easy to mistake the facts. It is known; however, that many astronauts favored the Accutron Astronaut model (with the 214HN tuning fork movement), and if I recall correctly some were eventually work into space as backup watches. If course, the same movements were in panel clocks and instruments of capsules and the like.

    Reply
  16. Tommy Lee Jones

    Personally I find Bulova to be one of the most exquisitely crafted watches in the history of man no other watch created today has survived the test of time with so much quality taste and Longevity to date the timepiece itself is truly a watch of the aristocrat Exquisite in time tasting quality a watch of the Blue Bloods hats off to mr. Joseph Boulevard a true gentleman of impeccable taste in time

    Reply
  17. Andrea L Beene

    I have a old 14k gold Bulova ladies watch with the #s 234636 on back and Bulova L2 on back also and was wondering and tried to research what era or year make it was..need help

    Reply
    • Dayle Henshel

      L2 would translate to 1952. L=50 (1950), 2 supplies the year. HTH

      Reply
  18. James Malenfant

    Finally, an article about Bulova watches. This article explains exactly why I wear Bulova watches. I have 2 Accutron, 2 Marine Star, and 2 Precisionist. All of them are cool, but my favorite is my Spaceview from 1961. Still humming away 57 years later. I wear it all the time, and get many compliments. I worked at a pawn shop in college, and the Bulova watches that came through were just special, even the boxes are first rate. One of the accutrons has 47 diamonds on it. A Rolex? No thanks, I have a Spaceview! Have a great day!

    Reply
  19. Accutronitis

    You could have at least shown a picture of the Accutron “Astronaut” watch with the correct factory bracelet which was either a coffin link or bullet link bracelet.

    Reply
  20. Patricia Coen

    My mother ha a belova watch which was gifted to her from a greatxaunt in america dating from 1937. It can open at the back and insidecwe can see 6 Ruby’s. There is also an engravement on the back which are my moms greatcaunt and her husbands initials. It is so pretty to look at. Can you assist with maybe any more info regarding the design. Thankyou. Patricia Coen. Ireland

    Reply
  21. allen chezick

    why cannot bulova remake the original ACCUTRON WATCH, IT WOULD SELL VERY,VERY
    WELL AT A DECENT PRICE!!!

    Reply
    • Accutronitis

      They did and then they sold it for $2,500.00 a watch !

      Reply
  22. S.czeladzinski

    Bulova super deville day-date automatic 25 jewels. Including bracelet…
    Exactly as Rolex including strap design,! Who! Was the original designer Rolex? Or Bulova?
    Pleas reply as soon as possible,,, many thanks..

    Reply
  23. Randy Rogers

    Arguably an omission, the Worlds Thinnest Watch @ 1.86MM (.12MM thinner than Delirium), the Bulova Phantom @$600 GP/Strap, $5,000 for 18K Bracelet and Head. circa 1979.

    Reply
  24. Glenn Krasner

    Bulova also had a very big role in the Cold War against the Soviet Union. Where I grew up, in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York, Bulova had a large, high security plant, where they manufactured timing devices for bombs and missiles. The plant shut down sometime in the late ’90s after the fall of the Soviet Union, and now a Home Depot and BJ’s Warehouse Club stand where it once stood.

    Reply
  25. JF Roberts

    Good tutorial on the brand. I’m glad to see Bulova’s Japanese owners continue the tradition of excellence and astonishing accuracy of the movements.

    Reply
  26. Craig . ozorth

    Unfortunately Croton was left out. Their LED solid state wrist watches, made in the USA, were also pivotal.

    Reply
  27. I have a Precionist, a Marine Star, and a Special Edition Moonwatch Chronograph and I love them all. Bulova makes the only quartz time pieces that I’m really passionate about. You get a LOT for your money with a Bulova. Would love to find a Chronograph C.

    Reply
  28. Bill Shockley

    Lots of inaccuracies in this article.
    It’s slapped together by someone who got paid by the word.

