Bulova

Bulova
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Watchmaking
Predecessor	J. Bulova Company
Founded	1 January 1875; 151 years ago in New York City, United States
Founder	Joseph Bulova
Fate	Acquired by Citizen Watch in 2007
Headquarters	New York City, United States
Area served	Worldwide
Products	Watches, clocks, accessories
Owner	Citizen Watch
Parent	Citizen Watch
Website	www.bulova.com

Bulova is a prestigious American manufacturer of luxury timepieces, founded in 1875 in New York City. Initially known as the Bulova Watch Company, it specializes in producing watches, clocks, and related accessories.

Origins

The company began as the J. Bulova Company in 1875, founded by Bohemian immigrant Joseph Bulova. It was later reestablished under the name Bulova Watch Company in 1923. In 1979, it became part of Loews Corporation before being acquired by Citizen Watch in 2007.

Bulova’s roots trace back to a modest jewelry and clock repair business in New York. By 1911, the company had expanded into manufacturing table clocks and pocket watches. A significant development occurred in 1912 when Joseph Bulova opened a dedicated watch factory in Biel, Switzerland, introducing standardized mass production techniques that greatly enhanced its market share. In 1927, the company set up an observatory atop a Fifth Avenue skyscraper to precisely establish universal time.

The firm broadened its operations to Woodside and Flushing, New York, where it pioneered advancements in watchmaking tools and technology. Among its key innovations was the Accutron watch, which utilized a vibrating tuning fork for time regulation, giving Bulova a notable edge over competitors.

During the 1920s and 1930s, Bulova earned acclaim for its art deco wristwatches—characterized by rectangular or square cases such as the Breton, Banker, and Commodore models. These designs were revived in 2020 under the Joseph Bulova Collection featuring Swiss Sellita mechanical movements. From 1922 to 1930, Bulova released over 350 ladies’ Art Deco watches alongside many men’s styles.

From at least 1931, the Westfield Watch Company operated as a Bulova subsidiary. Westfield provided more affordable wristwatches equipped with Swiss movements featuring fewer jewels than standard Bulova models. The Caravelle brand emerged during the early 1960s. The Westfield trademark was officially discontinued in 1989.

Advertising Achievements

Bulova made its initial market impact with a 1922 advertising campaign in the Saturday Evening Post. By the 1960s, it led American watchmakers in advertising expenditures and had distribution through more than 20,000 retail locations across the U.S., including jewelry outlets and department stores.

In 1926, Bulova became a pioneer in radio advertising by airing the first commercial broadcast: "At the tone, it’s eight o’clock, Bulova Watch Time," reaching millions nationwide. The brand’s association with Charles Lindbergh further boosted its profile after he received a Bulova watch following his landmark solo transatlantic flight in 1927; this event inspired the "Lone Eagle" model. Bulova also claims to have been among the first producers of electric clocks beginning in 1931. Its distinctive curved rectangular watches gained popularity during the 1930s and ’40s. A notable marketing effort included a 1932 contest called "Name the Watch," which offered $10,000 in prizes for naming a new $24.75 model. By 1940, Bulova was sponsoring the most popular twenty radio programs across America.

On July 1, 1941, Bulova made history by airing the world’s inaugural television commercial before a baseball game on New York’s WNBT (now WNBC). This advertisement displayed a clock test pattern alongside the Bulova logo and slogan "Bulova Time," marking a milestone in TV marketing strategy.

Throughout the 1940s, Bulova developed sophisticated analog sports timers for use in arenas. In 1945, Arde Bulova founded the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking to provide training for disabled war veterans following World War II; this institution later evolved into a rehabilitation center and advocate for people with disabilities until its closure in 1993.

Between 1949 and 1954, Bulova secured licensing rights from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to use "Academy Award" and "Oscar" branding on its watches, paying $154,000 in fees. This collaboration elevated brand prestige despite restrictions imposed by the Federal Trade Commission on advertising claims.

In the mid-1950s, Bulova sponsored The Frank Sinatra Show, presenting Sinatra with engraved wristwatches. This partnership extended support to the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts and inspired limited-edition collections such as the Rat Pack series and watches named after Sinatra hits like Fly Me to the Moon and My Way.

The marketing campaign for Bulova’s Accutron watch was notably featured on the television series Mad Men, highlighting its image as “more than a timepiece.”

In 1967, Bulova purchased Swiss watchmaker Universal Genève and operated its Biel facility until its closure in 1983. Ownership changed when Gulf and Western Industries acquired shares in 1973 before selling them to Hong Kong-based Stelux Manufacturing Company three years later amid industry shifts on a global scale.

