Don't miss the next drop
Bulova is one of those names that serious collectors are quietly circling back to. For decades, the brand was overshadowed by its Swiss contemporaries, but the reality is that Bulova produced genuinely well-made watches throughout the mid-twentieth century, often with Swiss movements cased and timed in their own facilities. By the 1970s, Bulova’s automatic range offered day-date complications, robust calibers, and handsome case designs at price points that made Swiss watchmaking accessible to a broad audience. These were everyday watches built to a standard that holds up remarkably well half a century later.
Inside this ref. 7532-1 sits the cal. 11AOACB, a Swiss-made 17-jewel automatic signed “Bulova Watch Co, 17 Seventeen Jewels, Unadjusted, Swiss.” The movement is visible with the caseback removed for photography, showing a copper toned rotor with sunburst brushing and the Bulova signature. It’s a solid, proven workhorse that powers both the day and date complications through the twin windows at 3 o’clock. The “T Swiss Made T” designation on the dial confirms tritium luminous material.
This particular example presents very well. The silver dial has a gentle warmth to it, almost creamy in certain light, and the applied stick markers remain sharp and well-defined throughout. The handset is gold toned with luminous inserts in the hour and minute hands, and a slender black seconds hand sweeps cleanly around the outer minute track. The day and date windows at 3 are crisp and well-framed. The overall layout is balanced and unfussy, exactly what you want from a 1970s dress automatic.
The gold plated bezel with 20 microns of gold over a stainless steel caseback shows honest wear around the bezel edge, where some darkening is visible where the plating meets the crystal gasket. This is entirely typical for a gold plated piece of this vintage and speaks to a watch that was worn regularly rather than sitting in a drawer. The outer caseback reads “Stainless Steel Back, Bulova” with serial 5-143031, and the inner caseback confirms “Bezel Gold Plated G, 20 Microns, M.R.P., 7532-1, Swiss.”
Paired here on a beautifully distressed brown strap that complements the warm gold case tones, this Bulova is an honest, well-proportioned vintage automatic with a day-date complication at a price point that makes it an excellent entry into the world of mechanical watches, or a fantastic addition to a collection that already runs deep.
