Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Bulova Caravelle (Ref. 3286-DP), 1974
- Maker / attribution
- Bulova (maker)
- Date
- 1974
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- United States
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- BLVCRVLA-4
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (BLVCRVLA-4)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1974 Bulova Caravelle (Ref. 3286-DP) (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number BLVCRVLA-4), this is a wristwatch by Bulova, made in United States, dated 1974. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. 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 that Bulova made from the 60s-80s are always a cause for conversation. Ranging from colorful diving chronographs to eccentric electric watches like the famous Accutron. SPECS Stock # BLVCRVLA-4 Brand Bulova Caravelle Style Diver Model 3286-DP Serial N4 Size Men's Material SS Dial Black/White Millimeters 36X39 Bracelet 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The excellent case has been very lightly polished and retains broad chamfers and retains close to factory dimensions with honest signs of use. The original bezel insert remains deep black in coloration and exhibits no fading or signs of use. The case back retains all of its original factory markings in deep and visible condition, there are some light scratches present. The watch will come on a 2pc tropic rubber strap. DIAL & HANDS The beautiful black and white dial offers a highly visible and striking aesthetic, the dial is in excellent condition and shows appropriate signs of age. The tritium lume plots have taken on a lovely creamy patina, under U.V. light inspection the lume plots show consistent degradation throughout. The original tritium hands have aged to a slightly darker patina and exhibit some minor lume loss when inspected under U.V. light and remain stable. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time and functioning perfectly, previous service history is unknown.
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
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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