Bulova Archive Series: Surfboard - 98A252

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The only thing that bothers me a bit – polished case on sports chrono. I wonder what watch would look like with matte case instead. Well, nobody stops you from modifying your timepiece this way if you are brave enough. Bulova Surfboard – Price But if you like chunky watches, then this is an attractive piece. Obviously, the Harley branding catches the eye first, as do the overlapping sub-dials. Then you can begin to take in the details. The curved sapphire crystal enhances the vintage style, again using a material favoured by today’s watch fans. With 200M of water resistance and a silicone strap, this is a legit watersports watch. That’s not because of an innovation or a groundbreaking design. This watch is famous because it’s one of a select group worn in space. What makes the story even better, is that it wasn’t meant to be there.

It’s a busy design, but the dial isn’t cluttered. I’m not normally a fan of overcomplicated designs, but this works for me. Because of the Harley Davidson input, what may have seemed messy now looks mechanical. It takes design cues from the Bulova dive watches of the 1970s. The Surfboard name is due to the surfboard shape in the centre of the dial.The new iterations of the Chronograph A pay loving tribute to the original in different ways. Bulova has taken an interesting approach here in relaunching the watch that we don’t see too frequently during a period when vintage reissues are the norm in the watch world. Rather than releasing just one watch to collectors which would inevitably be full of compromises, Bulova is offering two versions of the Chronograph A. One is essentially a one-for-one tribute to the original, and a true collector’s piece. The other is a much more accessible quartz version of the watch, which offers some variety in terms of color options, and all the easy-wearing charm the original would have had fifty years ago. A curved case means that this watch is powered by the world’s first curved chronograph movement. The sapphire crystal is curved too. Oh, and there’s no central second hand - that wouldn’t really work with all the curves. The styling is the same as the watch Scott wore - as pictured when he saluted the American flag. It is large and legible with a quirky asymmetrical case. The moon landings are a high-point of 20th century American history so Bulova released this quartz remake of Scott’s watch. And yes, it was his original that sold for over a million! The idea is simple. This watch is curved. If you look at it from the side you can see that the case is shaped to compliment your wrist. The execution isn’t so simple.

Dial also features tachymeter and applied indices. All these things create solid combination and work nicely together. Dial is perfectly legible and you won’t have a problem with it. Separate plus should be added for leaving only Bulova logo and resisting adding any additional writings. How comfortable do you want your watch to be? It’s a serious question. What if a watch was designed with comfort being the priority.That means a 40mm case - larger than a vintage piece. And rather than a mechanical movement the watch has a modern reliable Japanese quartz engine.

Bulova Company was founded in 1875 by Joseph Bulova. Based in New York they moved to 580 Fifth Avenue in 1920. In 1923 Bulova Watch Inc was introduced. So what you have is a watch that outwardly looks like a handsome chronograph. On closer inspection, you can see that it hugs the wrist. Particularly the models with a bracelet. There’s a nice integration that helps maintain the curve. With summer finally here, and given that I live 15 minutes from the beach, it’s dive watch season for me. I’m not a super formal guy, and I like the versatility of having a watch that can handle being covered in sunscreen, dunked in the waves, and still look good enough to wear to work. For me, that usually means my Seiko Samurai or Bulova Devil Diver. I wasn’t planning on adding anything to my collection this year, but two weeks ago I spotted a Bulova Surfboard chronograph behind the counter of my local jeweler. The retro style caught my eye, and after about a week, I decided to buy it. I’ve been wearing it for the last week, and I’m now comfortable giving a fair review. The Case

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You don’t ride a Harley because you’re into minimalism and quiet contemplation. You ride a Harley because it’s brash and dramatic. America has its own brands, it’s own innovations and it’s own classic models. What I wanted to do in this piece was to single out Bulova - specifically their chronographs. As you’d expect from a military-style watch, the colouring is plain and functional. Let’s not forget that this watch was designed as a tool to be used in space. It’s not a fashion piece. Launched in 1960, the Accutron was an electronic watch that used a tuning fork to regulate time. It was far more accurate than the mechanical watches currently available. The tuning fork is the basis for the current Bulova logo.