2022 Bulova Mil-Ships-W-2181 Automatic 98A266
Ref: 98A266
Specification
Lugs : 16mm
Condition : Pre-Owned
Box & Papers : Box & Papers
Case Material : Stainless Steel
Warranty : 12-Months Warranty
Points of Mention
This watch is sold with its original Bulova box, swing tag and paperwork. The watch comes paired with its original blue Bulova Nylon NATO strap. The watch is from July 2022 and is in worn condition, but overall very good as you can see. The watch comes with its Manufacturer's Warranty.
The Watch
Here we have a 2022 Bulova Mil-Ships-W-2181 Automatic 98A266 a modern recreation of their 1957 prototype made for the US Navy with its inspiration taken from the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms to be used by their Underwater Demolition Team and Explosive Ordnance Divers but the project was dropped by Bulova before production so only 12 prototypes were ever made. The 41mm matte-finished stainless steel case curves over your wrist with flat-ended angled drilled lugs, a lug-to-lug length of 49.5mm and a case thickness of 14.5mm give the watch an impressive wrist presence. On the right, we have a signed crown with deep knurling for extra grip, a unidirectional push-lock bezel which only rotates when you press it down, and a black 60-minute insert with beige numerals and batons. A domed sapphire crystal sits above a black dial, an outer minute track with baton and disc hour markers coated in beige Super LumiNova, elegant cathedral style hands are infilled with the same beige Super LumiNova for that vintage aesthetic complemented by a sweeping arrow pointed second hand, at 12 o’clock we have the Bulova motif with the moisture indicator at 6 o’clock, should the watch lose its water resistance the paper will change colour. On the reverse a screw-down case back with a Master Diver Helmet in relief in the centre with Prototype 1957 underneath and the details of the watch around its edge, inside an automatic Miyota Cal. 82S0, 21 jewels, beating at 21,600 beats per hour, it has hand winding and hacking seconds for your convenience. The watch comes fitted with its blue 16mm NATO strap and the watch comes with its Bulova presentation box, swing tag and paperwork.
Personal Note
Bulova has been releasing some interesting watches as part of their heritage range and this is one of them, I remember the first time I saw it in a shop window, I had to take a double look, especially for the asking price! Now for us to get one pre-owned and able to offer it at an even more shockingly good price, that is what watches like this are all about, realising you don't have to spend a fortune to get something truly interesting and great!
The Brand
Bulova Company was founded in 1875 by Joseph Bulova. Based in New York, they moved to 580 Fifth Avenue in 1920. In 1923 Bulova Watch Inc was introduced. 1927, on the rooftop of 580 Fifth Avenue, he set up an observatory to be able to determine the universal time precisely. In 1941, Joseph Bulova decided to increase his company's reach by utilising television advertising, producing the world’s first television advert. It was the first time that commercial advertising was allowed on US television. He developed standardised watch production and was the first to create a fully electronic watch using tuning-fork technology. Bulova has collaborated with many people and organisations including Lindbergh and NASA. During the very first moonwalk, a Bulova timer was placed in the sea of tranquillity. The company was bought by Japan’s Citizen Watch Company in 2008.