New Documentary Dives Into 150 Years of Bulova For Watchmaker’s Anniversary

Here’s a good one for your next pub trivia night: what was the first-ever TV commercial? If you said it was an ad for Bulova, which aired ahead of a Phillies-Dodgers game in 1941, you’d be right. It’s one of many fascinating bits of horological trivia found in America Telling Time: 150 Years of Bulova, a new documentary marking the sesquicentennial of one of the world’s most distinctive watch brands. From the early days of the wristwatch to the American space program, the documentary reveals how a combination of pioneering technology and brilliant marketing has made Bulova a household name for more than a century.

“Throughout America’s history, and still today, Bulova has been a constant presence, producing some of the most imaginative, iconic, and innovative timepieces in the world,” says Jeffrey Cohen, president of Citizen Watch America, Bulova’s parent company. “After 150 years, Bulova continues to create amazing products. Its DNA is the reflection of the American dream that Joseph Bulova embraced.”

As Cohen notes, the story of Bulova begins with the man himself, Joseph Bulova, an apprentice jeweller who emigrated from what is now the Czech Republic to New York City when he was just 19 years old. After a stint working for Tiffany & Co., Bulova started his own jewellery company in 1875. A few years later, when a customer gave an inventory of watches to J. Bulova Co. to settle a debt, the company began its transformation into a watch brand, specializing in jewelled watches for women.

Meanwhile, Bulova was distinguishing itself through its marketing campaigns. In 1926, Bulova became the first company to advertise on national radio with famous time checks including, “It’s 8 p.m. B-U-L-O-V-A, Bulova watch time,” airing countless times over the next three decades. Bulova also pioneered celebrity endorsements, with campaigns starring Muhammad Ali, Johnny Cash, and The Who front man Roger Daltrey.

Bulova has also cultivated a close relationship with the music industry over the years, inventing the world’s first clock radio in the 1920s and producing a line of transistor radios and record players in the 1950s. “Bulova has been the favourite of many musicians,” Bulova historian Carl Rosen says. “The Frank Sinatra Show, also known as ‘The Bulova Hour’ was sponsored in the 1950s, and in 1956, Jackie Gleason wrote and conducted an album ‘Time’ for Bulova, the sponsor of his show.”

Another high-profile fan was Elvis Presley, who wore a gold Accutron 521, among several other Bulova pieces. Bulova has maintained its connection to music in the 21st century through its Frank Sinatra collection, as well as collaborations with musicians ranging from funk legend Nile Rodgers to Latin sensation Marc Anthony.

Then, of course, there’s Bulova’s groundbreaking Accutron technology, which revolutionized mechanical timekeeping with its electronic tuning fork movements, earning its place on 46 NASA space missions, including being worn on the moon during three lunar excursions in 1971.

But it’s not all ancient history. Bulova’s commitment to innovation and accuracy is still a cornerstone of the brand in 2025, with world firsts such as the Curv chronograph, and high-precision quartz movements like the Precisionist boasting a frequency of 262kHz — eight times greater than standard quartz movements — and a signature smooth sweeping seconds hand. It’s one of the many things that make Bulova one of the world’s most fascinating watch brands, and makes America Telling Time: 150 Years of Bulova essential viewing for anyone with a love of watches, horological history, and esoteric pub quiz trivia.

Stay tuned for the release of America Telling Time: 150 Years of Bulova on streaming platforms.

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