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Bulova SkyStar World Time (Ref. 761) Black Dial, 1969 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Bulova SkyStar World Time (Ref. 761) Black Dial, 1969

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Bulova (maker)
Date
1969
Country of origin
United States
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 38 mm
Stock no.
BLVSS761
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (BLVSS761)
Catalogue title (original)
1969 Bulova SkyStar World Time (Ref. 761) Black Dial (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number BLVSS761), this is a wristwatch by Bulova, made in United States, dated 1969. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 38 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 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 eclectic watches like the famous Accutron. The Bulova SkyStar ref. 761 was produced within Bulova's Excellence Collection which had a short lifespan at the end of the 1960s. The Excellence Collection was marketed as Bulovas premier line of wristwatches featuring improved metal quality, case finishing, and upgraded movements. It is believed that the Bulova SkyStar ref. 761 World Time was only produced in the year 1969, with the majority featuring orange dials, making production numbers for these watches very low, especially in the white or black dial variants. The Bulova SkyStar's ref. 761 feature a bakelite world time rotating bezel, and the cal. 11BKACB automatic movement with day and date complication. These world time Bulovas rarely surface, especially the black dials, making them unique watches that are both stylish and functional. SPECS Stock # BLVSS761 Brand Bulova Style SkyStar World Time Model 761 Serial M9 Size Men's Material SS Dial Matte Black Millimeters 38mm Bracelet 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The wonderful cushion style case is believed to remain unpolished, featuring its original case dimensions and finishing with light signs of use. The original bakelite world time bezel is in exceptional condition showing no cracking with only light signs of use, and has faded to a wonderful light grey coloration. The case retains its original "Bulova" signed crown. The caseback retains all of its original factory engravings and serial numbers. The watch will come on a 2pc handmade leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The excellent matte black dial is in exceptional condition, showing no surface marks or blemishes. The tritium lume plots have aged to a bright golden patina and exhibit no degradation under U.V. light inspection. The original tritium hands match the dial perfectly showing no degradation or lume loss when inspected under U.V. light. ACCESSORIES

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

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

  • Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
  • High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
  • 24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
  • Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
  • Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
  • GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

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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