Bulova

Joseph Bulova, a Bohemian immigrant who arrived in New York in 1870, founded the J. Bulova Company in 1875 on Maiden Lane in New York City, initially specializing in jewelry and watch repair. In 1912, Bulova launched his first dedicated watch production plant in Biel, Switzerland, introducing standardized mass production. The company was reincorporated as Bulova Watch Company in 1923. During the 1920s-1930s, Bulova became renowned for Art Deco watches and aggressive advertising, broadcasting the first national radio ad in 1926 and the world's first television advertisement in 1941. In 1960, Bulova introduced the Accutron, a revolutionary watch using a 360 Hz tuning fork instead of a balance wheel, guaranteed accurate to within one minute per month. In 1971, astronaut David Scott wore a Bulova chronograph prototype on the lunar surface during Apollo 15 when his official Omega's crystal popped off—making it the only privately-owned watch worn on the Moon. The company became part of Loews Corporation in 1979 and was acquired by Citizen Watch at the end of 2007.