Bulova Oceanographer, Snorkel, 666 Devils Diver, Vintage 1969, 40.5 mm Stunning. 

 
Fully overhauled & serviced with Receipts at a cost of £305, the Bulova Oceanographer Snorkel, 666 Devils Diver Vintage, late 1969.

 
 This is rare to find with its original crown with its coke Bakelite bezel in perfect condition. It's a stellar example in a world of beat-up incomplete offerings. 

 
Do not mistake this for the reissue of the modern Bulova owned now by Citizen group and nothing to match these original sixties in house caliber models by the original Bulova Swiss made company. 

 
The case is made by CBSA .Centrale Botes S.A. the same company who made the Omega speedmaster case. The dial is by Singer who made dials for Omega & for the Rolex Daytona. The movement is the in house Bulova 11BLACD. 

 
Check the you tube review below. Prices have obviously increased since the video was made over four years
 
    https://youtu.be/xDwiKhaNDac?si=p3q_iHdqMuzUR7j6
 
My version is a 1969 which is signified on the case back the M for the decade & 9 for the year. 

 
It was the first year that they changed the baton steel hands to the white & black powder coated hands. It's had  £305 spent on a full service & to find in this condition is increasingly hard to find with all its factory parts.

 
 The Bulova Oceanographer is a Feast for the Eyes . The Oceanographer ushered in a rather progressive look for the company when it was introduced in 1968. It actually replaced an attractive smaller model that was more in the traditional 1950's dive watch design.

 
 This original larger C case design that would begin to become more used in the seventies, think Doxa Sub and Seiko but quite a bold initiative statement and new look for the sixties. 

 
CASE 

 
A quick glance at this piece immediately screams 1970s with its c-case, but as we get into it, there's a lot more at work. With all of its subtle features the Bulova Oceanographer is a real carnival of design. The stainless-steel case, from a head-on view, looks like your normal 70s standard issue watch not unlike a lot of Seiko's or even the original Doxa 300T, but a look from the side reveals more.

 
 Viewed from the side of the watch, you actually see a very delicate scalloped shaping that evokes memories of some very expensive divers such as the Omega Seamaster 300, early Eberhard Scafografs and even the ultra-rare Breitling Superocean.

 
 How did Bulova achieve bowl-shaped case with such slim sides? Flipping the watch over reveals the answer. Deeply scalloped ridges show the evidence of sculpting, where a lot of material has been carefully shaped. 

 
The Bulova Oceanographer wears very well on the wrist, the case diameter is 41 mm and it has a lug-to-lug length of  43 mm  and a 18 mm lug width. 

 
DIAL

 
This vintage dial is one that stands out well with its usage of colour. Black, red and white are the prominent players and Bulova did something very unique with their hour markers by applying opaque luminous tubes that are set on prongs, they remind you of how  jewels are set in the jewellery world.

 
They actually look a little like light bulbs from a distance and up close, it's amazing to see how tall these features stand on the dial. The dial with a red crosshair through the middle and a matching red line around its circumference.

 
 The gilt date window is cleverly viewed under its reverse Cyclops magnifier. Add to this the very well done applied Bulova name and purposeful white font, and you have an excellently executed dial. 

 
The red and black, coke Bakelite bezel on the Bulova just carry's the colour scheme from the dial perfectly and it still has its distinctive bezel click which just adds to the charm of this rare vintage diver. 

 
MOVEMENT 

 
The Bulova Oceanographer did use an in-house movement. Called, the reference 11 BLACD, the 23-jeweled automatic, was an evolution of a series of movements that the company produced, note that cool B rotor.

 
 The watch is running perfectly on the timegrapher as expected with the work carried out. All in all, this is a classic and prices are on the rise and increasingly hard to find especially in this condition. 

 
I have paired it with a luxury handmade, £30 ZRC calf leather black strap with red leather lining as this gem of a watch has seen the last of it's diving days.