Football manager Louis Van Gaal spotted wearing a Bulova

The setting is Old Trafford's AON-branded press backdrop, summer 2014: Louis Van Gaal, freshly installed as Manchester United manager, shakes hands with Chris Smalling to mark the defender's contract extension to 2019. Both men wear what is unmistakably the Manchester United x Bulova Accu-Swiss Percheron Treble — a club-exclusive automatic watch that serves as a wearable symbol of Bulova's official partnership with the Red Devils.

The Percheron Treble sits at the serious end of Bulova's Accu-Swiss sub-brand, which was acquired by the Citizen Group and repositioned as the marque's Swiss-made proposition. The base Percheron Treble houses a Swiss ETA 2824-2 automatic movement — a workhorse calibre respected for its reliability and serviceability — beating at 28,800 vph with a 38-hour power reserve. Case diameter is 44mm, crafted in stainless steel with a full black PVD treatment that gives it an aggressive tactical aesthetic. The Manchester United customisation adds the club's iconic red colour to the bezel ring, applied indices, date window surround, and crown, while the grey textured dial carries the Manchester United crest at 12 o'clock. The rubber strap echoes the blacked-out case with red stitching detail.

From a collector standpoint, club-edition timepieces from credible Swiss or Swiss-adjacent brands occupy a curious niche: they are dismissed by pure horology collectors as marketing artefacts, yet command fierce loyalty among football supporters. The Percheron Treble's underlying ETA movement and solid PVD finishing ensure it is not merely a badge piece — it can genuinely be worn daily. Limited availability through club retail and select Bulova authorised dealers kept supply tight during the 2014–2016 partnership window.

Van Gaal's tenure at United (2014–2016) was marked by an FA Cup triumph in 2016, and his disciplined, methodical approach to management mirrored a certain Swiss-watch sensibility. That both the manager and a key squad player were presented with — and wore publicly — the same club timepiece speaks to how deeply Bulova embedded itself in the United dressing room culture during that era.

At a UK RRP of approximately £2,000 (circa $2,550 USD at 2014 rates), the Manchester United Percheron Treble was priced at the premium end of the Accu-Swiss line. Grey-market availability is now sporadic; examples surface occasionally on eBay and specialist football memorabilia platforms, where condition and provenance (box, papers, club documentation) drive prices between $800 and $1,800 USD depending on condition.