During the 1940s Bulova manufactured many military inspired designs for American consumers. With the backdrop of the war it was a clever marketing scheme that produced some of the more interesting models of Bulova’s vast collection.

Given the short duration of these releases, they have become coveted Bulova collector’s items. This Air Warden came to me incredibly dirty internally and with a broken mainspring. The mainspring is the power source of the watch so with out it the watch is useless. It’s kind of like a coal-fired power plant with no coal. After replacing the mainspring and cleaning, oiling and regulating, this piece is running wonderfully.

I also replaced the hands to match the watch. Because Bulova watches were designed to be easily interchangeable, it’s quite common to receive pieces with improper hand variations. I also added a strap that was true to the period and matches the ad as seen below.

Although it is way too small to be considered a men’s watch by today’s standards, I feel somewhat attached to it as a piece of Americana.