Let’s be straight here — we feel like Bulova doesn’t get enough credit. Before the quartz era, Bulova had a reputation like no other. Obsessed with precision, the company went above and beyond, building its own observatories to determine universal time and introducing the concept of interchangeable parts to watchmaking. It was also responsible for the Accutron, the world’s first electronic movement — the same movement that powered timing on NASA's Apollo missions. (Besides the wrist-worn Speedmasters, of course.) Even Bulova's advertising was innovative: In 1926, it produced the first radio ad and went on to run the first television commercial in 1941. For decades, America truly ran on Bulova time. Its spotless reputation extended to tool watches, where it produced tough-as-nails pieces for the military and civilians alike, including the legendary A-11 and A-17 pilot’s watches in the 40’s and 50’s, and a line of fun and functional chronographs dive watches in the 60’s and 70’s. These models, including the Snorkel and Oceanographer, combined good looks, rugged movements, and Bulova’s cheeky 666-foot depth rating into one badass package. Bulova has finally begun attracting the attention of budget-conscious collectors, and pieces such as this one provide a glimpse as to why. With its 37mm stainless steel cushion case, acrylic crystal, unsigned crown, and a fully hashed, bidirectional steel dive bezel, it has the air of a tool meant to be knocked around without worry. A matte-black dial with applied, luminous indices; an outer 1/5th-seconds track in white; a handy day-date display at 3 o’clock; and a lumed ‘sword’ handset complete the utilitarian picture. Inside a screw-down caseback beats a Swiss-made, automatic movement ready to keep faithful time for its next owner. Everyone should have a watch that they can enjoy any day of the week. Whether desk diving at the office or weekend adventuring, this 1970s diver is a daily driver.
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