150 Years Bold: The Iconic Watches of Bulova

In the crowded streets of late-19th-century Manhattan, a young Bohemian immigrant named Joseph Bulova opened a modest jewelry shop. In 1875, from that small storefront on Maiden Lane, he planted the seeds for one of America’s most enduring watch brands. Bulova was a pioneer from the start, among the first to embrace standardized mass production of timepieces, to open a dedicated watchmaking factory in America, and to blend precision engineering with an unmistakably modern aesthetic.

Over the decades, Bulova’s watches would tick in step with the city itself: bold, efficient, stylish, and always ahead of the moment. Even now, under the ownership of Japanese watch giant Citizen, Bulova remains quintessentially New York: a design language shaped by the city’s skyline, its energy, and its appetite for innovation. From Madison Avenue billboards to the first television commercial in the United States, Bulova isn’t just a watchmaker. It’s part of the cultural architecture of New York.

That cultural imprint is etched into its most famous creations: pieces like the groundbreaking Accutron Spaceview, the ocean-ready Oceanographer “Devil Diver,” the crisply executed Lunar Pilot chronograph, and the elegant Miss America. Each of these watches reflects not only Bulova’s technical daring, but also the city’s restless drive to redefine what’s possible, making them as iconic as the skyline they were born under.

With a legacy this deeply woven into both watchmaking and American culture, and it being Bulova’s 150th anniversary, I wanted to look at some of the watches I consider to be icons for the brand. Pieces I feel stand out in design, engineering, and cultural relevance, each one carrying a piece of New York’s spirit on the wrist.

The Bulova Lunar Pilot earns its place in the pantheon of watch icons not just for its design, but for its role in one of humanity’s greatest achievements. In 1971, during the Apollo 15 mission, astronaut Dave Scott wore a prototype Bulova chronograph on the lunar surface after his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster was damaged. Built to withstand the extreme conditions of space, the watch performed flawlessly amid the Moon’s intense temperatures, low gravity, and fine lunar dust.

While the original was an automatic chronograph, the modern Lunar Pilot reissue brings high-frequency quartz precision to the space nerd in all of us, capturing the same spirit of the original. The oversized case, crisp dial, and that distinctive tachymeter bezel make it both a tribute to a singular moment in history and a capable, everyday chronograph in its own right. 

Few dive watches have a nickname as memorable as Bulova’s Oceanographer “Devil Diver,” and it comes straight from the bold “666 feet” depth rating printed on the dial; a wink that caught the eye of divers and landlubbers alike in the 1970s. Originally released in an era when sport watches were embracing more daring colors and designs, the Devil Diver stood out with its chunky cushion case, high-visibility dial, and rotating bezel that made it as practical underwater as it was stylish topside.

It was built to handle serious aquatic adventures, meeting the rigorous ISO standards for dive watches of its day, yet it never lost that slightly mischievous, attention-grabbing edge. Today’s reissues preserve the vintage charm, from the bright accents to the unmistakable case silhouette, reminding collectors why this devilishly distinctive diver remains a Bulova legend.

The fun addition of the Bulova Snorkel is the newest addition to the Oceanographer lineup. With its hybrid ceramic cases and fun colors, it’s capitalizing on a storm brewed by the MoonSwatch, but arguably offers you a bit more for the money. 

The Bulova Miss America captures the elegance and showmanship of its namesake, blending classic design with red-carpet glamour. Born from Bulova’s long-standing connection to the Miss America Pageant, where the brand was once the official timekeeper, the watch channels a refined, feminine aesthetic without sacrificing substance.

The 150th anniversary edition displays timeless sophistication through clean lines, diamond-accented details, and mother-of-pearl dial, while the precision quartz movement ensures modern reliability. Of course, unlike the pageant that inspired it, the Miss America doesn’t require parading around in heels or answering oddly existential questions about world peace; it simply sits on the wrist, looking fantastic and keeping perfect time. It’s a reminder that Bulova can craft watches that are both celebratory and enduring, without the need for a talent portion.

The Accutron Spaceview began life not as a retail model, but as a demonstration piece to show off Bulova’s groundbreaking tuning fork technology in the early 1960s. Originally intended for jewelers to display the revolutionary movement, the world’s first fully electronic watch, its open-worked dial and visible tuning fork weren’t meant for the public at all. But customers were so captivated by the futuristic design that Bulova had no choice but to make it a production model.

The Spaceview became a symbol of the space-age optimism of its era, combining unmatched accuracy with a look that felt like it belonged on the wrist of a sci-fi hero. Back then, the Accutron name was part of Bulova proper, not a separate brand, making the Spaceview both a technical milestone and an unmistakable chapter in Bulova’s own story. Even today, its humming movement and distinctive design remain a masterclass in turning cutting-edge engineering into cultural iconography.

I want to close this out with two watches I’d love to see make a comeback for Bulova's 150th anniversary.

Bulova’s history is peppered with tributes to aviation legends, and two of its most romantic, and now discontinued, are the Lone Eagle and the Lady Lindy. The Lone Eagle debuted in 1927 to honor Charles Lindbergh’s first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic, a feat so celebrated that Bulova reportedly sold thousands of the watches within days of his landing. With its Art Deco styling and aviation-inspired marketing, the Lone Eagle captured the daring spirit of the time.

A few years later, Bulova paid tribute to another trailblazer of the skies with the Lady Lindy, named for Amelia Earhart. Released in 1933, it celebrated her solo transatlantic flight and was marketed toward women with a design that balanced elegance and practicality, a nod to Earhart’s own blend of style and substance.

Together, these models stand as reminders of an era when Bulova wasn’t just keeping time, but marking the moments that defined it.