VINTAGE BULOVA chronographe & divers

FYI
VINTAGE BULOVA SUPER PERPETUAL DATE GMT models ...


Overseas model commonly found and sold by sellers in Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, there are several versions that mimic the ROLEX GMT models. Some examples ...

vintage bulova

I’ll add this one. Not much info on these single crown compressors

vintage

1964

1973
BULOVA DEEP SEA 666 feet DIVER CHRONOGRAPHE variant B
it's original Bulova divers crystal is a HIGH DOME heavy duty double plexi crystal.

1967 SNORKEL J

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36MM BULOVA SUPERWATERPROOF
Single Crown Compressor SELFWINDING

EPSA CASE REF.# 272 [ BREVET ] as per Bulova specs rated at 666 feet static
with solid plastic resin bezel
Bulova mvmnt. ref.# 11AFAC [17 jewel]
LUG WIDTH: 18MM
Bulova OEM crystal / plexi ref.# 1139AW

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42MM BULOVA (Oversized) DUAL CROWN Supercompressor ....​

EPSA case ref.# 273 [BREVET] as per Bulova specs rated at 666 feet static
Bulova mvmnt. ref.# 11AFAC [17 jewel]
Bulova OEM crystal / plexi ref.# 273AW

IMAGES BORROWED FROM CYBERSPACE

mustard yellow tritium lume

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Bulova Chronograph​

Presented to Dwight D. Eisenhower​

A historically significant stainless steel Bulova chronograph was presented to General (later President) Dwight D. Eisenhower by Arde Bulova, Chairman of the Bulova Watch Company.

The watch, dated to 1941 by a movement stamp ("BXW" with an asterisk), features a 32mm case, black glossy dial with gilt printing, and a manual Caliber 13 AH movement with 17 jewels.

It was accompanied by a Gay Frères beads-of-rice bracelet.
The caseback is engraved with the inscription:

"To Genl. Dwight D. Eisenhower, as a token of my admiration and respect, Arde Bulova."

Though the exact date of presentation is unknown, ties between Bulova and Eisenhower were strengthened through shared connections, including General Omar Bradley, a West Point classmate of Eisenhower and later Bulova’s chairman.

The watch left Eisenhower’s possession when he gifted it to his wife Mamie’s uncle, Joel Carlson, during a visit to Boone, Iowa. It was later traded to jeweler Walter Donald Eckstein for repair, remaining in the Eckstein family until its auction. It sold for $25,000 at Phillips in 2018, far exceeding its $10,000–$15,000 estimate.

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BULOVA "Big Eye" CHRONOGRAPHE
from: Heuer (not TAG)
Powered by - Vajoux caliber 23
owned by: John Glenn

Heuer had made some chronographs for Bulova, The dial and case appear to be identical to the Heuer Reference 404.​

1961 Bulova Snorkel Skin Diver - Single Crown Compressor - Ref. 11399W - Cal. 11AFAC automatic movement - This model is often referred to as the "Bulova Nautilus" due to its resin bezel being almost identical to the Longines Nautilus Ref. 6921 from the same era. These are quite, only produced in 1961 & 62, and especially hard to find with delicate bezel intact.

In 1961 Bulova entered into the recreational diver's watch market offering two unique models: the "Snorkel" (Ref. 11399W) - a 36mm Single Crown Compressor Skin Diver & the “Snorkel C” (Ref. 11400W) - a 42mm Dual Crown Super Compressor. Both models utilized the cal 11 AFAC movement and were housed in EPSA cases by Ervin Piquerez SA, which is easily recognized by the trademark Bell Dive helmet on the case back. These cases were designed with a spring-loaded case back that compressed under water pressure, sealing the watch more tightly as the depth increased.

The EPSA case was rated to 600 feet, however Bulova pushed the limit to 666 feet. By exceeding the 600-foot standard, Bulova set itself apart from its competitors and emphasized the ruggedness and reliability of its watches. From a marketing perspective, the "666 ft" number stood out, making the watch instantly recognizable and ultimately becoming what we refer to today as a "Devil Diver".

While the one year 1967 Bulova Snorkel Model J grabs attention for its Bathyscaphe styled case, the 11399W Snorkel Single Crown Compressor stands out with its Nautilus style resin bezel, coffin indices, syringe hands, and EPSA case. Truly an "OG" in the Bulova “Devil Diver” world.

Neo-Vintage Bulova Super Perpetual Date GMT II - Ref. 91692 - Powered by a Bulova signed ETA 2836A movement.

There’s a long-circulating rumor surrounding these watches involving a dispute between Bulova and Rolex over design similarities—possibly related to trademark or trade dress issues (I’m not a lawyer, so take the terminology loosely). According to the story, Bulova allegedly moved remaining stock to Indonesia and other Far East markets, where trademark enforcement was minimal at the time, in order to sell them off. I haven’t been able to verify this, and it remains anecdotal, but it’s a story that continues to follow these models.

From what I’ve been able to determine, there were at least two references produced: 91692 and 93381. Multiple dial and bezel configurations exist, including Pepsi, Root Beer, all-black 24-hour, and others.

The movements are modified ETA 2836A calibers converted from a day-date configuration to a GMT layout, an approach that was used in several GMT models of the era and is still seen in some GMT watches today. These examples are Bulova-signed. Interestingly, it appears that the conversion was orignally a aftermarket modification which was later adopted by ETA for the same purpose.

A few years ago, I contacted Bulova’s historical department seeking more information. I was told that after Citizen’s acquisition of Bulova, access to detailed records for many vintage and neo-vintage models was lost or no longer available, leaving much of this period undocumented by the brand itself.

If anyone has verified information, production details, period advertisements, or firsthand knowledge to add, please reply below.

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COKE BAKELITE BEZEL ref.# BT-194 with DETENT SPRING
for BULOVA SNORKEL 666FEET OCEANOGRAPHER series case ref.# 714

Case reference # 714 that housed the date-only cal.# 11BLACD mvmnt. is equipped with a unidirectional 60-click rotating Bakelite (coke) with a grooved interior bezel. The bezel rotation is controlled by a detent or tension spring mechanism (aka: click spring).

NOTE THAT ...

The friction-mounted (no-click) bezel was used on case ref.# 7095-1, which housed the day-date movement cal. 11AOACB.