Watch Deal Alert: Black & Rose Gold Bulova Marine Star Series A (Model 98B278) - 50% Off

If you are looking for a classy watch from a great brand, the black and rose gold ion-plated stainless steel Bulova Marine Star Series A watch is a great choice. In a long running line of watches inspired by the sea, this one (Model 98B278) combines the modern look of basic black and the nautical feel of a rose-gold tone. For Amazon's Black Friday in 2024, this hassle-free quartz model is available for an amazing 50% off.  

Bulova Marine Star Series A Quartz Watch 

This brings a very nice watch in for under $300. It's a great gift idea and would be a watch of substance that would be appropriate to wear in any setting. If you'd like to jump on this great deal, you can get this Bulova here on Amazon!

If you are looking for a simpler model without chronograph functions you might also check out the Marine Star Series B which is now listed at 39% off.  I've updated my post about that great Bulova watch here.

Watches A to Z: Bulova

One of my favorite brands of wristwatch is Bulova. To me the brand brings three important things to the table:  history, luxury, technical innovation, and style. Best of all, Bulova timepieces are accessible to me as a middle class person. On Amazon, you can regularly find Bulova watches at price points between $150 and $4500.  The company also owns the Caravelle brand which offers some really nice watches at lower price points.

My first Bulova Watch

Bulova History

Bulova was established in 1875 and had a long history as an independent American watch company. Since 2008, the company has been a subsidiary of a respected Japanese multinational watch company: Citizen. From humble beginnings as a jewelry shop founded by Joseph Bulova on Maiden Lane in New York City, the company rose to regularly participating in space missions.

Famous Bulova Watches

Perhaps the most famous Bulova watch is the Lunar Pilot.worn by Commander David Scott on the Apollo 15 moon landing.  I've mentioned this famed Bulova before on this blog.  The crystal of his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster popped off and Commander Scott used his personal Bulova watch on a moonwalk.  In 2006, the original Bulova Lunar Pilot chronograph that went to the moon was auctioned off for $1.625 million at auction.  It's amazing that Bulova offers a new quartz Lunar Pilot that is an homage to the original and that we can actually afford it for our collections.

Astronaut David R. Scott, Apollo 15 commander., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Bulova is strapped to his left forewarm).

My Bulova Watches

I feel very lucky to have a few Bulova watches and I'll probably get more in the years to come. I currently have a Bulova dress watch, a vintage Bulova Marine Star watch, and a Bulova Precisionist Stainless Steel Calendar watch.  

Bulova Precisionist Quartz Watch

Watch Deal Alert: Bulova Marine Star 98B203 On Sale 39-Percent Off [Updated for Black Friday 2024]

UPDATED BULOVA DEAL FOR BLACK FRIDAY 2024

If you are looking for a great watch deal, you might check out the Bulova Marine Star (Model 98B203) that's heavily discounted right now on Amazon.  It's 39% off the regular price for a high quality quartz watch from this premium brand.

Bulova Marine Star (98B203) as shown on Amazon

Inspired by the sea, this elegant quartz watch has a 4.7 star rating on Amazon and offers a stainless steel case and band, a rotating bezel, a black dial, a mineral crystal, and 100-meters of water resistance.  If you'd like to get this watch, you can find it here on Amazon.

[BLACK FRIDAY UPDATE 2024: As of 11/23/2024, the watch is 39% off.  If you like an elegant diver design, this one is a great watch.]

New Watch Models - Bulova Surveyor Classic Watches

If you like classical men's watches with a minimum of muss, fuss, and artifice, there are some real treats coming your way from some respected watch brands.

Bulova Men's Classic Surveyor Watches

Bulova has recently released a new series of watches for their Men's Classic Collection called Surveyor.  These watches demonstrate an understated class and substance at a price point that is luxurious without being ridiculous.  You can find Men's Bulova Surveyor watches here on Amazon.  The watch that really stood out to me is the Bulova Men's Classic Stainless Steel Watch (Model 96C125).

Bulova Men's Classic Watch (Model 96C125).

This basic watch has a beautiful blue dial, a quartz movement a day window at 12 o'clock, a data window at 3 o'clock, and the beloved Bulova Tuning fork logo.  It also has an excellent price for a dress watch of this caliber. You can find the Bulova Model 96C125 here on Amazon. While the blue dial drew me in, other combinations feature an attractive leather band, or a gold-tone accented case and band.  Other models in the collection feature automatic movements, exposed apertures to show the watches movement, a skeleton watch, and a watch with chronograph subdials.

