Bulova
- Founded
- 1875
- Based in
- New York, USA
- In our catalog
- 4 watches from $400 to $1,800
Bulova was once one of the biggest names in American watchmaking. Its history includes the first television commercial in the US, the revolutionary Accutron tuning-fork watch, and a chronograph worn on the surface of the Moon. Today it's owned by Citizen and sells affordable watches that draw heavily on that past.
History
Joseph Bulova, a Czech immigrant, opened a jewelry shop in New York in 1875. The company became a major watchmaker in the early twentieth century, with factories in Switzerland and the US. In 1941 it ran what's often cited as the first television advertisement, a short clip showing a Bulova clock and a map of the United States.
In 1960 Bulova launched the Accutron, which kept time with a tiny tuning fork vibrating 360 times per second instead of a balance wheel. It was far more accurate than mechanical watches and hummed rather than ticked. Accutron technology was used in NASA instruments. In 1971, during Apollo 15, astronaut Dave Scott wore a Bulova chronograph on the lunar surface after the crystal of his official Omega came off.
Bulova struggled in later decades and was bought by Citizen in 2008. In 2020 Accutron was spun off as a separate brand.
Signature models
- Lunar Pilot: A modern version of the chronograph Dave Scott wore on the Moon.
- Precisionist: A quartz watch with a 262 kHz high-frequency movement and a smoothly sweeping seconds hand.
- Oceanographer Devil Diver: A 1970s-style diver, nicknamed for its 666 ft depth rating.
- Accutron Spaceview 2020: A modern descendant of the original Accutron, with an open dial and an electrostatic movement.
What it's known for
Bulova offers interesting watches with genuine stories for a few hundred dollars. Its high-frequency quartz movements are more accurate than standard quartz and have a sweeping seconds hand that looks mechanical. The brand is also popular in the US for gift and dress watches.
Price and positioning
Most Bulova watches cost between $200 and $800, competing with Seiko, Citizen and Tissot. The Accutron line goes higher. For the price, a Lunar Pilot or a Devil Diver is a fun way to own a piece of watch history.
Bulova watches in our library
- Bulova Precisionist ($400 to $500)
- Bulova Lunar Pilot ($550 to $695)
- Bulova Oceanographer Devil Diver ($700 to $795)
- Bulova Accutron Spaceview 2020 ($1,600 to $1,800)