Bulova Watches

Bulova continues to shine in the world of horology. Their long legacy is successfully carried forward by their present watchmakers. Bulova continues to excel as a subsidiary of the Citizen group and is set to launch many more remarkable collections in the future.

History of Bulova watch

Bulova's watchmaking journey began in Switzerland, despite the company's headquarters being in New York. When Joseph Bulova founded the company in 1875, he had no workshop in the United States. Bulova watches were manufactured in their workshop in Switzerland's Bienne. They were then imported to the United States for sales. However, Josephy Bulova was quick to realize that he needs an American production unit to truly scale his business. Soon the workshops and manufacturing units were relocated to the United States. The Bienne workshop, however, remained operational until 1983.

Significant Bulova watch across the ages

The first breakthrough model from the house of Bulova was the Lone Eagle watch. It was designed to commemorate the first trans-Atlantic flight by legendary pilot Charles A. Lindbergh in 1927

Three years, Bulova released its first water-resistant watch named Watertite. It was a successful watch in its era and helped Bulova establish its brand name.

The real breakthrough for Bulova came in the 1940s. In this decade, Bulova scaled at an unprecedented rate and soon became a household name. Bulova became the official timepiece manufacturer for the American Airline. Shortly thereafter, Bulova was also the official watch supplier for Pan American World Airways. In the 1950s, Bulova partnered with NASA to onboard the first-timers for satellites. NASA used Bulova timers in the Explorer, Pegasus, Tiros, Telstar, Syncom, and LES missions.

Bulova is also credited with the first TV advertisement in 1945. In the 1960s, Bulova made its next breakthrough. Accutron, the first electronic wristwatch in the world, was released in 1960. Astronauts in the Mercury-Atlas 9 space mission wore the Accutron watches. In 1966, the Bulova Accutron Astronaut watch was chosen by the CIA for all Black Hawk missions. Bulova Snorkel, aka Devil Diver, came out in the same decade with a water resistance of 666 meters. Mission commander David Scott sported a Bulova chronograph in the Apollo 15 (1971) lunar mission.

Japanese watchmaking conglomerate Citizen acquired Bulova in 2008. Since then, Bulova has unveiled CURV and the Accutron electrostatic concept movement. Bulova continues to innovate watchmaking technology to create more stunning timepieces for a wide range of use cases and preferences.

Over its 100+ years of existence, Bulova has gifted watch lovers some of the most remarkable watch collections in the world. Below we will discuss some of the best among these collections.

Bulova Lunar Pilot

The Bulova lunar pilot is also called the Bulova moon watch. It comes with a 45 mm case and a 13.5mm thick case width. It is one of the first watches from Bulova to have a widespread impact. It was the original watch that mission commander David Scott wore in the Apollo 15 mission. With its rich legacy and exquisite build, the Bulova Lunar Pilot remains one of the most significant Bulova watches.

Bulova Precisionist

The Bulova Precisionist, as the name suggests, is one of the most precise timepieces in the world. It comes with a powerful, in-house 262 kHz quartz movement. These watches can efficiently display time with a precision of 1/1000th of a second. They come in 43 mm cases and are available in a range of color and strap options. It also features a curved front glass in sapphire crystal or mineral. The women's variants of the Bulova Precisionist come in a 40 mm stainless steel case with diamond-set bezels.

Bulova Marine Star

Bulova marine star watches come with a choice of IP-coated (black or grey), silver-toned, bi-color, gold-toned, and case finishes and three case sizes - 43 mm, 44 mm, 45 mm. The Bulova marine star line also has multiple ladies’ timepieces, featuring ceramic or stainless steel. The open-heart models come with the Miyota 82S5 movement, and the chronographs from this line are powered by the Miyota 6S20 quartz caliber.

Bulova Sutton

The Bulova Sutton collection offers exquisite timepieces with sophisticated designs and exhibition dials. Available in 43 mm cases, these watches reveal the wonders of the Miyota 8N26 self-winding 21-jewel movement. Bulova Sutton watches are available in multiple color and tone variations, with the option of stainless steel bracelet or leather strap.

Bulova Archive Series

The Archive Series is Bulova's attempt to fuse the best elements of their older models with new, cutting-edge tech. Some of the most popular models from this collection are Chronograph A, Chronograph C, Computron, Devil Diver, and Lunar Pilot.

Bulova Frank Sinatra collection

The watches under this collection are a tribute to some of the popular Frank Sinatra songs - My Way, Young At Heart, Fly Me to the Moon, and Best is Yet to Come. They are available in a range of case shapes and designs and feature manual-wound, automatic, or quartz movements.

Apart from these collections, Bulova also launched the Bulova Joseph Bulova LE to pay homage to the brand's founder. Harley Davidson Watches by Bulova is exclusively made for the renowned motorcycle brand Harley Davidson. Bulova also has dedicated collections for the Grammy Awards and a collection inspired by American architect Frank Lloyd.