An In Depth Bulova Watches Review
So today we’re aiming to answer the question “are Bulova watches good?”. I’ll be honest I may be a little biased as Bulova happen to be one of my favourite affordable watches brands, but I’ll delve into more information about them below. You can also check out some of my top Bulova watches review.
In this article I’ll be:
- Introducing you to the history of Bulova watches
- Giving my opinion on the age old question of ‘are Bulova watches any good?’
- linking you to some of my favourite Bulova watches reviewed in the past
- Showcasing some of my favourite Bulova list posts
- Linking to the best places to buy Bulova watches online
I hope you enjoy having a read through this snapshot of the Bulova brand, there’s plenty of extra reading to be had after.
History of Bulova watches
Bulova was originally founded by Joseph Bulova back in 1875 as the J.Bulova Company. Joseph Bulova was an immigrant from Bohemia who lived from 1851 – 1936. The company was reincorporated under the name Bulova Watch Company in 1923 before becoming part of the Loews Corporation in 1979. It was finally sold to Citizen in 2007 where it still stands. Citizen are of course one of the largest watch corporations in the world.
In 1912 Joseph Bulova launched his first plant that was entirely dedicated to the production of watches. It was situated in Biel, Switzerland. This style of standardized mass production had never been seen in the world of watchmaking until this point. By the year 1919 Joseph Bulova offered the first complete range of watches for men.Bulova grew to become a world renowned watch company by 1923. They produced the first advertisement that was broadcast on radio in 1926, a simple announcement heard by millions of Americans at the time ‘At the tone, it’s eight o’clock, Bulova Watch Time’. They had another first for advertising too, the first official television commercial, on July 1, 1941. It was before a baseball game between Philadelphia Phillies and Brooklyn Dodgers and was aired on New York station WNBT (now known as WNBC).
Are Bulova watches Good?
Being one of the longest-established global watches brands tends to mean you know a thing or two about what you’re doing, and it’s fair to say Bulova have been doing an excellent job with their watches. The brand is recognised all over the world for its use of the highest quality materials with collections of watches to suit everyone’s budget. With innovative designers that range from stylish dress watches, to masculine diver style watches, and ultimate precision timepieces, there’s something here for everyone.
So again, are Bulova watches good? I think so, hell a lot of people think so. Bulova are well known for their brilliant watches I have two in my personal collection that I wear extremely often as well. I have an automatic Bulova with an exhibition caseback, key hole on the dial and rose gold detailing, it’s truly brilliant. The second Bulova is a more affordable quartz chronograph that I have for occasions that I don’t mind getting a little bashed.
Below I’ve featured some of the best Bulova watches available from a variety of price ranges and collections. Alternatively, you can take a look at all the Bulova watches available on Amazon.
Best Bulova Watches
Bulova has a selection of watch collections that are well worth checking out.
- Accutron II
- Marine Star
- Precisionist
- Accu Swiss / Accutron
- Caravelle / Caravelle New York
My favourite of these has to be the precisionist series, they were introduced by Bulova in 2010. It’s a new type of quartz watch with a higher frequency crystal, 262 144 Hz, that’s eight times the current industry standard of 32 768 Hz. They have an accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per year and have a lovely smooth sweeping second hand, a feature lot of people looking for in high quality watches.
To give you an idea of just how smooth the second hand is, it’s smoother than a high beat automatic watch such as the Rolex Submariner, or the Seiko Hi-Beat 36000.
- Bulova: 16 beats per second (57,600 bph)
- Rolex Submariner: 8 beats per second (28,800 bph)
- Seiko Hi-Beat: 10 beats per second (36,000 bph)
When you compare it to these high end luxury watches, the Bulova Precisionist series can really stand proud.
Where To Buy Bulova Watches
I’ve always preferred sticking to recommending websites where I’ve actually purchased watches from in the past. That’s why I like to stick to my two favourites, who offer a huge selection of Bulova watches, as well as having some great prices.
There’s a wide selection of men and women’s Bulova watches in a variety of styles so there should be something here suitable for everyone.
9 Best Bulova Watches Review
Below I’ve put together a list of some of the best Bulova watches currently available. These are some of their most popular models currently available. As always, let me know what your favourite is in the comments section below.
1. Bulova 96B251 special edition moon watch, Apollo 15 1971 replica watch
Bulova made space history on August 2, 1971—during the Apollo 15 mission, a moon pilot chronograph, customised for lunar conditions by Bulova engineers, was worn on the moon. This model is a special edition replica of that very watch. They’ve updated it with their exclusive high-performance quartz movement that has a frequency of 262kHz for ultimate accuracy and precision timing. Other great features include the super-luminous markers and hands, the anti-reflective sapphire glass, tachymeter, and calendar.
The watch comes with two interchangeable straps, one a textured black leather that you can see in the picture, the other is a black nylon with a nubuck leather patch that commemorates the date of the mission as 08021971.
You can read my full Bulova 96B251 review here. it’s quite a detailed Bulova watches review. You can also check the current price on Amazon or Watch shop.
2. Bulova men’s Marine Star 98B230 chronograph watch
I’ve had some hands-on experience with this Bulova watch recently and I have to say I was really impressed with it. This colouring makes the watch look very luxurious, the two tone gold and silver blends well with this deep blue dial.
The watch uses a Japanese Miyota quartz movement which is accurate and reliable. Other features of the watch include its 100m water resistance, date display, and chronograph functions.
