Brand: Bulova | Model: A-11 Jimmy | Reference: 96A354 | Category: Military Heritage / Field Watch | Release Year: 2026
Last updated: October 1, 2026
The Bulova A-11 Jimmy (ref. 96A354) is a 37mm automatic field watch that reissues Bulova's WWII Type A-11 "Hack Watch" as a tribute to actor and combat pilot Jimmy Stewart. It is priced at $795, with deliveries beginning October 2026, ahead of the film JIMMY's theatrical release on November 6, 2026.
The Type A-11 was the standard-issue watch for American servicemen in World War II, built to a US military specification by Bulova, Elgin and Waltham. Its hacking seconds let pilots and navigators synchronize their watches to the second, and it became the template for the modern field watch. The A-11 Jimmy connects that history to Jimmy Stewart, the Hollywood star who flew combat missions with the Eighth Air Force. Original A-11 watches from the Bulova museum are worn on screen in JIMMY, the upcoming biopic starring KJ Apa as Stewart. Stewart's daughter, executive producer Kelly Stewart Harcourt, has called the new watch a tribute to her father's legacy. Compared with the original 32mm A-11, the Jimmy grows to a still-compact 37mm steel case. It keeps the coin-edge bezel, fluted crown, black dial, white railroad minute track and sword hands. Modern upgrades include a double-domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal, Super-LumiNova on the hands and tracks, and a Miyota Caliber 9039 automatic movement with hacking seconds. The caseback is acid-etched with military-style specification, serial and part-number markings. It differs from Bulova's existing A-11 Hack Watch (ref. 96A282, blue dial, brown strap) by matching the WWII original's black dial and olive strap more closely.
Bulova has not announced the A-11 Jimmy as a limited edition, so collectors should expect regular retail availability at $795 rather than an immediate secondary-market premium. Its appeal lies in its historical accuracy: it is the closest Bulova has come to the WWII A-11's black dial and olive strap in a modern, sapphire-equipped automatic. Its link to the JIMMY film may boost interest around the November 2026 release. Among sub-$1,000 heritage field watches, its true competitors are the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical and other A-11 reissues.
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