Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Bulova Snorkle Automatic, Waterproof Devil Diver, 666 Feet, circa 1960s
- Maker / attribution
- Bulova (maker)
- Date
- c. 1960s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- United States
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- vws4220
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws4220)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Bulova - Snorkle Automatic - Waterproof Devil Diver - 666 Feet - With Bulova Box - c.1960s (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws4220), this is a wristwatch by Bulova, made in United States, dated c. 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) 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 — Vintage Watch Specialist
Discover this vintage Bulova Devil Diver Snorkel automatic watch with tropical dial, rotating bezel and original Bulova box. Bulova has a long history of producing practical, reliable tool watches, with its dive watch models gaining popularity during the 1960s and 1970s as recreational diving became more mainstream. Known for combining robust construction with accessible pricing, Bulova dive watches often featured bold dials, rotating bezels and strong water resistance. Vintage examples are now increasingly collectible, appreciated for their distinctive styling and dependable movements. Today, Bulova continues to revisit many of its classic dive designs through modern reissues and heritage-inspired collections. What's on Offer Fresh to stock is this wonderfully characterful Bulova Snorkel “Devil Diver”, dating to the late 1960s and presented with its original Bulova box. A cult favourite among vintage dive watch collectors, the Devil Diver earned its nickname from the bold “666 Feet” water resistance marking on the dial — a detail that has made these watches instantly recognisable and highly sought after. This example features a beautifully aged tropical dial, with warm patina developing evenly across the surface over time, giving the watch a unique vintage appearance that simply cannot be replicated. The dial is complemented by bold luminous markers, oversized Arabic numerals at 12, 6 and 9, and the original “Snorkel Automatic Waterproof 666 Feet” text that defines the model. Housed in a stainless steel case with rotating dive bezel, the watch retains plenty of period charm and honest wear consistent with age and use. Powered by the automatic Bulova calibre 11 ALACD movement, this piece captures the adventurous spirit of late-1960s dive watches perfectly. Fitted to a black rubber Tropic-style strap, it remains an effortlessly cool and highly wearable vintage diver today.
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
Dive and water-resistant watches
Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.
Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.
What to look for
- Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
- Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
- Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
- Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.
Dating clues
- Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
- Professional dive watches: from 1953.
- Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.
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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