    Reply
  29. Anonymous

    The first entry on bulova watches is saying your printing lies? Can you verify that you had anything to do with ardent. B. As you say and why put it on here as rubbish if they helped you years ago? Plus seiko are better reliable than bulova but now citizen watches have become the biggest owners and more recognised than bulova then I’ll buy a citizen watch and not a bulova from a bunch of pathetic liars just wanting to cause an argument or what they say is making a statement of lies with liars.

    Reply
  30. Richard Kalina

    I re:read the Bulova article along with all the comments. After I read my feed-back overview, I realized that the article said how Bulova sold the 1st Quartz watch in the U.S.A.This is not correct. I was in the meeting with the heads of Bulova ( my Godfather in the watch world was Harry B.(for Bulova) Henshel, part of the actual Bulova blood- line who was running Bulova. The talk was about how another not American brand, Seiko who was looking for a sales story to help get their Japanese brand going in the U.S.A., had beaten us to the 1st quartz movement watch sale. We missed it by less than 2 days because we were so careful checking the single watch’s timing, quality and all other components that we did that rather than rush-out. deliver it to a chosen store and sell it to a already set-up customer. We were more concerned with doing it the right way.We thought that because we had used so many quartz based timers for the U.S. military for so many years that we automatically held the “we’did that a long time ago” position. Besides that, quartz wristwatches were not yet ready for mass production and consumer distribution. Sorry for not including this in my 1st write-up. There are many other pieces to the Bulova historical portfolio.

    Reply
  31. Charles Gorenberg

    Most interesting to see the evolution of a brand.

    Reply
  32. Charles Ollinger

    My father worked for Bulova for 47 years. I grew up helping in their NYC offices & then in Flushing.
    Omar Bradley awarded me a Bulova scholarship to college. A signed photo from him may have saved my life during my service 1966-1969.
    Arde Bulova and his executives were like family.

    Reply
    • Glenn Krasner

      I have heard similar stories from other people and their families who worked in the Flushing and Jackson Heights, Queens plants and the defense plant (timing devices for bombs and missiles) in Valley Stream in Nassau County.

      Reply
  33. J. Philip Vaclavik

    I love Bulova watches, thanks for writing the article.

    Reply
  34. Great to see Citizen is reviving the Bulova brand again with novel innovations after the long decline, having been sold on to various companies from the 80-ies.

    Reply
  35. Michael MacKenzie

    The seconds hand on the new Bulova Curv does not sweep like other precisionist watches but has tick that appears to tick twice for each second even unlike a regular quartz watch.

    Reply
  36. Richard Kalina

    The so American history of Bulova and the Bulova family is much longer and supportive of the American dream Joseph Bulova came here to live the American dream and did it while paying back the leadership he believed America was driven to do. Besides spending their money inventing the most advanced time keeping instruments, new components like watch case and movement materials, dial design and construction, advanced timing devices for our armed forces and space-programs. When our dedicated soldiers returned from active duty and had a tough time finding a good paying job, the Bulova family spent it’s money building the Joseph Bulova School of Watch making. They taught these returning vets how to repair/fix/maintain all brands of watches so they could support themselves and their families..Bulova’s commitment to America went far beyond designing, manufacturing and selling terrific American-made watches.The Bulova history is an example of a family company making and living the American dream. Giving and making it better is more important than how much money you cantake away. Thank you for everything Bulova

    Reply
    • Wayne Musselwhite

      My Dad (Jim Musselwhite) worked for Bulova for most of his working years. I remember going to many annual sales meetings as Bulova encouraged the men to bring their families. Bulova was a very family oriented company and I think Harry B. Henshel wanted it that way. I ended up being a salesman for the company in Alabama and San Francisco. Was my second job out of college and taught me more about business and how to handle myself, the business and the people I worked with than any other training I could imagine. The jewelers love the product and company. I can’t say enough good things about my time with Bulova! Great leadership and people to work with!

      Reply
  37. Adjusting the palls with jewels attached to 2mm wheel 360 teeth was one hell of a Job on the acutron/0mega f 300,sore Eyes.

    Reply
  38. Stephen Ollman

    Correction to this article.
    The original 1927 Bulova Lone Eagle sold for $50 and had a 17 jewel movement.
    The later 1929 Bulova Lone Eagle sold for $37.50 and had a 15 jewel movement.

    Reply
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