Joseph Bulova immigrated to America in 1870. At the age of 19, he opened his own jewelry store on Maiden Lane in Lower Manhattan, then the nucleus of New York City’s jewelry industry.
He called it J. Bulova, and quickly distinguished himself with the quality and artistry of his work
Due to growing demand, Joseph Bulova established his first plant committed to the production of jeweled wristwatch movements in Bienne, Switzerland. Fabricating fine timepieces via assembly line, Bulova established a standardization never before seen in the world of horology
Bulova debuted its first-ever complete line of men’s jeweled wristwatches, advertising across American with an iconic visual style to match its product
To ensure accurate measurement of astral time, the Bulova Observatory was constructed in Midtown Manhattan, the first facility of its kind atop a skyscraper. Readings taken by mathematicians on the top floor were delivered to setting and timing units below, which used the data to accurately set all of the company’s timepieces
On July 1, Bulova aired the world’s first television commercial. Shown before a Brooklyn Dodgers v. Philadelphia Phillies game, the nine-dollar ad featured a simple, silhouetted map of the US, centred with a Bulova clock and the slogan ‘America Runs on Bulova time’
In celebration of his legendary transatlantic flight, American aviator Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh received the Bulova Watch Prize and a $1,000 check. Lindbergh later became the face of Bulova’s ‘Lone Eagle’ watch, a commemorative timepieces honoring his historic accomplishment
Bulova’s first clock radio represents three-and-a-half decades of BULOVA Watch Time. The clock pictured is being adjusted by Joseph Bulova’s grandson Harry Henshel, while WWII General Omar Bradley displays the miniature
On July 1, Bulova aired the world’s first television commercial. Shown before a Brooklyn Dodgers v. Philadelphia Phillies game, the nine-dollar ad featured a simple, silhouetted map of the US, centred with a Bulova clock and the slogan ‘America Runs on Bulova time’
Following victory abroad in WWII, the Bulova School of Watchmaking was opened. Combining specified training and dedicated job placement, the institution offered disabled soldiers a means of tuition-free rehabilitation near Bulova HQ in Woodside, Queens
Two years before Bulova unveiled Accutron to the public, the technology was used aboard NASA’s Vanguard I satellite. Over the course of a decades- long partnership, Bulova produced timing instruments for critical NASA missions, including the first moonwalk on July 21, 1969
The new standard in precision timekeeping, Accutron technology was used aboard Air Force One, Accutron timepieces were given as official Presidential Gifts of State, and were endorsed by railroad workers as the first wristwatch precise enough to be authorised for general use by personnel
In commemoration of Bulova’s 125th anniversary, New York Major Rudolph Giuliani officially proclaimed Wednesday October 4 ‘Bulova Day’
The Bulova Accutron Limited Edition Spaceview 214 was released. A handmade replica of the original Accutron Calibre 214, the timepiece honors the 50th anniversary of the world’s first electronic watch. 1,000 numbered, handmade pieces were released to the public
The Bulova Precisionist was released. The most comprehensive and potentially revolutionary product launch since the debut of Accutron, Precisionist technology addresses two critical factors that affect accuracy in a quartz watch: temperature change and vibration frequency
Bulova Accutron proudly announced Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, as its newest ambassador. The face of Bulova Accutron’s ‘Swiss Made. Self Made’ campaign, Branson’s entrepreneurial and wordly spirit fit perfectly with the Bulova Accutron ethos
Bulova Accutron proudly announced Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, as its newest ambassador. The face of Bulova Accutron’s ‘Swiss Made. Self Made’ campaign, Branson’s entrepreneurial and wordly spirit fit perfectly with the Bulova Accutron ethos