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Bulova 10k Gold Plated "Oversized" Calatrava W/ Fancy Lugs, 1958 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Bulova 10k Gold Plated "Oversized" Calatrava W/ Fancy Lugs, 1958

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Bulova (maker)
Date
1958
Country of origin
United States
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
gold
Dimensions
Case 35.5 mm
Stock no.
BLC10K
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (BLC10K)
Catalogue title (original)
1958 Bulova 10k Gold Plated "Oversized" Calatrava W/ Fancy Lugs (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number BLC10K), this is a wristwatch by Bulova, made in United States, dated 1958. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 35.5 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

The vintage Bulova obsession in the watch community is very real and here to stay! The unique and funky watches from Bulova are always a cause for conversation. Ranging from colorful diving chronographs to eccentric electric watches like the famous Accutron. SPECS Stock # BLC10K Brand Bulova Style Calatrava Model N/A Serial D15XXXX Size Men's Material 10k Rolled Gold Plated Dial Matte Cream Millimeters 35.5mm Bracelet 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The oversized and slim, 10k rolled gold plated Calatrava case design with art deco inspired "fancy lugs" is stunning. There is a small chip in the gold plating on the back side of the crown entry point. The original 'Bulova' stamped crown is present. The original acrylic crystal shows some light crazing and features a slight surface crack at top of the 8 o'clock. The case back engravings are clear and legible. The watch will come supplied on a 2pc handmade leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The original cream colored dial is in excellent condition, showing almost no signs of age. All font and markings are in beautiful and near flawless condition. The original hands show light oxidization but are still in great vintage condition. Most of the oxidization is on the hour and sub-second hands, while the minute hand remains in excellent condition. ACCESSORIES None. Watch is keeping time, previous service history is unknown.

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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