In 1870, Joseph Bulova moved his life from Bohemia which is now known as the Czech Republic to the optimistic shores of Ellie Island. After becoming an apprentice at the prestigious Tiffany’s he opened his own jewellery store in Lower Manhattan, where jewellery was now thriving. The store was called J. Bulova and it was quickly becoming high quality brand.
By 1912 Bulova had managed to establish his first manufactory plant, which was a tribute to the creation of jeweled movements in Switzerland. As the demand began to expand, Bulova found himself reinventing the appearance of timepieces to produce something that had never been seen before.
In 1919 Bulova was the first brand to produce a luxury men’s watches encased with jewels, as well as a distinctive style that would soon become an ever present in the watch industry. By the 1920’s Bulova had produced something truly spectacular, the Bulova Observatory. The Bulova Observatory was initially used for mathematicians to measure timing, for precise and accurate readings for all Bulova timepieces.
By 1940 they had created a watch in commemorating Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh – who was the first man to fly across the Atlantic Ocean without stopping and created the first clock radio to represent three decades of Bulova. However, it did not stop there as in 1941 Bulova pushed the boundaries of marketing by creating the very first television advert, shown at none other than Brooklyn Dodgers vs Philadelphia Phillies game. With the slogan “America Runs On Bulova Time” Bulova had were strengthening their hold on the timepiece market.
The 1940’s were special for Bulova, as in 1945 they agreed a contract with US Government to help and support those at war. Bulova supplied the military with instruments such as telescopes as well as issuing Hack watches to all soldiers.
1958 saw an incredible technological advancement with Bulova seeing their technology being used in the Vanguard 1 satellite, helping in NASA missions such as Neil Armstrong’s venture to the moon in 1969.
Bulova didn’t only provide NASA with technology for their Vanguard 1 satellite, they also supplied their famous accutron technology to the President of the United States. In 1967 accutron technology was used on the presidential aircraft, the Air Force One.
Bulova’s technological advancements were gaining recognition from all over the world and on October 4th 2000, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani officially named the day “Bulova Day” as a tribute to the elegant brand. Between 2010 and 2013 Bulova saw limited edition men’s watches, alongside brand ambassadors such as Richard Branson and Manchester United.
If there any watches that truly represent their history it is Bulova. Bulova’s technology and timepieces have seen them raise the barrier at every level of development and ensuring the highest quality jewellery.
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