Evolutionary Bulova Millennia Grand Complication

[alton1]

The Bulova Watch Company has a long and storied history of horological excellence and innovation.

In 1875 at the age of 23, Joseph Bulova was a young immigrant from Czechoslovakia, who after coming to America in search of "the American Dream," set up shop in New York City: a legendary American watch brand was born.

Joseph Bulova was trained as a jeweler, and his expertise carried over into his watch making career, which began around 1911 with boudoir clocks and pocket watches, and soon evolved to include the wristwatch, which had only just become popular for men after their successful use on the battlefields of World War I. Introducing its first line of wristwatches in 1919, the Bulova Watch Company was the first American manufacturer to offer a full line of wristwatches for men.

It is no secret that in the history of watch companies, Bulova stands out as one of the first American watch making firms to receive worldwide recognition as a leader and innovator in the watch making industry.

There are many great innovations that can be attributed to Bulova Watch Company throughout it's long and storied history. The following includes some, but not all, of those listed at Bulova's The History of Bulova website http://www.bulova.com/about/history.aspx:

1911
Bulova begins manufacturing and selling boudoir and table clocks as well as fine pocket watches. These pieces are sold in unprecedented numbers.


1912
Bulova sets up its first plant dedicated to the production of watch components and their assembly into jeweled movements in Bienne, Switzerland.


1919
During World War I, the convenience of wristwatches (as opposed to pocket watches) is discovered. In 1919 Bulova introduces the first full line of men's jeweled wristwatches.


1920
Bulova Watch Company, Inc. moves to 580 Fifth Avenue and builds the Bulova Observatory on top of the building for the taking of sidereal time. This is the first Observatory ever built atop a skyscraper. The Observatory is under the direction of a mathematician whose readings are electrically recorded, instantaneously, on a chronograph hundreds of feet below the observatory, guiding the Bulova watchmakers in the Setting and Timing unit of the Company.


1923
The name Bulova Watch Company, Inc. is adopted. Bulova perfects a new concept in the watch industry with total standardization of parts. Every part of a Bulova watch is made with such precision (standardized to the ten thousandth part of an inch) that it is interchangeable with the same part in any other Bulova watch. This revolutionizes the servicing of watches.


1926
Bulova produces the nation's first radio commercial, "At the tone, it's 8 P.M., B-U-L-O-V-A, Bulova watch time."


1927
Bulova Watch Company goes public on the American Stock Exchange, and Bulova Canada is established.


1928
Bulova introduces the world's first clock radio.


1929
Bulova engineers and patents a new principle in the construction of automobile clocks.


1931
Bulova begins manufacturing the first electric clocks. The collection includes wall and mantel clocks, and clocks for use in stores, windows, office buildings, train stations and airports. Also, Bulova becomes the first watch manufacturer to spend more than $1 million a year on advertising. Throughout the Depression years, Bulova supports retailers by offering Bulova watches to buyers on time-payment plans.


1935
Joseph Bulova, founder of Bulova Watch Company, dies.


1941
Marks the year that the Bulova Board of Directors, chaired by Joseph’s son, Ardé Bulova, adopts a resolution to sell products for national defense at actual cost. Throughout World War II, having perfected the skill of creating precision timepieces, Bulova works with the U.S. government to produce military watches, specialized timepieces, aircraft instruments, critical torpedo mechanisms and fuses.


1944
25% of all radio advertising was used to promote the sale of War Bonds and Stamps: “B-U-L-O-V-A…Bulova Watch Time…Time to Buy United States War Bonds and Stamps.”


1945
The Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking opens its doors to help disabled veterans learn watchmaking skills. Entirely supported by the Bulova Foundation, the school is equipped with state-of-the-art accessibility features, including automatic doors and extra-wide elevators. Graduates of the school are assured employment with over 1,500 positions pledged by American Jewelers.


1948
Bulova begins developing the Phototimer, a unique combination of photo-finish camera and precision electronic timing instrument.


1952
Bulova begins developing Accutron, the first breakthrough in timekeeping technology in over 300 years. Accutron, the first fully electronic watch, promises to keep time to within 2 seconds a day.


1953
Recognizing new trends in the watch industry, Bulova adds more self-winding and shock-proof watches to its line. Also added this year is the Bulova Wrist-Alarm, an entirely new kind of watch.


1954
Bulova introduces the Bulova 23, a self-winding, waterproof, 23-jewel watch with an unbreakable mainspring, made entirely in the United States. Omar Bradley, World War II general and retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, joins Bulova as Chairman of the Board of the Bulova Research and Development Laboratories.


