1969 Bulova Oceanographer Automatic Snorkel "Devil Diver" Ref 714

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About This Watch:

The Bulova Oceanographer Automatic Snorkel pushed the capability of the 600ft water resistance ratings of other watchmakers at the time to a 666ft water resistance rating. Bulova cheekily referred to this timepiece as the “Devil Diver,” in reference to the ominous biblical “number of the Beast” in the Bible.  

The History:  Bulova was founded in 1879 by Joseph Bulova, an ex-pat from the Czech Republic who came to America in 1860 at the age of 9.  The brand quickly gained recognition for its innovative and quality timepieces.  Upon opening a factory in Bienne, Switzerland, in 1912, Bulova continued to push the envelope in both technological advances and brand recognition, becoming the first watch brand to advertise on the radio in 1923 and later the first on television in 1941.  

The Watch:  The Bulova Oceanographer Automatic Snorkel Ref 666 Ref 714 features a 41mm compressor-style stainless steel case with a domed acrylic crystal with a reverse cyclops window over the date.  The unidirectional black and red resin bezel features a tachymeter scale with a red background running from the 0 to 15-minute markings.  The dial on the Snorkel is black with a red ring at the outer circumference of the dial, running through the lume plot hour markers, and a red crosshair at the center of the dial.  The hour markers are large bulbous tritium plots, with the short, wide, lume-filled hour and minute hands and a lollipop-style seconds hand.  This timepiece is powered by the in-house 11BLACD 17-jewel movement and dates to the production year 1969.

The Details:  This Bulova Oceanographer Automatic Snorkel “Devil Diver” 666 is a vintage timepiece with wear consistent with the age of this watch, which dates to the production year of 1969.  The case appears to be unpolished with sharp case lines present.  The unidirectional resin bezel has a chip between the 55 and 60-minute mark.  The tritium lume plots are all intact and have developed a patina.  The matte black dial and applied Bulova logo have also developed a patina.  The Bulova signature in relief is present on the crown.  This timepiece comes with an after-market black rubber tropical-style strap.

More Info

The History:

The Watch:

The Details:

Brand | Bulova

Reference | 714

Movement | 11 BLACD

Model | Oceanographer Snorkel 666

Strap | Rubber

Crystal | Acrylic

Style | Dive Watches

Case Width | 41mm

Case Height | 13.4mm

Lug Width | 18mm