Bulova’s Limited Edition American Girl “M” Is A Women’s Vintage Revival Done Right

It’s no secret that I love small watches. I also love seeing small watches make an appearance in pop culture. In the case of Bulova’s contemporary (albeit limited-edition) revival of its “American Girl” watches, it was the original vintage watch’s cameo in pop culture moments – like Netflix’s "The Queen’s Gambit’," which had everyone in a chokehold during the early days of the pandemic, as well as in Amazon Prime’s "Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" –  that spurred the demand for bringing the line back. At the tail end of 2024, Bulova released its second edition of the American Girl line – The American Girl “M” – which follows closely in the footsteps of the first gold-tone American Girl “K” limited edition (which very quickly sold out), both of which refreshingly bring back an era of women’s watch history largely overlooked today. 

Before the American Girl made its streaming debut, the American collection referred to ladies’ models that Bulova produced starting in the 1930s and throughout the 1950s. No, there is no connection to the American Girl dolls, either. The various models were given different letters to distinguish themselves within the collection and came in various combinations of dial and bracelet styles. Going back even further in the brand’s history, it made its start as a jewelry shop in New York City in 1875 (founder Joseph Bulova actually worked at Tiffany before setting out on his own) before moving into watches. This perspective dramatically influenced Bulova’s approach to watchmaking, and the brand has always had a keen sensitivity to what women of the time wanted in a watch, and was the first brand to launch a full collection of women’s jewelry watches in the 1920s.

Vintage Bulova American Girl ad

Bulova’s women’s watch history is overwhelmingly immense and the subject could make up several articles in and of itself, but we are here to focus on one watch in particular, so I’ll keep it moving. If you’re curious about diving into the history more, there is an entire forum dedicated to the Bulova archive, and the founder of the site has actually created an ebook on the brand’s Ladies’ Art Deco watches. Additionally, Bulova does have its own interactive digital museum on its website, as well as a physical museum within the Empire State Building, which is available for tours by appointment. 

A scan of the 1957 linebook used by sales reps

The new limited edition American Girl “M” recreates the original 1957 design in silver tones, and features a blue handset that calls to the tones created through the tempering process. While I did really like the gold rendition of the previous American Girl release, I do prefer this take: something about it feels slightly more contemporary, which plays well with the overall vintage charm of the design. I also am in a silver jewelry phase, so this preference is a selfish one. 

What sets this teeny tiny piece apart from similar models available on the current market, aside from the American Girl’s history, is the funky bangle that the watch comes on. It's all polished stainless steel, with a faceted pattern of diamond shapes, and is a direct recreation of, you guessed it, the vintage model. Admittedly, when I first got my hands on this watch, the bracelet looked child-sized, and I did have a moment when I feared it wouldn’t fit even on my rather petite wrist. But the bangle, which has a tongue-and-groove clasp, features a 65mm extension chain to accommodate various wrist sizes, and this piece did fit me quite nicely. That being said, I did see one reviewer online mention that it was still too small for her wrist, so some caution on this matter is advised.

The tonneau-shaped case measures just 16mm in width and features an equally tiny crown for setting the time.  In step with the vintage feel, the white dial is protected with a double-curved sapphire crystal that gives it a bubbly profile. Given this watch’s stature, it is no surprise that this watch is not powered by a mechanical movement like the original 1950s models would have had and utilizes the 5R21 battery-powered quartz movement instead. As we already know, nobody is really producing mechanical calibers this size these days (though Bulgari is making big moves in this department). But on the bright side, I will say that I did enjoy the convenience of “set-it-and-forget-it” quartz for this piece. 

Bulova, which has always been something of a marketing genius, took into account the experiential aspect of the packaging that the original piece had for this release, and each of the new American Girl “M” models comes within a red keepsake box lined with white satin. This watch is priced at $550, which is actually not far off the pricing of the original models adjusted for inflation.

Though I’ve heard cocktail watches being referred to as “granny watches” on more than one occasion, as a Zillenial gal myself, I think a younger consumer is more drawn to dainty designs than people might have been just 5-10 years ago. A small scroll on any of my social media platforms confirms this hunch, though my algorithm is, obviously, tailored to personal preference. Out in the wild, I’ve also seen a large uptick in the number of young girls scouring the vintage watch sections at various flea markets around NYC (sometimes I am quite literally elbowing my way around booths that were, just a few years ago, largely ignored), and nearly all of them are looking for watches that you could fairly call itty-bitty. 

Vintage Bulova American Girl with original packaging

This being said, I think there is a growing demand for small, heritage-informed watches (with reasonable price tags, I might add), but I don’t necessarily think that the supply is being effectively communicated with the audience that would want them. And I’m not taking a stab at Bulova here – there is still an underlying confusion that predominates the watch industry on how to effectively reach women, especially young women, consumers. Though I’m no marketing strategist, and I don’t have the data that these brands are working with, I think they could all really benefit from creative styling campaigns that feature fresh, fashion-forward styling that would allow a younger generation to see how these pieces would fit in with their lives. Some strategic influencer outreach with more fashion or lifestyle-oriented creators couldn’t hurt, either. I’m saying this as someone whose purchases (and general exposure to new things) are largely guided by the creators I follow, so going more to the source seems like a no-brainer. Ultimately, I really admire Bulova’s gusto on this reissue, I genuinely loved the time I spent with this piece, and would like to see things like this get the exposure they rightly deserve.

The Bulova American Girl “M” is a limited edition release of 3,000 and retails for $550. For more information, please visit the brand’s website here.