As a collector and reseller of vintage watches, I can assure you that Watchophilia.com is a truly great site for learning about vintage Bulovas. There simply is no other site that offers what this one does and in such a well-organized and easy to read manner.
The watch collection on Watchophilia is breath-taking and growing all the time. There are watches there that you won't see anywhere else. Each watch post includes support for the model ID, so you never have to wonder if it's valid (unlike that other site--myBulova-which is full of guesses, misinterpretations, and unsupported claims by a dwindling group of inexperienced, lazy, and inept collectors). I have used this site many times to identify watches, and I have found the quality of the images to be great for making a match, so don't pay any attention to what that last reviewer said, as he is famous in the watch collecting community for his stupidity and nasty attitude—as you can tell from the many comments to his bogus review.
The vintage advertisement section on Watchophilia is getting bigger, and it too includes ads that I've never seen anywhere else. In fact, the oldest known Bulova ad was discovered by the owner of Watchophilia during her research at the U.S. Library of Congress and is published there. That's just one example; there are many more. The content on Watchophilia is unique.
Moreover, the tutorials on Watchophilia are great for learning how to authenticate, date, and name a Bulova. The movement list is also very helpful and more complete than any other list on the Web. The many articles and blogs discuss Bulova's most popular watch lines and include lots of vintage ads that are really helpful in learning about the watches and making model IDs. Recently, the site owner has been studying the really early Bulovas—the true antiques—and has provided great information regarding how to date them. It's ground-breaking stuff and really helpful if you collect or sell the oldies.
The owner of Watchophilia.com also wrote a great article that was published in the Bulletin of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) regarding research she did on Bulova's Academy Award line of watches. It's a well-written, insightful article and a real accomplishment to have it published in the Bulletin. It busts a myth about those watches that is still being pushed by out-of-date sites like myBulova. Similarly, her article on the Bulova Lone Eagle watches provides the truth about those watches that you won't find anywhere else, particularly in regard to that ridiculous "First 5000" business that's all over lesser sites like myBulova. If you want current information and objective analysis reported articulately, then Watchophilia.com is the only place to get it.
I've had several off-line conversations with the author and owner of the site, and she was amazingly patient and helpful with my questions. Try getting that on myBulova, as the people there are horrible—stupid, lazy, arrogant, and wrong a lot more than they are right. They might be nice to you at first, but disagree with one of their many bogus remarks and see how they treat you then. Rest assured that you'll never get treated so rudely at Watchophilia. Everyone there is helpful, friendly, honest, and respectful.
Anyone who says Watchophilia gets material from somewhere else really should have their head examined, as I've been to other sites—particularly myBulova—and it does not have the information that Watchophilia provides—not even close! You won't find the tutorials, the articles, the research, the analysis, the collection—none of it--anywhere but on Watchophilia. I have noticed recently that myBulova has been copying Watchophilia's content and style, so don't be confused about who's copying whom. And they routinely take advertisements from Watchophilia, remove the watermark, and post them as though they came from there instead of Watchophilia.
Bottom line, if you're interested in learning really everything you need to know about vintage Bulova watches, then go to Watchophilia.com. I've learned a lot and improved my personal collection and my watch sales as a result. Now, I can advertisement my watches correctly and completely because at last I understand them and have a better sense of their value. Watchophilia gave me that knowledge.
Watchophilia is a well run, quality site with great information and the right attitude. Keep up the good work!
I'm a little late to the party on reviewing this really nice, and friendly site. Better late than never I say. This site owner never intended to be the main competition to the mybulova site, she just wanted a way to document her passion for vintage Bulova watches, along with all her hard research into documenting the lost Bulova history.
However, lately there have been "personal attacks" made by a few of the mybulova panel members. These attacks are not only unprofessional and UN-waranted, are quite frankly childish. In a effort to try to increase the steadily decreasing ratings of the mybulova website, certain members have resorted to mudslinging and outright LIE'S. One member in particular try's "bullying tactics" to force others into buying his insane "theories", including his "Frank Lloyd Wright" connection to Bulova Corporation. If you read the threads where he keeps trying to establish this connection you'll see where he is not only proved WRONG by actual hard work and research, but other members are actually questioning his sanity.
There are others who have written intelligent reviews here at sitejabber and Alexa, including "former" members of mybulova, including myself. Most have suggested that mybulova "police" their own loose cannons like "FifthAvenueRestorations" and clean up the database, which is inundated with inaccuracies. These suggestions have met with "deaf ears" and the site owner has basically refused to listen to these or any other suggestions. Begs the question as to why he continues to protect "this" member, but has actually kicked other members off the website?
Watchophilia.com even though never intended to become "competition" to mybulova but in reality is a much better, friendlier, knowledgeable site, and based on the direction mybulova is heading, will be around a lot longer!