Bulova Archive Series: Surfboard - 98A252

Product Information

It began in the 1870s when Joseph Bulova opened his watch shop in downtown New York. From the outset, Bulova strived for mechanical perfection. By 1912 he had a Swiss factory mass-producing watches. 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. 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. 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.

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. 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! Case size here is mere 40,5 mm and it is safe to call it reasonable. It fits nicely on the wrist and I don’t think there will be any issue with average-sized hands. Moreover, silicone strap adds to ease of use, so there are no issues with everyday use.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. 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 I’m not even American and I get swept along with Bulova’s fascinating history. I’ve seen their watches in movies. I’ve seen them recommended by soldiers. I’ve even been tempted by a watch from their Frank Sinatra line. 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. As soon as you start shopping for a watch, everyone screams “ buy a Swiss one!”. I get it. Swiss watches are great.

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.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. Bulova was there when the army needed watches. When surfers wanted stylish watches, Bulova created them. And when one of NASA’s astronauts needed a replacement watch for a moonwalk Bulova already had a prototype ready. 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 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. 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.