Recent Bulova Watch History
The Bulova watch has a history rich in innovation and quality. Here is a look at its post World War II story.
In 1950 Bulova began the development of its phototimer, which combined its expertise and manufacture of a Bulova watch with the qualities of a photo-finishing camera.
In 1952 Accutron, Bulova's first electronic watch, was introduced. It was the first to offer accuracy to within two seconds each day.
A Shock proof and self winding Bulova watch was introduced in 1953, along with a brand new concept, the wrist alarm. The following year the Bulova 23 watch hit the stores. This was waterproof, self-winding and 23 jewels, with a mainspring that was unbreakable. This Bulova watch was manufactured entirely in the U.S., then a rarity.
In 1956 the Jackie Gleason Show heralded in the first major advertising campaign by a watch manufacturer. In 1959 Bulova began to offer a formerly unheard of one-year warranty on all its clock radios.
The Bulova Accutron became part of the inner workings of NASA space program computers in 1960. In that same year the firm brought the Phototimer clock back on the market, with an upgrade of its electronics and photographic capabilities. This clock now features a sensing element with infrared qualities reminiscent of heat seeking missiles. The Phototimer can sense a gun flash and immediately will starts its timing device at the instant the runners begin their race.
The Accutron Tuning Fork Bulova watch was certified for use by railroad employees in 1962. The next year Caravelle Bulova watches were launched, as the first jeweled Bulova watch.
In 1967 Accutron climbed aboard Air Force One, the lone watchmaker on the presidential sky palace.
Accutron's watch movement gained further recognitions when it became part of the Apollo 11 mission and went to the moon. In fact, Bulova's timer is still there, part of the lunar Sea of Tranquility, controlling the vital data transmissions from there back to earth.
The first quartz movement clock, the Accuquartz, was introduced in 1969. In 1970 the Accuquartz became part of a calendar Bulova wrist watch, with crystal quartz movement. It was made of 18-karat gold and retailed at one of the higher ends of the Bulova watch collection - $1325.
Bulova was responsible for so many other subsequent firsts, such as a quartz watch for women, the thinnest wall clock in the world, the first miniature clock, as well as solar clocks.
The Bulova watch collection added multiple time zone and perpetual calendar features to its repertoire of Millennia style watches in 1999.