Military watches are a subsection of vintage watches that enthusiasts love to collect. The obvious reason is that each military watch likely tells a different story. It has been on adventures that perhaps very few wearers would have the opportunity to be on. They may have seen the battlefield, or been worn during times of significant change in the world. With these adventures, it is inevitable that the watch might have taken some knocks here and there which then develop unique patina on each watch.

An additional reason why watch enthusiasts love military watches is typically the watches have very clear, documented manufacturing specifications which make it easy to track, authenticate, and understand the history of the watch. Bulova is a watch manufacturer that worked closely with the US government, and have produced some significant military watches throughout there history.

The typical process for when a government has a need for product is that they publish specifications for an item, like a watch, where they detail what the item would need to do. So as you can imagine, specifications for watches typically include shock resistance, waterproof cases, and legible dials. It is at this point where manufacturers will then submit proposals to the government who will decide on who will win the contract.

Bulova has a long history of working with the US government, most famously through their A-11 and A17 watches. These were World War II era watches manufactured for use during the time. Bulova’s relationship continued after World War II, and one of the watches they produced was the 3818A. The 3818A was manufactured from March 12, 1956 to October 17, 1962. The watch is very similar to the A-17A from Bulova. But the 3818A was created for the USA Army, Navy, and Air Force under the purpose of “general use” while the A-17A was designed for military pilots.

The watch today was manufactured in 1962 based on the “M2” marking on the movement. We will come to the markings on the watch more later. It has a stainless steel, anti-magnetic case that is 32mm in diameter that is in excellent condition, with little to no polishing. The lugs are thick, sharp, and long making the 32mm watch wear larger. The watch has a large, unsigned crown which could be described as oversized. It definitely ensures that the wearer can make adjustments easily to the time. The watch has an incredible black dial, with printed dial text, including a 24 hour display for the time. Around the outside of the watch, one can read the first 12 hours, and on the inside of the dial are hours 13-24. The watch has cathedral hands with lume that has aged nicely and match the hour indicators, making it likely that they are original to the watch.

Now, onto what one can discover about the piece when looking at case markings. The first, and most obvious marking is the inscription on the caseback. Here is what it says:

WRIST WATCH: This describes what the item is.

MIL-W-3818A: This describes the specifications of the watch that the US government commissioned.

SER. NO. A 7881: This is the serial number for the watch.

STOCK NO. 6645-808-1407: This is the stock number of the watch used by the manufacture.

BULOVA STOCK NO 10 BNCH: This describes the movement inside of the watch.

CONT. NO. DA36-038-ORD-21501(M): This describes the contract number associated with Bulova’s work with the US government.

U.S.: This describes that the watch was built for the US government.

Removing the caseback, additional markings can be seen. The inside caseback is stamped with “Star Watch Case Co. Stainless Steel”. Star Watch Case Company was founded in 1899 in Elgin, Illinois. They eventually moved to Ludington, Michigan in 1906, but produced watch cases for many USA-based watch companies including Bulova and Elgin. It was very common during this era of watchmaking for companies to outsource the production of parts of a watch, including cases. It appears that the Bulova worked with Star Watch Case Company to produce the cases for the 3818A.

With the caseback off, one will then be able to see the movement of the watch. The 3818A had dust covers that went over the movement, which this watch also has. Once the dust cover is the removed one can see the movement, the caliber 10 BNCH manual wind movement. This caliber was produced in two variants, one with 17 jewels and one with 15 jewels. The 3818A have the 15 jewel calibers while other military watches that use the same movement, like the A17A have 17 jewels.

The movement is, of course, built to be ‘banged’ around. The movement is extremely robust, and includes a hacking seconds feature. This means when the crown is pulled out to change the time, the seconds hand stops, allowing for accurate changes. The watch focuses on water resistance and shock absorption in its design as well. On the movement, one will see the Bulova name, caliber number, jewel count, and “M2” marked. The “M2” indicates its production in 1962.

With all the information one can discover about a watch, military watches are such a fun group of watches to collect and research. They document important relationships watch companies had with the militaries throughout the world. Additionally, the military-styling of these vintage watches can be enjoyable to wear. They are robust in build, meaning the wearer does not need to be too careful with them on. But features like the cathedral hands and patina still give the watches a romantic feel to them.

Enjoy!