Men’s 1940 Bulova Dress Watch w/Box

Beginning in 1875, Joseph Bulova set off on the bold experiment of a wholesale jewelry business. It was not until the '20s, realizing the potential of the newly popularized "wristlet," that he began to use his jewelry expertise to make wristwatches. His factories in Switzerland would go on to produce millions of movements for watches, then ship them to the states where each watch would be hand-assembled and tested. One can look at the early Bulova timepieces and see the clear influence of Joseph Bulova the jeweler and craftsman. Bulova dominated the Deco era, ushered in the sleek '30s and "Harley Earl" war era and carried their influence well into the Retro movement.

Since Retro seems to have gone from a fad phase to a full-fledged revival, we've gotten more and more request for clean, original pieces from the mid '50s to early '70s. Because of the push for such pieces, crisp examples have gotten a bit harder to get.

There are certain characteristics that make are desirable in Retro: The watch case should have clean, minimalist lines if possible; it should have stylized Arabic numerals or a dot-and-number combination and it should have that slightly futuristic, "smooth" look. As with any other type of art — cooking, for instance — the elements must be combined in just the right way for the effect to be achieved. The result is a great looking, dependable watch that can be worn in virtually any situation.

For example this Bulova '40s wristwatch with original pearlescent dial, gold applied Arabic numerals DEFINITELY embodies the current Golden Age movement. The sub-seconds register is a tip-of-the-hat to the previous era, while excellent feathered lugs on this rectangular gold-filled bezel are smooth and indicative of the transformation from Deco to a more muted Pre-War.

Its stainless steel back is unengraved: open it and you'll find a COMPLETELY AND PROFESSIONALLY RESTORED 17j movement. Measuring approx. 35mm long by 22mm wide, this crisp, perfectly preserved piece of horological history is waiting to be worn and admired by someone with excellent, discerning taste! It is presented in a period Bakelite case. Looking for that perfect wrist art to adorn the star of your next Neo-Noir classic? My, my, you’ve found it.