
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Bulova Type A17A U.S Military Watch, 1961
- Maker / attribution
- Bulova (maker)
- Date
- 1961
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- United States
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- BLVTYPA17A
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (BLVTYPA17A)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 1961 Bulova Type A17A U.S Military Watch (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number BLVTYPA17A), this is a wristwatch by Bulova, made in United States, dated 1961. 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 — Craft & Tailored
The Bulova Type A17A is a U.S. Military issued navigator/pilot’s timepiece that was in production from 1956-1962, which immediately replaced the previous mil-spec A-17. The A17A was designed as a navigation timepiece for pilots and aviators. The A17A is very similar to the A-17, featuring radium Arabic numerals, lumed pencil-style hands, and a subsidiary 24-hour track. However, the main difference is the 17-jewel Bulova cal. 10BNCH movement The practical dial layout and no-nonsense design give the wearer the perfect utilitarian feeling that makes these early military watches so sought after. Although this is a smaller watch in nature, the dial layout was designed for fast legibility. Stock # BLVTYPA17A Brand Bulova Style Type A17A Model MIL-W-6433A Serial M1 Size Men's / Unisex Material Stainless Steel Dial Matte Black Millimeters 32 Strap 2pc Canvas Strap CASE & BRACELET The sharp case is in extremely impressive condition, boasting strong factory brushing throughout with subtle signs of previous use present. The original brushed bezel shows light signs of use as well. The case retains its original large unsigned crown. The case back retains all of its factory military contract numbers and markings. The watch will come supplied on an era-correct 2pc canvas strap. DIAL & HANDS The utilitarian matte black dial is exceptionally well-preserved, showing notable elements of age or damage. The original lumed numerals and markers all remain fully intact under UV light inspection, and have taken on a lovely golden-yellow coloration. The original hands have aged a shade more saturated than the dial, under UV light inspection there is a spot of missing lume in both the hour and minute hands, though the remaining lume remains stable. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time, but the service history is unknown. A movement service can be provided upon request.
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
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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