15 Of The Best Bulova Watches For Men (2023 Updates) · Effortless Gent (2024)

American watchmaker Bulova is a quiet pioneer, responsible for industry innovations such as the first electronic watch and the standardization of watch parts. Today, we’re going to round up our choices for the 15 best Bulova watches for men.

As revered as Bulova is in the industry, it doesn’t get a lot of attention. Based on the brand’s reputation for being lowkey, this may be by design. However, the respect it garners as an American watch brand in an industry dominated by the Swiss is nothing to sleep on.

After all, it’s the official timekeeper on Air Force 1, accompanied 46 separate NASA space missions, and President Coolidge famously gifted a Bulova to Red Sox and Yankees legend Bucky Harris in 1924.

Is Bulova a Good Watch?

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Bulova is a good watch brand for three reasons:

Above all, they’re famous for precision. Bulova offers a range of movements, including proprietary high-frequency and high-accuracy quartz movements.

They manufacture P102 calibres, which are 8-jewel quartz movements that are some of the most accurate in the world.

Their proprietary three-prong quartz crystal NN50 calibre is ultra high frequency, featuring a 262kHz vibrational frequency, eight times more than the average quartz watch.

They also make automatic watches that employ movements from Sellita, a Swiss manufacturer known for building movements comparable to that of Swiss heavy-hitters such as ETA, and from Miyota, a highly-esteemed Japanese manufacturer famous for their reliable workhorse movements.

Bulova offers an unrestricted range of designs without compromising recognizability. For example, they make classic sport watches, but are known to put a dressy spin on them; their Marine Star has leaner and less bubbly features than the Orient Ray II or Submariner.

They also utilize vintage designs from their archives (my favorite thing that they do), and they have experimental designs such as ones that utilize dramatic cut-outs and ones that combine unlike materials and colors.

Bulova is a reliable American heritage brand.

As their watch faces indicate, Bulova has been around since 1875. It was founded by Joseph Bulova in New York and to this day, the main office is in the Empire State Building.

They’re famous for several innovations, not least of which is the Accutron, the world’s first electronic watch. Other iconic Bulova lines include the Precisionist, the Marine Star, and the Oceanographer.

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Is It a High-end / Luxury Watch Brand?

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Overall, Bulova is a highly-respected mid-tier watch maker that offers a handful of luxury lines.

The Precisionist line is their most high-end, some watches costing as much as $1300. Their limited edition lines, for example their Sinatra Best is Yet to Come, can range from $1350-$3950.

Bulova also offers premium lines that are more design-focused and less materials-focused, and are therefore sold at more reasonable prices. A good example of this are some pieces from the Frank Lloyd Wright line.

Their heritage watches are also considered high-end, even if they aren’t crazy expensive. The Lunar Pilot, Bulova’s Moonwatch, is highly coveted because it’s historically important as well as a high-quality chronograph.

Are Bulova Watches Good Quality?

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Yes. As mentioned, their quartz watches are some of the best out there, and they use reliable and well-built automatic movements too.

I love Bulova because you truly get what you pay for in each line. Sure, you won’t find them stretching their budget with a sapphire crystal in the under $150 range. However, even high-end brands that I love loyally (won’t name names), will use their name to up the price of their budget lines.

Bulova is owned by Citizen, which has a famously strict quality assurance protocol.

How Much Are These Watches?

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Bulova men’s watches range from affordable $100 timepieces all the way up to the prior mentioned luxury lines that can go as high as $1300 and $4000 for limited editions.

Captain David Scott’s original Apollo 15 Moonwatch went for $1.6million on auction in 2015. This is an outlier in price, but not an outlier when it comes to the testament to Bulova’s importance.

What is the Best Bulova Watch?

As usual, it depends what you’re looking for. The Lunar Pilot is indeed a historical and pop culture icon. There are few watches as accurate as those in the Precisionist line. Personally, I’m a fan of their vintage-inspired dress watches.

Let’s get to it!

Bulova Watches for Men: Our Picks

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Each timepiece on this list is available on Amazon. We hope you find a few that suit your tastes and needs!

Bulova Lunar Pilot

This watch is inspired by the Bulova that Commander David Scott used during the 1971 Apollo 15 mission after his Omega broke.

It’s an important timepiece that’s also one of the best Omega Speedmaster alternatives out there. As far as I’m concerned, it’s the best!

It’s a classic, high-functioning chronograph, with a sapphire crystal and 100m water resistance.

Pair it with a leather strap for an evening-appropriate look.

BULOVA LUNAR PILOT features:

Bulova Surveyor Open Heart

Bulova takes a heavily sporty approach with this open heart. The Surveyor boasts a heavy, athletic build that’s still well-balanced.

The still, circular bezel, for example, is visually balanced out by the sharp edges of the case. Meanwhile, the second markers are baton-shaped indents on the onyx-hued dial, giving subtle racer vibes too.