I’m yet to get a full Bulova 98B230 review ready, however, when it is I’ll add it in here. You can check the current price on Amazon or Watch shop.
3. Bulova 97a109 automatic quartz men’s watch with exposed movement
This is another one of the most popular Bulova watches available at the moment. One of my favourite features of this model is the exposed mechanism on the front of the dial giving you a keyhole view into the inner workings of the watch. It also has an exhibition caseback on the rear of the watch allowing you to see everything that’s going on.
The watch uses a Japanese Miyota automatic movement and has a 30m water resistance rating. A key feature of this Japanese movement is the smooth sweeping hand rather than a tick, this is a feature people often prefer.
You can read my full Bulova 97A109 review here. You can also check the current price on Amazon or Watch shop.
4. Bulova 21 jewel automatic 96A158 men’s watch
It’s a little harder to come by at the moment but this has long been a firm favourite for Bulova fans. Like the previous watch, it features a keyhole exposure on the front dial, and an exhibition glass on the caseback. This lets you take a look at the inner workings of the watch which is a great feature.
The watch uses an automatic self-winding movement, a Japanese Miyota automatic. As with the previous watch is has a simple 30m water resistance rating. The Bulova watches quality shows itself again in this model.
You can read my full Bulova 96A158 review here. You can also check the current price on Amazon or Watch shop.
5. Bulova sports 96A175 quartz chronograph watch (affordable)
If you’re after something a bit more affordable then the 96A175 may be worth checking out. It’s still a well-built timepiece as you would expect to see from a brand like Bulova. I like the layout of the chronograph sub-dials and am a fan of the way they’ve used this textured effect on the inner part of the dial. The watch uses a Japanese Miyota quartz movement and has a water resistance rating of 30m. One of my favourite Bulova watches review from the past.
You can read my full Bulova 96A175 review here. You can also check the current price on Amazon or Watch shop.
6. Bulova 96B175 Precisionist Chronograph UHF Men’s Watch
Now we’re looking at one of Bulova’s higher end watches, so you can expect it to set you back a bit more than the previous watches. This is from their UHF Precisionist range, the watch uses an ultra high frequency and vibrates eight times higher than a standard quartz watch. The UHF movement gives you a much higher accuracy to seconds per year, with a continuously sweeping second hand. There’s also the ability for precision chronograph timing to 1/1000th second over a 12-hour time frame. The watch also has a 300m water resistance rating and uses a screw down case back and crown. Overall a stunning watch that’s extremely popular. If you’re still wondering is Bulova a good watch brand, then this model alone should having you knowing they are.
You can read my full Bulova 96B175 review here. You can also check the current price on Amazon or Watch shop.
7. Bulova Marine Star 98B104 Men’s Chronograph Watch
This is a large and stylish watch from Bulova that’s part of their Marine Star collection. The watch has a 44mm casing diameter that’s large and a popular size for most men. The PVD rose gold plating on the case looks terrific and along with the detailing on the dial, really gives this watch a bit more of a wow factor. You may have noticed the rubber strap, some people prefer rubber straps over leather or metal so this may be perfect for you if you fit into this category. As for features, the watch uses a Japanese Miyota chronograph Quartz movement and has a 100m water resistance rating.
You can read my full Bulova 98B104 review here. You can also check the current price on Amazon or Watch shop.
8. Bulova 96A120 Men’s BVA Automatic Men’s Watch
This is another 21 jewel automatic watch from Bulova. There’s an exhibition case on the back so you can take a look at the stunning watch movement There’s also the keyhole skeletonized design on the front dial that le’ts you take a little peek too. As with some of the previous watches featured, this model uses a Japanese Miyota automatic movement and has a 30m water resistance rating.
You can read my full Bulova 96A120 review here. You can also check the current price on Amazon or Watch shop.
9. Bulova Marine Star 98B203 Quartz Men’s Watch
Last up we have another great watch from the popular Marine Star collection. Another one of the best Bulova watches available, the 98B203 has this larger 43mm design with some great detailing with the coin edged bezel. As it typical of the Marine Star series, the watch has a 100m water resistance rating. As for the movement, you guessed it, another Japanese Miyota. So is Bulova a good watch brand? The Marine Star collection are definitely a fine example of their craftsmanship.
You can read my full Bulova 96B120 review here. You can also check the current price on Amazon or Watch shop.
Conclusion; are Bulova watches good?
Bulova will always remain one of my go to affordable stylish watch brands. I love the Marine Star collection, as well as their UHF watches that are just so incredible. Their watches are very stylish, priced really reasonably, and they offer a huge variety, I suspect this is why they’ve been so successful. For more Bulova watch reviews just type Bulova reviews into the search bar at the top.
If you’re someone who was wondering how good are Bulova watches? Or are Bulova watches good? I hope this article has helped you out. As always let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.
I’ve checked out a few Bulova watches review now and am please with what I see. I liked the fact you included some awesome suggestions. I also like the look of the automatic Bulova watch you featured
What would you say the best Bulova watch is, if I had, say £500 to spend? I really like the look of this brand and enjoyed the review so you have me quite convinced they would be the watch brand for me.
If anyone else also has suggestions, please let me know.
Is Bulova a good brand overall? I’ve been looking at buying the Bulova 96B251. I like the history of this watch, it’s what drew me to it, just wish I could hear from more people who’ve gone for it.
I love the collection of Bulova skeleton watches!