1956
Bulova completes negotiations to cosponsor the “Jackie Gleason Show" a one-hour live television show airing Saturday nights from eight to nine o'clock. This is the first time in history that any watch or jewelry-related company has made a sponsorship commitment of such magnitude.


1958
Omar N. Bradley becomes chairman of the Bulova Watch Company, a position he remains in until 1973, when he retires at the age of 80.


1959
Bulova offers an unprecedented 1-year warranty on all of its clock radios.


1960
NASA asks Bulova to incorporate Accutron into its computers for the space program. Bulova timing mechanisms eventually become an integral part of 46 missions of the U.S. Space Program. Also in 1960, Bulova reintroduces its redeveloped Phototimer clock for track and field, improved with updated photographic and electronic technologies. It features an infrared sensing element patterned after those used on heat-seeking missiles. Mounted on the starter's pistol, the Phototimer senses the flash of the gun and starts a timer clock at the same instant that the runners leave their marks.


October 25, 1960
Accutron, the first watch to keep time through electronics, is introduced. It is the most spectacular breakthrough in timekeeping since the invention of the wristwatch. This revolutionary timekeeping concept of a watch without springs or escapement is operated by an electronically activated tuning fork. The Accutron watch goes on to become a presidential gift to world leaders and other dignitaries. President Johnson declares it the White House's official Gift of State.


1962
The Accutron Tuning-fork watch becomes the first wristwatch certified for use by railroad personnel. 1962 is also the year that Bulova introduces its Caravelle line of jeweled watches. Designed to retail at $10.95 to $29.95, Caravelle competes with non-jeweled watches in the same price range.


1967
Accutron clocks are the only clocks aboard Air Force One.


1968
The Bulova Satellite Clock, the world's first public clock regulated by time signals from orbiting satellites, is inaugurated by Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, President of Mexico. The clock is installed atop the Torre Latino Americana, Mexico's tallest skyscraper. 1968 also marks the year that Caravelle becomes the largest selling jeweled-movement watch in the United States.


1969
An Accutron watch movement is part of the equipment placed on the moon by Apollo 11 astronauts, the first men on the moon. A Bulova timer is placed in the moon's Sea of Tranquility to control the transmissions of vital data through the years.


1969
Bulova introduces the Accuquartz, the first quartz-based clock.


1970
The Bulova Accuquartz men's calendar wristwatch becomes the first quartz-crystal watch sold at retail in the United States. Made of 18-karat gold, it retails for $1,325.


1973
Three specially designed Accutron portable alarm clocks are placed on board NASA's Skylab, the world's first space laboratory, launched from Cape Kennedy. Also this year, Bulova wins the world's first design competition for solid-state digital watches at the Prix de la Ville de Genève watch-styling competition, the world's most prestigious international watch-styling competition. Bulova also wins two of the three honorable mentions awarded at the competition.


1976
Bulova introduces its line of Accutron Quartz movement watches for men. Also this year, the Smithsonian Institution's newly opened National Air and Space Museum features a replica of the NASA Skylab. It includes an Accutron "space alarm" clock identical to the ones mounted onboard the actual Skylab.


1977
Bulova introduces its line of Accutron Quartz movement watches for women.


1979
Bulova becomes a subsidiary of Loews Corporation.


1983
The Bulova Dimension is unveiled. It is the world’s thinnest wall clock, measuring just 5/8 of an inch.


1986
Bulova introduces its first miniature clock. Creating a new category of timepieces, Bulova goes on to produce entire collections of miniature clocks, including limited-edition pieces and themed groupings.


1988
Bulova changes its corporate name from Bulova Watch Company, Inc. to Bulova Corporation. This move reflects the company’s growth into new and different product markets.


1991
This year, with its new line of Swiss quartz watches, Accutron is relaunched as the premier brand of the Bulova Corporation.


1995
Bulova enters into a distribution agreement in South America and extends licenses in the Far East and Europe.


1998
Bulova introduces the Millennia Collection, a group of watches featuring innovative technology or materials. The collection includes a solar group, watches powered by light; motion quartz, watches powered by the motion of the wearer's arm; and vibra-alarm, watches featuring two alarm mode options: sound or vibration.


1999
Bulova adds World Timer and Perpetual Calendar watches to the Millennia Collection.


2000
On October 4, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani proclaims Bulova Day in New York City, in recognition of Bulova’s 125th anniversary.


2001
Bulova acquires the Wittnauer trademark and some of the assets of Wittnauer International. Bulova also acquires the license for Harley-Davidson watches.


