Bulova Archive Series: Surfboard - 98A252

Product Information

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. This is the big selling point of the watch, at least for me, and much like the Devil Diver, the effort they put into the dial really shines through. The Surfboard is offered in a few different color variants, but mine is the navy blue and red one. One important thing that I didn’t notice and that the product photos don’t show, and that you can’t see in the store, is that in very intense sunlight, the blue and silver portions of the dial are actually sunburst. When the light catches the face just right, the blue is incredibly intense. I bought this watch thinking it was just a really dark, flat navy blue, but I’m incredibly pleased with the discovery. The design itself is pure 60s/70s. The indices are the little faceted polished rectangles you see on vintage watches, and have a tiny sliver of lume in the center, as do the hour and minute hands. Both the running seconds and the chronograph hands are unlumed. The subdials (running seconds and 60-minute counter) are located in the large silver oval that gives the Surfboard its name. A tachymeter runs around the dial above the minute indices. All of this is covered by a double domed sapphire crystal that produces virtually no distortion, even at crazy angles. 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. 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.

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. The applied indices give the dial a feeling of depth, and the rings on the sub-dials are applied too.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. 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 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. 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. 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.

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.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. 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. 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. You don’t ride a Harley because you’re into minimalism and quiet contemplation. You ride a Harley because it’s brash and dramatic. 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.