[F]Bulova wrist alarm watch with vintage value

Searching for vintage watches is great, but there are many pitfalls. Mechanical items that are decades old can develop all sorts of problems that are difficult to diagnose from online listings. As a result, many of the vintage watches I like to look at in my spare time aren’t that expensive. I call these watches “vintage value.” Today I’d like to introduce you to one of my favorites, the Bulova Wrist Alarm. This is an interesting option for those looking for a mechanical watch with an alarm function.

vintage alarm clock

I have always been interested in mechanical alarm clocks. This complication had its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, with notable examples such as the Vulcan Cricket and the Tudor Advisor.

The Vulcan Cricket made its name as the watch worn by several U.S. presidents over the years. Vulcain was revived in 2002 after falling victim to the quartz crisis of the 20th century, so a modern product version now exists. Vintage Tudor Advisors from Hans Wilsdorf Stables have seen a steady rise in price since the brand’s successful revitalization in the early to mid-2010s. Tudor also produced a modern (albeit quite different) version, the Heritage Advisor.

Search further afield

There are many other examples such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Citizen, and Nivada Grenchen, just to name a few. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox in particular is a beautiful watch that deserves its own special feature someday. However, many of these watches are vintage and expensive, so we continue to look for quirky watches at affordable prices.

It was only last month or so that I discovered that a friend and fellow watch enthusiast owned a watch with a mechanical wrist alarm. The manufacturer is Bulova, which reached its heyday in the 1960s. Bulova List Alarms are often unknown in the vintage world, but various versions still have the panache of the Vulcan Cricket and the Tudor Advisor.

Bulova wrist alarm watch

As many of you probably already know, Bulova has a great history as a manufacturer. Founded in New York in 1875 by Joseph Bulova, the brand created notable watches such as the Accutron. It was the world’s first fully electronic watch using tuning fork-based technology, and its debut dates back to 1960. Bulova, now owned by Citizen Group, continues to make watches inspired by tradition, but they’re not your typical wrist alarms. Looking at today.

The watch has a relatively simple but elegant 34mm stainless steel case with handsome tapered lugs. The facets on these lugs are sharp, suggesting that the case has been lightly polished or not polished at all. Either way, the case is a thing of simple beauty. The watch is relatively slim at just over 10mm thick, but some of that is made up of acrylic crystal. Inside is the hand-wound Bulova Caliber 11 AERC. This movement has an alarm function, and the model my friend owns keeps time very accurately. It’s probably just barely above COSC spec (I’m not sure when it was last serviced).

A fusion of superior design and functionality

Bulova produced many different examples of wrist alarms that combined hands, cases, and dials. This specimen has beautiful dauphine hands. They are filled with long-expired tritium luminescent material. Besides the hum of the mechanical alarm function, one of the best features of this watch is the alarm hand. This wavy hand is adjusted by a crown at the top and glows blue when the light hits it. This hand has a red tip, which adds even more color. I love how this design shows off all the 1960s space age quirkiness.

However, the biggest feature of Bulova Wrist Alarm is of course its alarm function. Imagine my excitement when a friend introduced this feature to me while I was sitting looking at my watch. There’s something very appealing about mechanical alarm clocks. Perhaps that’s because the concept is now so anachronistic (but somehow romantic).

Looking for a watch with a whale on the dial

Another element of the design of these Bulova wrist alarm watches is that some, like this one, have a whale image on the dial. If I were to give an example, I would definitely pursue one of these dial variations. why? The idea of ​​owning a vintage watch with a whale on the dial is simply fun.

After using this Bulova List Alarm for a while, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to start researching the price on the secondary market. What I discovered was surprising. Vintage Bulova wrist alarms in good condition range in price from 400 to 800 euros. We feel this is especially good value considering Bulova’s heritage. Combining this with the functionality and whimsy of the alarm function, with a playful touch in many of the designs, Bulova Wrist Alarms are truly appealing.

summary

Spending time with the Bulova Wrist Alarm gave me a true appreciation for vintage Bulova as a whole. This brand has a very interesting back catalog and is worth further investigation. To be honest, I have never looked into Bulova in depth. That needs to change. Another factor to consider is that the golden age of the brand represents a confident era in watchmaking. This meant we were bold in design and forward-looking. It’s great to connect with that gold dust by spending time with this vintage Bulova List alarm.

But what do you think, Fratelli? Do you have a particular vintage Bulova watch or vintage alarm watch that we should consider? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. I’m looking forward to reading it.