2002
Bulova acquires certain assets of Heirloom, a custom woodworking company specializing in the manufacture of grandfather clocks. Operating as a Bulova subsidiary under the new name, Art of Time, Ltd., the Kitchener, Ontario-based facility begins producing high-quality, custom-made Bulova grandfather clocks for sale in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Bulova also launches a comprehensive international operating strategy to enhance its global positioning while protecting the integrity of the Bulova name by reasserting control over development and marketing worldwide. A key component of the program is the opening of European headquarters in Fribourg, Switzerland, marking Bulova’s return to full proprietary operations in Europe after nearly a quarter of a century. Made in Switzerland, with product development at both Bulova Swiss, S.A. and Bulova’s home office in New York, the Bulova European Collection began distribution on January 1, 2003.


2008
Fast forward: Bulova reintroduces it's 'new' Millenia line of timepieces, and one of the special pieces arrives on the scene, which brings me to the main subject of this article:

THE BULOVA MILLENNIA MINUTE-REPEATER PERPETUAL CALENDAR

Upon seeing this watch advertised for the first time, and being a lover of the Bulova watch brand, I purchased one for my own personal collection and instantly fell in love with it.

The Bulova Minute Repeater Grand Complication Features

Minute Repeater Function: Chimes the exact time at the touch of a button Perpetual Calendar: Shows the correct day and date for every month, even during leap year Date Hand Day of the Week Subdial Month Subdial Years from Leap Year Dial 2nd Time Zone Capable Three (3) Alarms including a 2nd time zone alarm 24 Hour Subdial Water Resistant Scratch Resistant Mineral Glass Crystal All Stainless Steel Case Genuine Leather Strap

DIMENSIONS:
Diameter: 37 millimeters (40 millimeters with Crown) Depth: (thickness)11 millimeters

Not what I would call a dress watch by any means of description, the Bulova Millennia Grand Complications Minute-Repeater is, however, a marvel of technology in it's own right! How the technicians at Citizen-controlled Bulova with their superbly-crafted Citizen Miyota movement ever figured out how to place so many complications in so compact a watch is a technological marvel in itself. But what really speaks to the appeal of this watch as a minute-repeater is the quality of the sound it makes when performing the repeating function!

The best full sound demonstration of this, along with a good explanation of some of it's other features, can be gotten from this linked Youtube.com video showing how the watch works: YouTube - BULOVA GRAND COMPLICATION WATCH

Bulova has a rich and storied history and, rather than their being recently aquired by Citizen Holdings being any evidence of the company's impending demise, it has only served to insure that Bulova will continue to be the vibrant and highly-successful watch company that it has always been. With their teaming up with Citizen, Bulova is not only continuing to thrive in the North American market, but has a thriving share of the Japanese/Asian, and European/Swiss market as well. There are so many different Bulova & Accutron models on the International scene that it is almost impossible to keep up with them all! Indeed, Bulova has an entire line of Swiss-made movement watches on the European market that many people in the United States are entirely unaware of their existence. Later this year I hope to have aquired one of these to share with the other members of this Forum.

Be sure to check out that Youtube.com video of the Bulova Millennia Minute-Repeater Grand Complications watch and let me hear from you!

[alton1]

I may have some additional information on the specs. of this watch, later on.

[don natel]

Bravo Alton, some great history there, you're a great asset to the forum!!

[bxa67]

Yeah Invicta had this same watch out about 5 yrs ago I think.

[alton1]

Yeah Invicta had this same watch out about 5 yrs ago I think.

I believe the Bulova Millennia features a Citizen Calibre 9000 movement. I haven't been able to ascertain the manufacturer of the movement in the Invicta model. However, it does appear that they have been producing a similarly styled watch for some time.

The purpose of this article is to discuss this technology as it applies to the evolving of the Bulova brand in relation to its collaboration with Citizen, and that result being the introduction of an affordable, and I think, very attractive, BulovaMinute-Repeater watch.

It was never my intent to make a comparison between Bulova and other watch brands, but merely to share with you and other WTF members some of what I have learned about this particular model.

[bxa67]

they are still both nice watches :) enjoy them both if you have them :)

[alton1]

they are still both nice watches :) enjoy them both if you have them :)

Thank you.

I will say that I hadn't previously realized that Invicta had one and it is very similar in outward design anyway. A very attractive watch indeed.

Your bringing it to my attention has given me the budding of an idea to perhaps explore the possibility of starting a side tangent of adding it, as well as what other modern quartz movement minute-repeaters I can find, to my collection.

Thanks for the heads-up.

[ducman]

Any current photos of this watch?

[alton1]

Any current photos of this watch?

Yes, ducman! Sorry about that. I didn't know they had somehow been deleted from my Photobucket album. I will get some more photos up right now!

Thanks for your interest, and welcome to Watch Talk Forums' Bulova & Accutron Forum!