Bulova 1966 -Unknown

Submitted by Rakkasan on September 6, 2023 - 7:37pm
Manufacture Year
1966
Case Serial No.
J184649
Case shape
Round
Case color
White
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Crystal details
34mm
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Round 36mm all-polished steel case, down-turned angled lugs with17mm width, solid fixed case back, 4mm domed crown with coin-edge, domed acrylic crystal, matte black dial, white printed "Bulova" below 12, white printed "Automatic" above 6, white printed "Swiss" below 6, applied silver faceted hour indices, Arabic numerals under indices at 12,3,6,9, case back marked "Bulova", "Stainless Steel Case", "Shock Resistant", "Anti-Magnetic", "Self Winding", "Water Proof", "J184649", "M6".

Could not determine how to remove crown-stem assembly, and so was unwilling to disassemble past removing the bezel, crystal, and slip-in dial ring, so no movement or case interior details or are available.

1966 Bulova watch, black dial.
1966 Bulova watch, case back detail.
1966 Bulova watch, case side profile.
mybulova_admin
Posted September 7, 2023 - 8:16am

I've spend a while now going through the linebook we have available, but not had much luck finding a match. I'm hoping I've missed it, but also have a feeling this 'may' be an international model (sold outside of the US). I'll continue looking for a model ID.

Rakkasan
Posted September 7, 2023 - 2:49pm

In reply to by mybulova_admin

Thanks for your effort in this! I checked as best as I could before finally posting here, and found a lot of "similar" but not matching watches in the years around 1966. My best guess was that it was possibly a Clipper of some sort, but it could have been others as well.

If it wasn't clear in the photos, and if it helps any, the hour and minute hands are polished faceted silver Index-style, and the sweep second hand is fa polished silver Cone-style, with no luminous material applied to any of them. I also wasn't clear in my description, but the Arabic numerals inboard of the hour indices are also applied, they are flat, and of polished silver as well.

A bit of information as to the provenance of this particular watch (limited as it is), it was gifted to me by my father before 2000, probably in 1998 or 1999, in Portland Oregon. It was likely obtained by him from a thrift shop, so that doesn't really narrow down the actual origin of what market the watch might have been originally purchased in (international or domestic), since it could have covered a great amount of distance in the 33 years between when it was manufactured and when I took possession of it. In any case, it's a quite striking watch in its simplicity, in surprisingly excellent condition for its age (case back pitting aside), and keeps excellent time.

Andersok
Posted September 7, 2023 - 8:27pm

No match found; possibly an international model.

neetstuf-4-u
Posted September 11, 2023 - 6:43am

Very cool watch, I love the elegant simplicity. I'm at "same as above". Went through linebooks from 1962 to 1969 with no match. It is entirely possible this one immigrated to the US from Canada. Sorry, 

1966 Unknown. for now.

Kathy L.
Posted September 11, 2023 - 6:43pm

No find for me.

Unknown for now