Accutron

Introduced in October 1960, Bulova's Accutron timepieces utilized a 360 Hz tuning fork as their primary timing mechanism, replacing the conventional balance wheel. This technology was developed by Max Hetzel, a Swiss engineer who joined Bulova in 1950. The Accutron incorporated a single-transistor electronic oscillator circuit, making it the second "electronic watch" after Hamilton Electric's debut in 1957. Unlike traditional mechanical watches that produce a ticking sound, the Accutron emitted a subtle high-frequency hum generated by its vibrating tuning fork.

Serving as an early forerunner to today's quartz watch technology, the Accutron delivered exceptional precision—promising accuracy within one minute per month (equivalent to two seconds daily)—outperforming mechanical watches of its time. Bulova aggressively promoted this level of accuracy with slogans like "so revolutionary -- so accurate, it's the first timepiece in history that's guaranteed 99.9977 accurate on your wrist." The model achieved notable commercial success, with sales exceeding four million units by 1973 and prominent brand exposure, including its inclusion in a time capsule at the 1964–65 World's Fair in New York.

This breakthrough solidified Bulova's position in the watch market, broadening its product range and enhancing its image as a pioneer in watchmaking innovation and corporate expansion.

The Apollo 15 watch

In 1971, Bulova marked a significant chapter when mission commander David Scott carried one of its chronographs aboard Apollo 15. Although all twelve astronauts who walked on the Moon wore NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster watches—property of the government—Scott’s Omega suffered a crystal loss during his second lunar walk. Consequently, he relied on his personal Bulova Chronograph Model #88510/01 on the lunar surface, making it the sole privately owned watch worn on the Moon. Photographs document Scott sporting the timepiece as he saluted the American flag on the Moon. This watch, bearing visible signs of lunar use and recovery, was auctioned for $1.625 million in 2015, ranking among the highest-priced astronaut-owned memorabilia and wristwatches sold publicly. The piece appears to have been a prototype, disclosed by Scott to Bulova collectors only in 2014. Building on this heritage, Bulova introduced a tribute edition in early 2016 equipped with a modern high-frequency quartz movement, reviving this iconic design after more than forty years.

Computron

During the challenges posed by the quartz crisis, Bulova unveiled the Computron in 1976—its inaugural electronic quartz LED digital wristwatch. The Computron stood out with its unique trapezoidal stainless steel case and side-mounted digital display engineered for drivers to read without rotating their wrists—though activating the display required pressing a button. Subsequent versions enabled users to cycle through seconds, date, day of the week, and an additional timezone via repeated button presses. This innovative concept played a crucial role in maintaining Bulova’s financial resilience amid turbulent times for the watch industry.

21st century

On January 10, 2008, Citizen expanded its brand portfolio and market presence by acquiring the Bulova Watch Company from Loews Corporation for $250 million.

Bulova's range of products features its primary "Bulova" brand, the fashionable "Caravelle," the Swiss-crafted "Wittnauer," and the "Marine Star" series. In 2014, the company phased out the "Accutron" brand, incorporating select models into the "Bulova" lineup.

The year 2010 marked the introduction of the Precisionist by Bulova, a quartz timepiece equipped with a high-frequency crystal oscillating at 262,144 Hz. This innovation provided remarkable accuracy within ±10 seconds annually and offered a smoothly gliding seconds hand, reinforcing Bulova’s position in precision watchmaking.

From 2012 until 2015, Bulova produced the Swiss-made Accu•Swiss collection as a successor to Accutron; however, Citizen discontinued this line in 2015 to simplify its branding approach.

In 2019, Bulova reintroduced the Computron brand, updating its electronics while preserving its original design elements. This revival aimed to appeal to specialized collectors and broaden product variety.

By 2020, Citizen Group repositioned Accutron as an independent brand to highlight its electrostatic movement technology alongside vintage-inspired "Legacy" models. This strategy continued with the 2023 relaunch of the Accutron "Astronaut T." Despite the discontinuation of original tuning-fork manufacturing equipment, Accutron remains dedicated to advancing its technological innovations.

Use by Jewish cantors

Accutron and other tuning fork watches have become favored among Orthodox Chazzanim (Jewish cantors). Since most rabbis forbid traditional tuning forks on Shabbat due to their resemblance to musical instruments, tuning fork watches provide a practical alternative. These watches emit a steady 360 Hz tone (a slightly flat F#) audible without breaching Shabbat regulations, as their primary purpose is timekeeping rather than music production.

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