#TBT Going Green With The Vintage Bulova Spinnaker Ref. 7203
I don’t know if it’s because summer officially ended or if it’s these past two weeks of heavy rain here in Europe, but the urge for a colorful dial won me over. Besides that, I stumbled upon an interesting green-and-white-dial Bulova Spinnaker this week…
I got a new hairdo yesterday. I needed it badly. The last time I’d gotten one was at the end of June, and you know, I kind of didn’t have time to get that done during summer. When September started, it seemed there were more gentlemen like me, judging simply from the fact that the earliest booking I got was for the 25th. Anyway, on my way from the hairdresser back to the office, satisfied with myself, I was waiting for the traffic light to turn green…
Encounter of the day
A few seconds before the light changed, a BMW M3 Competition Sedan without a single dust particle on the body stopped right next to me. Guess what: it was Isle of Man Green. I have a soft spot for green. Three of my classic cars are green. With my head turned leftwards, I thought how bold, individualistic, and unmissable that color is. And, in my humble opinion, there are still not that many green cars.
Bulova Spinnaker
You won’t believe what my next thought was. Right after I aligned my head with my hands sitting on the steering wheel, I thought about the green Bulova Spinnaker. A week ago, I didn’t know that such a watch existed. But an auction alert from two days ago, the screenshot above, changed that. I don’t even pay much attention to Bulova alerts since I successfully landed my Accutron. But that green Spinnaker shouted so loud that I had to click on it. And what I found was even better.
Image: Fellows Auctioneers
Using the rule of thumb here, I would say that British auction listings aren’t the best. In most cases, there’s one crappy picture per watch listed, taken in poorly lit conditions by default. It’s almost like the brief was to get the worst out of it. Ready for the doze of depression, I clicked on the thumbnail. Boom! Five pictures, all hi-res. There was no movement photo, but there was a wrist shot! Plus, all of the pictures had been taken pretty nicely to offer a realistic idea of what the watch actually looks like.
Image: Vanguard Motor Sales
Specs
Let’s cover the basics first. It’s pretty clear that the Bulova Spinnaker won’t be your biggest watch, but a 35mm diameter is not that bad. Short, simple, beefy, and sharply cut lugs sitting 18mm apart are very typical of the 1970s. I don’t know what the designer would say about the dial, which is full of thick and thin lines going over or against each other, but I can see just one thing — the late-’60s Ford Mustang Fastback Shelby GT500. That racing spirit is all over the dial, and it eats everything there, including the day and date window.
Image: 1stDibs
Original strap
I understand the strap pairing on that particular auction (which is still on, by the way), but my eye cannot bear that green crocodile-or-whatever-it-is leather. Since yesterday’s unexpected crossroad experience brought the Bulova Spinnaker to my mind, I googled it again. When I found an image of another example with its original strap, I liked the watch even more. It’s probably impossible to get that original strap again, but it would be a nice experience to have someone manufacture a custom one. Just look at it. You don’t need to have a Patek Nautilus to get the ultimate integrated-bracelet experience. Well, this is what I call the ultimate integrated-strap experience. It’s a different topic, but it only reminds me that leather straps are seldom used to underline or further develop dial designs.
Image: 1stDibs
Details of the Bulova Spinnaker
To highlight a few more details, we can stay with the strap for a second — or the buckle, to be more precise. The applied Bulova logo has an ultimate vintage vibe that reaches even to the pre-’50s era. It’s an undeniable mark of attention to detail and a loud laugh for the laser-engraved buckles you often see today. Bulova’s name is also stamped on the push/pull crown, which should provide a smooth and quick date change. Caliber 11AOACB has 17 jewels, but since I have never had one, I can’t comment on the reliability or on-wrist experience.
Image: eBay (regencywatches)
Last thoughts
There is another version of the same watch. It is nearly an exact copy, but all of the previously green details are orange. Interestingly, it does not excite me as much as the green one, nor does the third version, which has an orange and black dial. That one is, in my humble opinion, completely off. The auction for the green one ends on September 30th at 09:00 BST, so you have quite some time to do some research. I promise I will not join the auction. I am afraid that if I did, it could be one of those auctions that make me lose my rational self. Happy hunting!