As far as the open heart goes, the unique design features two overlapping silver-toned circles, which gives you a preview of the 21-jewel automatic. Plus, you can see the whole movement through the caseback, which is just as workhorse-looking as the entire watch.

BULOVA Surveyor Open Heart features:

Bulova Marine Star 98B301

The 98B301 from the iconic Marine Star Collection is the perfect example of how Bulova infuses svelte dress watch features to a classic sport watch.

Instead of bubbly indices like most dives have, the hours are marked with lean two-tone bars. The dial, which is mostly blue, has rose gold accents throughout.

Another unique, and very sophisticated, design feature can be seen on the middle link of the bracelet. Instead of being a different color than the side links as you’d see in traditional two-tones, the rose gold accent peaks out from the middle link’s case-facing edge.

Other features include luminous hour and minute hands and an easy-to-use screw-back case.

BULOVA MARINE STAR 98B301 features:

Bulova Marine Star 98B104

This Marine Star exudes the experimental spirit of a Hublot Big Bang. Where else will you see ion-plated rose gold paired with black rubber, and applied Roman numerals with a frenetic high-performance chronograph?

Between the industrial black screws on the bezel and the modern looking multi-edged lugs, this watch is one of the most eclectic and widely recognized timepieces in Bulova’s catalogue.

Other features include black patterns on the dial, luminous hands, a mineral crystal, and a screw-back case.

BULOVA MARINE STAR features:

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Bulova Precisionist 98B229

The Precisionist line is one Bulova’s most well regarded, and the one most often associated with their famous high-frequency quartz movement. They’re also some of the most accurate watches out there.

Quite the fashion statement, this chronograph is stainless steel and finished with a gunmetal grey ion-plating. The face features a multi-level carbon fiber dial, and luminous hour and minute hands.

This busy tank-like Precisionist has a dark, commanding aesthetic, but is subtly accented with fun blue hands.

BULOVA PRECISIONIST 98B229 features:

Bulova Archives Surfboard Chronograph

If you’re looking for a unique Pepsi watch, Bulova’s Surfboard Chronograph is charmingly retro, still stylistically relevant, and is filled to the brim with cool details.

As its name suggests, the subdials take the form of a dynamic surfboard shape. The rest of the dial is complemented with reds, blues, silvers, fun boxy shapes, and gasket-like coin-edging on the bezel.

The tropical rubber strap it comes with cinches the throwback sophistication.

This timepiece is also spec-forward with Bulova’s signature quartz accuracy, excellent water resistance, and a sapphire crystal.

Bulova Archives Surfboard Chronograph features:

Bulova Frank Lloyd Wright Dana-House Watch

This watch is based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dana-House, and was released to celebrate the influential building’s 120th anniversary. And while this adds a level of artistic street cred, you don’t have to be an architecture buff to appreciate this dapper tank.

The combination of ornate gold Deco lines with the classy black wood paneling looks like something right out of The Great Gatsby. It’s like New Year’s Eve in watch form.

And proving that no detail was left unconsidered, the interior of the leather strap is embossed with the same design on the Dana-House windows.

Bulova Frank Lloyd Wright Dana-House Watch features:

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Bulova Oceanographer, Devil Diver 96B322

Again, Bulova takes a classic sport design and cleans it up with some dressy features. The Devil Diver’s oval case makes the circular bezel look more contained, while sleek lines and jewel-like indices give it a high-end aesthetic.

The Oceanographer is one of Bulova’s most popular lines because the design is a tribute to one of their legendary dive watches of the 1970s.

It also features a 42-hour power reserve, screw-back case with screw-down crown, luminescent markers, and a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.

BULOVA OCEANOGRAPHER 96B322 features:

Bulova Oceanographer, 98B320 “Pepsi” Bezel

This Oceanographer is functionally identical to the 96B322. However, I consider it one of the best Pepsi bezel watches out there.

First, the red strip on the bezel is contained to just a quarter of the circle. Compare this to the Seiko Sea Urchin Pepsi, in which the red strip takes up a third of the right side, which looks arbitrary (I always say it looks like a low battery signal).

On the other hand, to go for a half-red bezel would be too much like the original Pepsi bezel watch, the Rolex GMT.

Second, the rest of the bezel is black instead of blue. However, the Pepsi aesthetic isn’t lost thanks to the bright blue dial face.

The asymmetric coloring and dressy Oceanographer qualities make this dive a most unique Pepsi bezel watch.

BULOVA OCEANOGRAPHER 98B320 FEATURES:

Bulova Futuro 98C124

This Bulova Futuro combines the chic boldness of a stark black and the celebratory shine of gold. The design truly stands out, and the color palette reminds me of New Year’s Eve.

The black ion-plated finish gives the metal an almost matte look, as well as extra durability. The day function is super unique and modern, in the form of a meter pointing at abbreviated days printed vertically.

