Today, we have the pleasure of experiencing two interviews with influential contacts from Bulova, one of the longest-standing watch companies in the country, which is now celebrating its 150th anniversary. For the first interview, Dan Gaul sits down with Jeffrey Cohen, CEO of Citizen Watch America’s portfolio of brands, which includes Citizen, Bulova, Caravelle, Wittnauer, Frederique Constant, Alpina, Arnold & Son, and Ateliers deMonaco. Gaul also sits down with Carl Rosen, Museum Curator, and former COO, to talk about Bulova’s New York City headquarters and archives. There’s a lot of ground to cover, so let’s go.
Interviewing a Bulova legend
Bear in mind there’s no video content for the initial interview with Jeffrey Cohen; instead, we’ll be looking at direct quotes. Why is he such a big deal? With over 37 years of management experience and over 43 years in the industry, he understands the ins and outs. “I saw immediately the beauty and passion of the watch world, and I knew that this would be my life,” Cohen says. Thanks to Jeffrey Cohen’s strong leadership qualities, major investments in infrastructure and technology, and his focus on developing talent, Citizen Watch America is one of the leading groups in the industry, bar none.
Naturally excited, Gaul opens by briefly explaining how he approached his interview prepping and what stood out most to him: “Hearing about all the firsts that Bulova has done, and also the way that it has given back over those 150 years to the community, to the country, to the industry is a fascinating story.”
Cohen agrees, elaborating on why this is not only a big deal for the brand but also for the community. “That’s exactly what we strive to accomplish and encapsulate the last 150 years of what we’ve brought to the watch industry and also what we’ve brought to this country,” he says. “Because it’s the only company that’s been here uninterrupted for 150 years, which is remarkable.”
Cohen also teases the Bulova archive, “the first edition of our archive or our museum, and we’re building a beautiful one in the flagship store [in New York] that you’ll be able to experience.”
You can also experience the history of Bulova from the comfort of your own home. America Telling Time: 150 Years of Bulova is a new documentary that chronicles pivotal moments in the brand’s history — from its 1875 origins when 19-year-old Joseph Bulova opened a small watch shop in New York City, to designing the first women’s wristwatch back in the 1917, the first clock radio in 1928, the first TV commercial in 1941, and Bulova’s part in the 1971 moon landing. Longtime partners of the brand, like Nile Rodgers and Marc Anthony, also lend their insights to the film, which you can stream on Amazon Prime Video .
What does 150 years truly mean?
Cohen makes it clear that, ultimately, this event means “we are setting the stage for the next 150 years.”
“As a company, we always went back before we moved forward, and we played a big role in society over the years. We’re very excited about what we’ve created. It’s a milestone,” he says. “There are not too many companies that get to this point, and not too many people have been in the United States for this long period of time uninterrupted. It’s really the beginning of something fantastic and something we should be proud of. It’s celebrating our past and, obviously, moving ahead for the future.”
Cohen intends for the company to continue to be “the fabric of the watch industry, the fabric of New York and America. That’s really part of the DNA of the brand. Obviously, as a company, we always want to go back before we move forward, so we always wanted to live on generational products, generational in society, and make sure we’re consistent and always giving back in everything we do.”
Bulova always over-delivers on expectations
Gaul asks about the three watches being re-released for the 150th anniversary, including the Lunar Pilot, Super Seville, and Accutron Astronaut.
“Well, they all have their proprietary movements,” Cohen says. “These come from the house of Bulova, and we just thought it was important to show the different periods in time that the company played a significant role in the past and kind of bring it into the future. That’s why we dropped these watches. The Seville watch was really from the ’60s, but it has the latest and greatest timekeeping mechanism here. It’s one of the most precise watches with a sweep secondhand in the world.”
Cohen goes on to explain some of the other models: “Just even getting into the original Accutrons, these were pinnacle watches of the time—like the Hudson.” Revisiting those iconic designs seems like exactly what you do with a major anniversary like this.
But the real meat and potatoes, the true root of the brand, is that they always go above and beyond for customers. “We look at the price-value relationship of all our products. We have to make sure that we’re overdelivering on expectations in everything we do. So, if you’re buying a $1,000 watch or $2,000 watch from Bulova we want it to feel like it’s at least double. Not only from a spec level, but from a standard, from a look, a feel, and all the attributes that we give, it’s very, very important that we overdeliver on expectations,” Cohen says.
Meeting with the Bulova museum curator
Sitting down with Carl Rosen, Gaul wastes no time and asks what his role is as museum curator.
“Technically, I’m the historian. So, what I’ve done over the last six or seven years is put together an archive of company history that includes memorabilia as well as stories. What we’re trying to do is honor the past, celebrate the present, and inspire the future. So, it’s nice to go back into the archives, work with product development, and come up with elements and watches that we want to reproduce, or details that we want to accentuate, in new products,” Rosen says.
They’re taking the old, making it new, but in a respectful, tributary way that doesn’t detract from the original designs. And a good thing, too; with over 150 years of history, there are a lot of designs and styles to cover.
A day in the life of a museum curator
Curiously, Gaul asks, “What does your day comprise of?”
“Well, I’m in touch with a lot of different collectors,” Rosen explains. “I try to work with collectors at fairs to tell the stories; sometimes, it’s new collectors. It’s nice to work with young people who aren’t as familiar with the brand and the brand’s history. To have a company that has a legacy of 150 years, it really gives credibility so that as you’re collecting, you know how it ties in along that journey of that legacy.”
The two spend a lot of time reviewing the five major watches that are making a comeback for the anniversary, but they also review all of the artifacts and history elements of the Bulova archives. It’s a true glimpse at history for the brand, but also for the entire watch industry. You get to see many things, like where the original products started, unique packaging methods used, how designs changed over the years, and so much more.
As always, I highly recommend watching the full interview, especially this one. It’s your chance to experience first-hand, with our team, how the history has fared over the years and how many milestones have been achieved within that 150-year span.
