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Bulova occupies a fascinating position in mid-century American watchmaking. By the late 1960s, the company was producing Swiss-made movements for its dress line while maintaining its identity as one of the most recognized names on American wrists. These were the watches worn by the men who built postwar America, reliable daily companions that balanced accessible pricing with genuinely thoughtful design. And within Bulova’s enormous catalog of dress references, every now and then you encounter a dial layout that elevates a piece well beyond the standard production fare.
The cal. 11ALD powering this example is a manual-wind movement with date complication, signed “Bulova Watch Co, 17 Seventeen Jewels, Unadjusted, Swiss.” The movement shot reveals a nicely finished caliber with visible jewels, a sunburst barrel wheel, and the characteristic Bulova bridge layout. It is a proven, robust movement designed for daily winding and dependable timekeeping, exactly what a working professional needed in 1968.
This particular example is all about the dial. The applied square markers at 12, 3, 6, and 9 are genuinely distinctive, each one a small raised geometric frame with a lume dot set inside like a jewel in a bezel. The remaining hours use clean applied stick markers, and the overall effect is a dial that feels architectural without being fussy. The bold spear handset provides excellent legibility against the crisp white surface, and the crosshair seconds hand adds a technical touch at center. The date window sits at 3 o’clock, framed by its own small aperture that mirrors the geometric sensibility of the quarter markers. “Bulova” is printed in clean serif capitals, and “Swiss” appears at 6. The M8 date code on the caseback confirms 1968 production.
The 10K rolled gold plate bezel retains its warm luster and shows only light wear at the edges, while the stainless steel caseback reads “Bulova M8, 10K R.G.P. Bezel, Stainless Steel Back” with serial F912735. The case profile is wonderfully slim, and the signed Bulova crown with its “B” logo appears original and correct. The lugs show some honest surface wear consistent with regular enjoyment over five decades, but the overall proportions remain crisp and well defined.
To us, this is the kind of vintage dress watch that punches well above its weight. The square quarter markers give it a visual identity that most Bulova dress models simply do not have, and the slim gold and steel case wears beautifully under a cuff. It is a fantastic entry point for collectors drawn to 1960s American dress watches with a bit of design personality, and it looks absolutely right on the OTTUHR black leather strap with contrast stitching.
