Bulova MIL SHIPS 41mm Automatic Field Watch with Big Dome Sapphire Crystal #98A266

Not your average military dive watch, the Bulova MIL-SHIPS is a recreation of a quirky watch that was never put into production. Answering the call from the United Staes Bureau of Ships for a more robust diver, Bulova in 1957 created three prototypes of the MIL-SHIPS in accordance with the provided MIL-SHIPS-W-2181 spec. After not being selected, the watch was shelved for almost 60 years before being brought back under Bulova’s Archive Series.

The Bulova MIL-SHIPS stainless steel case is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. With a 41mm diameter, the drilled lugs are just 16mm wide and the case is 15.1mm tall, including the massive dome of the sapphire crystal. On the included black nylon single-pass strap and with a 50mm lug-to-lug, the watch has a pronounced presence on the wrist. The unique bezel is fully lumed and locks into place until it is pushed down and rotated. The screw-down crown features the retro Bulova logo and ensures a substantial 200m of water resistance.

The dial is a matte black and designed to be an exact reproduction of the original, including the vintage handset, retro Bulova logo, and Old Radium lume throughout. Below the handset, a bicolored it has a unique paper strip on the dial that indicates if moisture has entered the watch—a serious concern in the 1950s, but far less of one these days. The MIL-SHIPS is equipped with a Japanese automatic Miyota 82S0 movement. This reliable caliber provides 42 hours of power when fully wound, with a beat rate of 21,600 vph. Further, it features hand winding and hacking. This fun and novel “watch that never was” represents a fascinating piece of history in a case ready for modern times.