Vintage Bulova watches.
Bulova is one of the great American watch names, founded in New York in 1875. Famous above all for the Accutron, whose tuning-fork movement kept time to a new standard of accuracy, Bulova's vintage pieces combine mid-century American style with genuine technical history.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Bulova Accutron?
The Accutron is a watch introduced by Bulova in 1960 that keeps time using an electronically driven tuning fork instead of a balance wheel. It hums rather than ticks and was the most accurate wristwatch of its era.
How can I date a vintage Bulova?
Bulova stamped many watches with a date code, a small symbol and letter that indicate the decade and year of manufacture, which makes dating one refreshingly straightforward.
Do your Bulova watches come with a warranty?
Every watch is inspected before listing and covered by our 14-day returns.
Do you sell second hand Bulova watches?
Yes. Every Bulova watch we sell is second hand, and we use "pre-owned" and "vintage" to mean the same thing: someone owned the watch before you. The words differ only in age. Pre-owned and second hand say nothing about when a watch was made, while vintage conventionally means roughly thirty years or older. Our Bulova stock spans both, and every listing states the year where we can confirm it from the caseback, papers or movement, and says so plainly where we cannot.
Are old Bulova watches worth buying?
An old Bulova in honest condition is usually better value than a new fashion watch at the same money, because the depreciation has already happened and you are buying a watch that has proved it lasts. What matters is the individual piece rather than the age: an original dial, a case that has not been over-polished, and a movement that has been serviced or is priced to allow for it. We inspect and test every Bulova watch in London and describe wear in plain English rather than cropping it out of the photographs.
What makes a Bulova watch a classic?
A classic watch is one whose design has stopped dating, and the test is simply time: a shape that looked right thirty years ago and still looks right now. In practice that means restraint, a legible dial, proportions that suit a wrist rather than a trend, and a case shape that was not chasing the fashion of its decade. The classic Bulova designs are the ones that keep reappearing in our stock precisely because people kept them and wore them, which is the most honest evidence a design has lasted.
What is the difference between a vintage and an antique Bulova watch?
Antique conventionally means a hundred years or older, and vintage roughly thirty years or older, so almost everything described as an antique wristwatch is really a vintage one. Wristwatches only became common after the First World War, which is why genuine antique examples are mostly pocket watches. Our Bulova collection is vintage and pre-owned rather than antique, and each listing gives the year or era we have been able to confirm.