It also features a domed mineral glass, metalized edge-to-edge crystal, a screw-back case, and a bracelet with a deployment closure.

BULOVA FUTURO 98C124 features:

Bulova Sutton 96A187, Skeleton

More than just being another shiny look-at-me device on your wrist, this watch has a lot of fascinating engineering that’s plain to see.

The cutout face makes it so that you can see the entire movement mechanism on the front and back. This Sutton runs on an 8N24 Miyota movement which has 21 jewels. This means the mechanism has a lot going on, which makes it more fun to observe. It also means this watch has a 42-hour power reserve.

The case and bracelet are monochromatic, and the glass is a flat mineral. These simpler features allow the movement to be the statement feature of the watch.

BULOVA SUTTON 96A187 features:

Bulova American Clipper 97B184

The Clipper is a popular watch for the brand because it’s so quintessentially Bulova.

It’s a smooth round case with a simple face and small date window, the entire design of course inspired by vintage Bulova.

Every hour index is a stately Roman numeral in rose gold, except for the 12-hour marker which is the tuning fork Bulova icon. This makes the watch look more aristocratic and fancy.

Other features include a rose gold tone stainless steel case which is remarkably thin at 6.5mm, a brown leather bracelet, and a flat mineral glass.

BULOVA AMERICAN CLIPPER features:

Bulova Wilton 96C141

Just as the Oceanographer is a sport watch infused with dress qualities, this Bulova Wilton is a dress watch infused with sport qualities.

It features a black leather strap with alligator grain texture, a round stainless steel screw-back case and Roman numeral markers for a high-end aesthetic.

However, the Wilton also features a domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal, and a self-winding 26-jewel movement with 40 hours of power and a chronograph. You can also watch the movement through the exhibition caseback.

It’s a lot of watch for the money!

BULOVA WILTON 96C141 features:

Bulova CURV 96A205

This watch is the world’s first curved chronograph movement. The 10mm thick case, all five hands, and the anti-reflective sapphire crystal are all curved to accommodate the movement -this watch is a technical marvel.

The curve also gives it a fun, sleek, and unique look. The overall aesthetic, featuring a dark blue dial and silver-tone hands and markers, is a mix of industrial and modern.

The Bulova CURV is an unusual and polished timepiece that‘s exceedingly comfortable to wear, and an undeniable conversation piece.

BULOVA CURV 96A205 features:

Bulova Frank Sinatra My Way

It makes sense that Bulova would be the brand to officially design Sinatra-inspired watches. Both were American taste-makers in their heights, with designs (and songs) still considered the epitome of class today.

The My Way Watch confidently mixes metals, while bringing the party together in a swanky small-seconds-clad black dial. It’s only a touch flashy, but will never go out of style.

Even better, all of the throwback features are upgraded to modern creature comforts. The crystal, for example, flaunts the curvature that a mineral crystal would have on a watch like this from the ‘60s, but is scratch-resistant sapphire.

Bulova Frank Sinatra My Way features:

Bulova Hack

One of Bulova’s flagships, the Hack is a true American icon. It has the look of a classic field watch, with remixes here and there to give it a distinct look.

A few examples include the cathedral hands, which are slightly more ornate than the kind on a typical field watch, and the NATO strap in leather instead of nylon. These are classy touches that don’t take away from its serious tool aesthetic.

Add a gunmetal-like stainless steel case to the mix, and you’ve got the perfect combination of style and function.

BULOVA HACK Features:

Bulova Computron

If you love a retro-futuristic look, the Bulova Computron is a go-to in the category because of how it manages to be both nostalgic and forward-thinking. This is likely because it comes straight from their ‘70s archive, when brands were earnestly experimenting with the genre.

The all-gold trapezoid case makes it a real statement piece, straight from 2001: A Space Odyssey, with an Art Deco flavor.

It has fun, engaging functions though, including day and date options, and dual time zones.

Bulova Computron features:

Bulova Parking Meter

As its name suggests, this reissue boasts a truly uncommon design, with a dial that’s composed like an old parking meter. With its orange-red accents, multiple outer-dial tracks, and race-track-like watch face, the details are impressively creative, contributing to its sporty style.

The partnership of silver tones and slate blue provide a lively yet neutral palette. Uniquely, the stainless steel top insert of the case sports a blue hue as well.

Function-wise, this tactile timepiece also includes dual time, a tachymeter, and an overall solid build. Even the leather strap is fortified with extra stitching, also adding to the brawny aesthetic.

Bulova Parking Meter Features:

The Right Bulova Watch for You

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I love spreading the word about how great Bulova watches for men are, so I hope you had fun learning about the brand. It’s actually one of my go-to watchmakers for dress watches.

Bulova is so reliable and you always know what you’re getting.

Now that you know a thing or two, which Bulova watch are you going to get?