Bulova watches are made by Bulova Corporation, an American watch company headquartered in New York City that is wholly owned by Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., a Japanese watchmaking company based in Tokyo.
Bulova is known as one of the oldest American watch brands, famous for the revolutionary Accutron tuning fork movement introduced in 1960, a reputation for precision timekeeping, and an accessible price point that made quality watches available to mainstream American buyers for over a century.
Bulova is a subsidiary of Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., a publicly traded Japanese company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange that acquired Bulova in 2007 for approximately $250 million, adding a major American heritage brand to its portfolio alongside the Citizen and Miyota brands.
Knowing who makes Bulova helps buyers understand the Japanese ownership behind one of America’s most recognized watchmakers and the manufacturing quality backing each timepiece.
This article covers Bulova’s ownership, founding history, where its watches are made, the current lineup, and how Bulova compares to Seiko and Tissot.
So let’s get started.
Table of Contents
Who Owns Bulova?
Bulova is owned by Citizen Watch Co., Ltd., a Japanese company that acquired the brand in 2007 for approximately $250 million.
Citizen is a publicly traded company listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is one of the world’s largest watch manufacturers by volume. It is best known for its Eco-Drive light-powered technology and its Miyota movement manufacturing division that supplies movements to hundreds of other watch brands globally.
Under Citizen’s ownership, Bulova continues to operate as a distinct brand with its own design team, product development, and retail channels, while benefiting from Citizen’s manufacturing expertise and global distribution network.
When Was Bulova Founded?
Bulova was founded in 1875 by Joseph Bulova, a Czech immigrant who opened a small jewelry and watch shop on Maiden Lane in lower Manhattan, New York City.
The company grew into a major watchmaker and was the first brand to broadcast a television advertisement when it ran a ten-second spot on NBC on July 1, 1941, saying “America runs on Bulova time” during a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Bulova introduced the Accutron in 1960, the world’s first fully electronic watch, using a tuning fork vibrating at 360 hertz to keep time with an accuracy of one minute per month. NASA used the Accutron movement in its space missions throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
Where Are Bulova Watches Made?
Bulova watches are assembled in the United States, with the company maintaining assembly operations in New York. However, the movements and most components used in Bulova watches are manufactured in Japan and Switzerland, depending on the specific product line.
Bulova’s entry and mid-level watches typically use Japanese-made Miyota quartz or automatic movements, sourced from Citizen’s Miyota subsidiary. The higher-end Bulova lines use Swiss-made movements for their more prestigious Precisionist and Accutron II collections.
The current Accutron line, which revived the historic brand within Bulova, uses a new electrostatic movement designed and made in the United States at Bulova’s New York facilities, representing a genuine American-made watch movement for the first time in decades. Full details are at Bulova’s official website.
What Watches Does Bulova Currently Make?
Bulova’s current lineup covers several distinct collections. The Classic line includes dress watches with simple, elegant designs. The Precisionist collection uses a high-frequency quartz movement that vibrates at 262,144 hertz, producing exceptional accuracy for a quartz watch.
The Marine Star and Curv lines target sport and contemporary buyers. The Accutron collection serves as Bulova’s luxury flagship, reviving the brand’s most iconic historical name with a modern electrostatic movement that uses electricity generated by movement rather than a battery.
Bulova also produces a special Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley licensed collection and various limited editions tied to its American heritage positioning.
Bulova vs Seiko vs Tissot: Who Makes Each?
All three compete in the accessible to mid-range watch market but come from very different companies. Bulova is American-founded, now owned by Japan’s Citizen Watch. Seiko is a Japanese company, one of the world’s largest watch manufacturers, headquartered in Tokyo and publicly traded. Tissot is a Swiss brand owned by the Swatch Group, a Swiss publicly traded watchmaking conglomerate that is the world’s largest watch group by revenue.
All three target buyers who want quality watches with legitimate heritage at prices between approximately $150 and $1,000 for most models, below Rolex and Omega but above purely budget brands.
Tissot benefits from Swiss Made labeling which carries a price and prestige premium in most markets. Seiko has an exceptionally deep lineup from ultra-affordable to the Grand Seiko luxury tier. Bulova differentiates on American heritage and the unique Precisionist and Accutron technology stories.
Frequently Asked Questions About Where Bulova Watches Are Made
Is Bulova an American company?
Bulova is an American-founded company with roots in New York City going back to 1875. However, it has been owned by Japan’s Citizen Watch Co. since 2007. The Bulova brand and headquarters remain in New York, but the corporate parent is Japanese.
Are Bulova watches made in the USA?
Bulova assembles watches in the United States and the new Accutron electrostatic movement is made in the US. However, most Bulova watch movements are sourced from Japan (Citizen/Miyota) or Switzerland. The degree of American manufacturing varies by product line.
Who is Citizen Watch and how are they related to Bulova?
Citizen Watch Co., Ltd. is a Japanese watch manufacturer founded in 1930 and headquartered in Tokyo. It is one of the world’s largest watch manufacturers and is known for its Eco-Drive technology and the Miyota movement subsidiary. Citizen acquired Bulova in 2007 and operates it as a distinct American brand within its global portfolio.
What is the Accutron?
The Accutron was the world’s first fully electronic watch, introduced by Bulova in 1960. The original used a tuning fork vibrating at 360 hertz to regulate timekeeping. The modern Accutron, relaunched in 2020, uses a new electrostatic movement that harvests kinetic energy and achieves accuracy within 15 seconds per month.
I am Jack Neel, a mechanical engineer, researcher, and writer. I created this website to share my knowledge about different brands and products with you. I research the manufacturers behind the brands and provide you with the information you need to make smart buying decisions.