# Information on Buler Watch?



## Chunky (Oct 9, 2009)

Hello all

I have recently come into the possesion of an 18k solid gold Buler watch from about 1970 after the passing of a relative. I have scoured the internet and cannot find another example of a solid gold Buler.

I would be grateful if anyone could provide any information on the rarity value or history of such a watch as when I contacted Buler, although they couldnt provide me with any info due to a takeover in recent years, they did offer me any watch from their collection in exchange. However the watches on their website do not state the price. Anyone know how much a modern Buler costs.

If not able to help, does anyone know of a watch expert whom i can contact? Email me if you want to see pictures as cant work out how to post them as is my first post. [email protected] or follow this link http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=319834&id=655740516&l=e76467e3e1
Cheers


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2009)

First of all. Welcome to Watchuseek.

You should consider to re-post on our Vintage & Pocket Watches Forum. If you are going to to so please add pics of front (dial), back and movement. Otherwise it will be impossible to judge what you got.


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## Chunky (Oct 9, 2009)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=319834&id=655740516&l=e76467e3e1Trying to post picture but it aint working. However this link will get you there.


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## Chunky (Oct 9, 2009)

Hello all

I have recently come into the possesion of an 18k solid gold Buler watch from about 1970 after the passing of a relative. I have scoured the internet and cannot find another example of a solid gold Buler.

I would be grateful if anyone could provide any information on the rarity value or history of such a watch as when I contacted Buler, although they couldnt provide me with any info due to a takeover in recent years, they did offer me any watch from their collection in exchange. However the watches on their website do not state the price. Anyone know how much a modern Buler costs. Email me if you want to see pictures and I will send them as cant work out how to post them . [email protected] or follow this link http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=319834&id=655740516&l=e76467e3e1

If not able to help, does anyone know of a watch expert whom i can contact?

Cheers


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## Chunky (Oct 9, 2009)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=319834&id=655740516&l=e76467e3e1Trying to post picture but it aint working sorry. However this link will get you there.


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2009)

Well, it is a quartz watch out of the 70ties. There have been a lot of Bulers around those times. Reliable quality but not rated a top brand. 
Not sure that those quartzies are very sought for. Stainless steel versions in mint condition do not sell for much I am afraid. Try to google "Buler Quartz" to get an idea.


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## Chunky (Oct 9, 2009)

Thanks for the info. I have seen a lot of Bulers from that time going for very little. but due to the fact I cant seem to find any other solid gold ones Id hoped mine would be more valuable.

Do you know how much modern Bulers go for? As I mentioned they said they would trade me any of there curent collection. Hopefully this could give me an idea of its value.


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## Guest (Oct 9, 2009)

Don't know much about Buler. They have been swiss for decades, in 2001 the Buler AG, Legnau/Switzerland went bankrupt, came back and since 2007 a private asian investor bought Buler. No info on prices.


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

Chunky said:


> http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=319834&id=655740516&l=e76467e3e1Trying to post picture but it aint working sorry. However this link will get you there.


My experience with mechanical Buler's is that they are low end 1J or low quality 17J movements. The company history at http://www.buler.ch lists 1957 "became one of the leading mass producers of pin-lever-watches. "

I'm surprised they ever made a gold watch but yours is a quartz so they may have gone through an effort to move upscale. Their current offerings at http://www.buler.ch would seem to indicate that shift with several quartz chronos and an automatic with sapphire crystal.

Here is one of your photos:


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## Chunky (Oct 9, 2009)

https://www.watchuseek.com/member.php?u=7347 
Thanks for your response. The main interest I have in this watch is that as you noted there dont seem to be many other gold bulers about. To what degree will this add to its value. Is it possible that its one of a kind?


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

Chunky said:


> https://www.watchuseek.com/member.php?u=7347
> Thanks for your response. The main interest I have in this watch is that as you noted there dont seem to be many other gold bulers about. To what degree will this add to its value. Is it possible that its one of a kind?


A solid gold Buler is likely worth it's case weight in scrap gold.


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## AbslomRob (Jun 13, 2009)

That's a surprisingly simple looking watch for the seventies; I tend to expect big, chunky watches from that era! Classic, really.

Solid gold is obviously valuable in and of itself. I can't quite make out the hallmarks on the back, but you're clearly looking at a significant chunk of gold, and at nearly $1000 an ounce, you can do the math. The watch module is quartz, which tends to be of little value (with a few notable exceptions), but we'd need to see a picture of the module to tell you more. If the module no longer works, any competent watchmaker can either repair it or replace it with a similar module. 

The offer to "exchange" your watch for one from their collection seems a bit odd, since their line seems to be aimed at diver and chrono watches, and yours is a fairly clean and simple dress watch without even a center second hand. 

Its value is going to be 90% it's scrap gold value, and the rest will be sentiment. I doubt you'll get a good value exchange from Buler (their concept of value will likely be based on the modern retail value of their current watches).


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## Chunky (Oct 9, 2009)

Thanks for the information. The watch is still in good working order.

With regard to the offer to the offer from Buler. Theyu have no record of the watch due to the recent takeover. Therefore they couldnt tell me anything about it. However they have a museum of Buler watches and their offer clearly states that they would do a direct exchange for any watch in their collection.

Ill do my best to describe the hallmarks.

- The numbers 7048 are written onat the bottom
- The is a shiekld shape which seems to have a monarchs head on it almost like on a coin.
- A bottle shape outline withthe numbers 161 inside
- The number 750 and 18k which ive aklready found out is the quality of the gold


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## Marrick (May 2, 2007)

If the bottle shape is like in the attached picture, then its actually a hammer head and the hallmark is Swiss.

see http://poincon.blogspot.com/2005/10/swiss-hallmark-poinon-de-garantie.html


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## AbslomRob (Jun 13, 2009)

The "161" in what is actually a "Hammer Head" indicates (if I'm reading this correctly) that the case was made by case maker Joseph Erard in Le Noirmont. The head (it's Helvetia, the "Mother" of Switzerland) indicates that it's swiss and is 18k gold.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rKR0YpTSO...Y5-tO8y_U/s1600-h/Swiss_case_makers_marks.JPG

You're probably looking at close to an ounce of gold in that...not surprising that they'd be willing to trade for anything in their collection.

The "one of a kind" aspect of this case is only relative to other Buler watches, and thus is only going to be relevent to someone who specficially collects Buler watches. Given that Buler is a fairly young company that originally focused on lower end watchs, there aren't going to be a lot of dedicated collectors. If you try to sell it, you're probably only going to get bids from junk-dealers who'll strip out the movment and melt down the watch. So from that perspective, exchanging it with Buler may be your best bet from both a value and a sentimental perspective.

The one thing to keep in mind though is that Buler is still an active company, which tends to mean that the value of this watch is liable to increase over time (unless they flame out and disappear, of course).


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## Chunky (Oct 9, 2009)

Thanks much for all your help. Particularly on the hallmarks which I was struggling to identify.

To be honest I doubt ill trade or even sell it as it belonged to my grandfather and holds a lot of sentimental value. Really im just trying to asses its value and origin. I almost lost it the other day which, spurred me on this mission to find out more about it.

Thanks again

Rob


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## lowme55 (Nov 30, 2008)

That watch does not look like one that I would expect to be 18k. I would never have given it a second look. Thanks for sharing it.


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## Guest (Oct 10, 2009)

Two threads merged.;-)


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