“America Telling Time: 150 Years of Bulova” is not just a brand documentary—it’s a beautifully woven timeline of innovation, equality, celebrity culture, and even space history. Premiering at the Paley Center for Media in NYC, the film honors the legacy of Joseph Bulova, who emigrated from what is now the Czech Republic and opened his first store on Maiden Lane in New York City in 1875.
🛠 The doc details Bulova’s evolution from jewelry to pioneering watchmaking, combining Swiss precision with American accessibility. After working for Tiffany & Co., Joseph established a transatlantic production model and introduced some of the world’s firsts in timekeeping and advertising.
🎯 Highlights include:
- The first national radio commercial in 1926:
“10PM B-U-L-O-V-A, Bulova Watch Time…” - The first paid television commercial in the U.S. (1941, during a baseball game)
- The first clock radio (1928)
- The first women’s wristwatch collection (1917)
- A WWII-era A-11 pilot’s watch nicknamed “the watch that won the war”
👩🔧 One of Bulova’s factories in Switzerland was once led by a woman—a rare feat in early 20th-century watchmaking.
🧭 The documentary also highlights Bulova’s contributions to aviation and space. From Charles Lindbergh to Amelia Earhart, and even an unplanned journey to the moon (yes, really—watch for the spoiler), Bulova’s name has been strapped to every major milestone.
📺 Celebrities like Frank Sinatra (with his own Bulova watch line), Johnny Cash, Muhammad Ali, and Morgan Fairchild all played a part in Bulova’s advertising legacy. Tina Sinatra even appears in the film to explain why the family still partners with the brand today.
💥 One powerful moment: Bulova’s 1974 “Equal Pay, Equal Time” campaign launched during the Equal Rights Amendment debate—a bold feminist statement long before brands turned activism into marketing.
🧑🏫 In a quieter but deeply impactful segment, the film introduces the Veterans Watchmaking Initiative, born from the Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking for disabled WWII vets. The stories of renewed purpose and post-service healing are some of the film’s most heartfelt.
🎬 The documentary premiered in NYC on Sept. 19 with simultaneous Latin America screenings. Additional showings are planned for Miami and LA, with possible streaming options in discussion.
Even if you’re not a watch nerd, you might leave the theater Googling the vintage “American Girl” watch from the ‘50s—just like the author did.