Vintage Bulova wristwatch 531 cal. 11 AL circa 1965

SPECIFICATION

Reference: Bulova 531
Movement: Cal. 11 AL
Age: Circa 1965
Case Size: 34mm
Case Thickness: 7.5mm
Lug to Lug: 39mm
Lugs: 18mm
Condition: used Bulova watch
Box & Papers: No
Case Material: Gold plate
Warranty: 12-Months Warranty

POINTS TO MENTION

• In great pre-owned condition with light wear from use.
• Case has light scratches and marks
• Sunburst dial
• Signed Bulova crown
• Comes with a worn Bulova strap and buckle
• Fully serviced manually wound movement
• Paired with an unworn brown leather strap
  

THE WATCH

The Bulova 531 is a classic 60s- dress watch, found in a gold-plated case that reflects the styling trends of the time, clean, slightly angular, and designed to look refined without being overly formal. Sitting in a 34mm case making them very wearable today, especially if you like vintage proportions. The gold plating gives it that warm, slightly luxurious look, though like many watches of the era, it can show wear over time depending on use.

Powering the watch is the Swiss-made Bulova calibre 11 AL, a manual-wind movement introduced in 1965. Part of Bulova's well-regarded AL family of movements, the calibre features 17 jewels, operates at 18,000 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of approximately 42 hours. Measuring 11½ lignes (26mm) in diameter, the 11 AL is a simple and robust design with a subsidiary seconds display, reflecting Bulova's commitment to producing reliable, high-quality mechanical movements during the golden age of Swiss watchmaking.

A BIT OF TRIVIA

Bulova was founded and incorporated as the J. Bulova Company in 1875 by Bohemian immigrant Joseph Bulova. It was reincorporated under the name Bulova Watch Company in 1923, became part of the Loews Corporation in 1979, and was sold to Citizen at the end of 2007. Throughout its history, Bulova developed a reputation for technological innovation and for adapting to the changing needs of customers and the evolving trends of the market.

Bulova became a renowned watch company in 1922, starting with an advertising campaign in the Saturday evening post. Through the 1960s, Bulova led all American watchmakers in marketing expenditures, and it enhanced its distribution chains from jewelry stores and chains to general merchandising outlets, with over 20,000 U.S. distributors by 1968.

Bulova produced the world's first TV advertisement, on July 1, 1941 (the first day that commercial advertising was permitted on television), before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies over New York station WNBT (now WNBC). The announcement, for which the company paid anywhere from $4.00 -$9.00 (equivalent to $83-$186 in 2023), displayed a WNBT Test card modified to look like a clock with the hands showing the time. The Bulova logo, with the phrase "Bulova Time", was shown in the lower right-hand quadrant of the test pattern while the second hand swept around the dial for one minute

OUR THOUGHTS

The Bulova 531 is a wonderfully understated vintage dress watch that showcases exactly why Bulova enjoyed such a strong reputation during the 1960s. Elegant, refined and beautifully proportioned, it has a timeless quality that allows it to feel just as relevant today as it did when new. Paired with the dependable Swiss-made 11 AL manual-wind movement, the 531 offers the sort of honest, everyday vintage experience that we find so appealing, a watch that asks little of its owner other than a few turns of the crown each morning and rewards them with charm in abundance.