Bulova Waterproof Dress Watch, c. 1966

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

The story of Bulova is deeply entwined with American manufacturing. Its founder, a Czech immigrant named Joseph Bulova, was inspired by the advances that Ford made in his factory in Highland Park, Michigan. Starting in 1912, Bulova built a factory in Biel, Switzerland, using Ford’s principles of mass production. The brand was among the first to offer a wide range of wristwatches for men, with a distinctive visual style that—thanks to its innovative adoption of advertising and a relocation to Astoria, Queens—became fixed in the American imagination. Bulova took over offices in the Empire State Building and installed an observatory on the roof, in order to measure universal time. In the workshop down below, watchmakers timed the watches they were working on to readings taken in the observatory. The watches that Bulova produced were varied, from handsome three-handers to divers and even chronographs. Bulova produced its first chronographs in the 1940s—single-button affairs with screw-on bezels. Throughout the 1950s, 60s, and 70's, Bulova honed its mastery of chronographs. This particular piece dates to circa 1966 and is in superb overall condition. Appropriate for any wrist, this svelte piece features a 32mm case with a luminous silver sunburst dial with a matching 'obelisk' handset, a hand-cranking movement, and a signed crown. Whether you're a seasoned collector or just getting started, it's hard to go wrong with a timelessly designed manually-wound watch that suits for any occasion.