Hi guys;

Came across one of these in a local estate jewelry shop today. Says to have been serviced in late 2018. The annoying thing, having dealt with this dealer before, is that they do not allow photos. The owner is, to say the least, eccentric. The image below, borrowed from the interwebs, is representative of the model and same in design/aprox same in condition as the one for sale.

That said, he did open the case to show me the movement, which looked clean to my non-Bulova trained eyes. A minute timed against my digital chrono was perfect; I know that is hardly a few days on the timer but was somewhat reassuring. The dial looks untouched, with moderate fading to the bezel.

He's asking $325, which seems high to me, but I do know he is willing to haggle to a degree.

With this very limited info, any suggestions as to what a reasonable offer to him may be? I like the watch, but I haven't owned a Bulova since one bought at Macy's when I was about 15.

 

I believe the Sky Star was a one year only model. They do not come up often for sale. That said, I believe if you are patient you could probably find one for half to two-third’s what your seller is asking. Regarding condition. The movement used in the Sky Star is robust and easily serviced by a competent WM. The bezels are prone to fading. Finding one which is easily legible is difficult. All the above said, they are a nice watch, and the heart wants what the heart wants. Good luck, and keep us posted. Attached are a couple photos of a Sky Star I picked up last year in the price range I have suggested.

 

These are great watches. I was looking into buying one myself, I'm a big Bulova buff. Still debating between this and a Snorkel.
Here's a few tips I use when shopping out in the wild for watches:
1. Compare the watch's movement to a picture of how it should look like, I use bidfun-db Archive, or any site like that, they have most movements pictured there.
2. If purchasing from a watchmaker that claims to have had serviced the movement ask to see the watch on a timegrapher, keep in mind the performance a movement should get, make sure all of the values are within spec.
3. Even if you did research the watch thoroughly before inspecting it in person, keep a picture or two of a known good example handy, this helped me to pay more attention to detail. When spotting a dial reprint for example.
4. Test all features: Bezel, time setting, calendar and other complications(if that is the case). Also, make sure the feeling of these features is right: No hard turning bezel, crown and stem operating smoothly and so on...
5. Bring a magnifier, examine the seconds track and other print (or take a photo of the dial and zoom it, although this can not be applied in this case )
6. The hardest part: Be rational about it and be prepared to say no. Also, expect defects consistent with the piece's age( in this case a faded bezel or some fallen lume, this part is subjective to every collector)
(There are many more but these came to mind right now)
What intrigues me about your case is the watchmaker's disapproval of taking pictures. Is he afraid of people stealing his pictures for scams? Whenever I've shopped in the wild nobody forbade me from taking pictures. I even took a picture of a Rado chronograph, that I glanced at for 2 weeks before deciding I wanted it(it was sold when I went to get it)
P.s when I negotiate i tend to offer around 15% less if I feel the price could be better. This is subjective.
Good luck! I hope I've helped at least a tiny bit.

 

Nice piece! Sadly, the bakelite bezel insert in these does not get along with UV light. I have some vintage shop meters which have bakelite screen covers and they have turned a milky color. As for the model year, I tend to believe as well that these are 1969 made only. All pieces I have seen for sale were marked M9.