Bulova Archive Series: Surfboard - 98A252

Product Information

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. 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. 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. This chunky 45mm watch is a very affordable remake. It’s significantly cheaper than Omega’s current version of their moon watch. And it’s American. It’s a beauty. A white dial chronograph with a dive watch aesthetic. The dial has a pleasing symmetry and the colouring is on point. Neither too bland nor too colourful. There are white, silver and a touch of red.

NOTE: Price can fluctuate depending on sales at Macys, but at least you’re getting it an authorized dealer there. Gray market dealers won’t come with a manufacturer’s warranty. 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.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. Bulova has taken Harley’s brand colours and B&S logo and worked them into the design of a heavy-duty watch. As soon as you start shopping for a watch, everyone screams “ buy a Swiss one!”. I get it. Swiss watches are great. 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. But the case is retro. It’s barrel shaped. The dial, hands and bezel all faithfully recreate a 1970s sports watch so you get the best of both worlds.

When two iconic brands collaborate the result can be great. I’d argue that this Bulova chronograph is a successful example. Two heritage companies creating a watch that is quintessentially American. 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.

The Bezel

The hour and minute hand are both wide and white, with a two-tone tip. The outer edges of the tip are bright red, while the center sports a slim lume stripe. The seconds hand is long and needle-shaped, with a bright red/orange finish that matches the red on the other hands and the subdials. 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 30s saw the introduction of their popular rectangular watches. Then another world first when they ran a TV advert on the day commercial advertising was permitted. 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.

How about I take you through the best Chronographs that Bulova produce? It’s where they’re strongest and it’s where you’ll find their most famous watch.

Personal Note

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 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.

Bulova is a brand with a story. Along with this heritage, it has a history of innovation. Of being at the forefront of American watchmaking. Take Bulova. Their inspiration comes from Harley’s, Surfing, the Military and the Moon Landings. What's more American than that?Unfortunately, the watch is only available on a rubber strap. Only the much more expensive automatic version comes on a bracelet. That being said, the strap is a very attractive blue tropic strap with a deployant clasp. Should you want to change it, the watch will accept any 20mm straps, but for a casual beach watch, you’d be hard pressed to outdo the included strap. 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 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. Inside of the Surfboard Edition, you’ll find a quartz Miyota Caliber 6S21 chronograph movement. Yes, not automatic for this specific model, although the creamed coloured dial version is automatic. At this price, it would have been nice to see a mechanical movement. The Bulova range is eclectic and that’s why I like it. Trust me, few companies can get their watches used by the US Army and NASA and also find fans among young surfers.