The Hunt For: A Bulova Snorkel “Devil Diver”

We’re introducing a new series about the search for your favorite vintage watches. If you have a good story, share it with us!

I once promised myself it wouldn’t happen, but all too soon in my watch collecting journey I was hit with the desire for a dive watch. If it hasn’t happened to you, it’ll happen soon. Something about that purity and functionality blended with style and form makes dive watches deeply compelling (get it?) and of course, I was first looking at a Rolex Submariner.

Unfortunately nearly everyone and their grandmother can Google a Submariner and see its exorbitant price tag, and even now Omega Seamasters and other similar watches are launching upwards in price. Gone are the days when grandad’s watch collection of a minty Rolex 5513, a Datejust and a few Omega dress pieces pops up on eBay for $100 (despite my numerous prayers). So if you, like me, don’t have piles of money to pick up a great vintage Rolex, the next place to look is less-popular brands. 

Sports watches from the 60s and 70s are luckily abundant, from Sears skin divers to beautiful vintage Seikos to Zodiac Sea Wolf models, and lots of obscure pieces packed with charm — but I landed eventually on Bulova, the American watchmaker that’s been on-scene since 1875. Even as vintage sports watches skyrocket in popularity (and thus price), Bulova pieces still hover in the affordable category. Though the best pieces like the Deep Sea Chronograph are reaching $2,000 price tags, there are other great true divers in the periphery. And that’s where I found the Snorkel. 

I’m cursed with a tiny wrist, about 6 inches around, which already meant a Submariner was a bit unrealistic. But a few dive watches of the 50s and 60s maintained classical vintage proportions, including the Bulova Snorkel, produced between the early 1960s and early 70s. Measuring 35mm across with a steel bezel and long, elegant lugs, topped with an Explorer-like 12, 6, 9 dial with a devilish 666 feet depth rating, originally coming on a unique 5-link J.B. Champion bracelet, it was perfect. I had to have it. 

There were various examples in shop archives, mostly missing the bracelet or with burnt-out lume for around $1,200, but I was determined to find an example with that stunning original bracelet — and I held out hope that I could find one for under $600. 

I was pretty new to the watch scene at this point, and didn’t have connections in the watch world to call on. So I trawled the forums and scoured eBay, tailoring my searches to see if I could catch the pieces Bulova collectors wouldn’t normally see on their radar. This went on for about six months. I got close a few times, missing a few good auctions and seeing some good examples, and in my months of researching I learned more about the history of Bulova and the many divers of the era.

Then out of the blue, on a slow Saturday evening, there it was: gleaming on its perfect steel bracelet, a near-sparkling “starry night”-like dial with perfectly aged lume, all original and signed, even the rare bezel pearl still in place — and five hours left on the auction timer. “Old Watch Probably 1960” read the title, with no description other than “Found in desk drawer. Bulova self winding. Working.” The price: $200, zero bids, zero watching. I could hear the angels singing. The photos showed some scuffs and dents on the watch, but it was all added character. 

Of course there were some unknowns, and anything on eBay is a risk, but for $200 it had to be worth the reward. I frantically consulted my girlfriend, luckily a supporter of my hobby, and she was the final word I needed — I eked out the one and only bid with a few minutes to go and snagged it. The rest was history, as they say. 

I never heard back from the seller about my questions regarding the discovery of the watch in a desk drawer, but I enjoy having some mystery to the first 50 years of this watch’s history. It’s now serviced and ready to collect new memories and another 50 years of stories.

Happy hunting!

If you have a good story about hunting for a particular watch, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out to me on Instagram (@iamjoshcameron) or contact us here.