Bulova Watches for Christmas

For Christmas, you may want to give a gift that brings a touch of elegance and class.  Bulova watches certainly bring that to the gift giving season.  I only have a couple of Bulova watches in my collection, but they look good.  Here's the Bulova that I wear to the office on a regular basis.  There is something special about that tuning fork logo.

A Bulova Dress Watch

While this particular watch is discontinued, you may still be able to find this watch at various discount outlets.  If you'd like a square classic dress Bulova watch, you might like a tanker this Bulova Sutton Automatic. 

Bulova Men's Sutton Automatic

Of course, no Bulova entry would be complete without mention of Bulova Precisionist line of watches. They are among the most precise quartz watches ever made. Bulova calls it the most accurate quartz watch with a sweeping second hand. It's truly a beautiful watch and the apex of quartz watch design.

A Bulova Precisionist Quartz Watch

During this time of year, we should also remember that Bulova also makes stunning watches for the ladies. This one is stunning with Swarovski Crystal. As a gift, the Bulova Woman's Watch with Swarovski crystal makes a statement.

Bulova Woman's Watch with Swarovski Crystal

Bulova at T.J. Maxx

Sometimes when you poke around at T.J. Maxx, you'll find some interesting watches.  I saw recently saw this tanker-style Bulova automatic. I even tried it on.  It has an exhibition case back and a window into it's mechanism on the front.  Priced at only $149, it was a steal.  It was certainly a great discount from the regular price of about $450.  Unfortunately, the T.J. Maxx was still about $147 more than I had at the time. So, I passed.  It might still be there waiting for the economy to improve.

My Bulova is a winner!

I recently won a pair of sunglasses from Bulova through a Twitter contest. A photo of my Bulova watch was chosen as a photo of the day! Here's my picture. I call it "Bulova in the Boardroom."

Bulova dress watch (Model 9B168)

If you are looking for this watch, it is Bulova dress watch (Model 9B168). Bulova is a great brand for watches that are a step above the commonplace without getting into the stratosphere of ridiculous pricing.

[As of 2024, this watch might be a very hard find.  However, Amazon still offers plenty of classic Bulova watch styles here.]

 

Sears is a good place for watch hardware!

As the holiday's approach, it will be time to start shopping for Christmas gifts.  While there are plenty of places to shop for watches online, if you prefer brick'n'mortar experiences, I've found lots of cool watches at an unlikely place:  Sears.

Photo by Gars129 (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

If you are looking to expand your personal watch collection or get a gift for a man, you'll find watches that appeal to all ages.  Younger watch afficionadoes might like this watch:

A Structure Watch from Sears

A more fashion forward man might like a square watch that looks a bit like a Bell & Ross:

If mechanical mechanisms and bronze would be more appealing, this Elgin quartz/mechanical watch might be a more dressy alternative:

Finally, if you are shopping for a more business-oriented man, you can't go well with a basic Bulova watch like this one:

All in all, it's a pretty amazing variety of watches to find in one basic department store.  Plus, Sears/Kmart Rewards program is an awesome way to save money.  If you have car repairs or buy tires at a Sears Auto Center, there's a good chance that you'll be able to save big money on a nice watch.

[In 2024, it saddens me that Sears is essentially gone. Only 10 stores remain in the US mainland and 1 in Puerto Rico.  They still sell some interesting watches online through vendors at sears.com.]

A Bulova makes the scene

Sometimes a nice watch can make you feel like you have executive potential. At least, my new Bulova did! I recently had to speak in front of a large crowd of co-workers and managers and those Bulova tuning forks were a real confidence boost.

Bulova Dress Watch

Best of all, this prestigious Bulova can be bought for a steal! My wife bought it for me for Christmas for $99 at Sears. But, I've recently seen them for as low as $67 on the Internet (in 2012).

Today, as of this update in August 2025, Bulova dress watches cost a little more, but they still look great an instill a sense of luxury, style, and confidence. A watch like this Bulova Men's 3-Hand Quartz Calendar Date watch are an excellent choice.

Bulova Men's 3-Hand Date Calendar Quartz Watch

Bulova watches like this one (Model 96B015) still have the tuning fork and add the beauty of a sunray dial. At 38mm in diameter, it's the perfect size to fit under the cuff of a dress shirt. In 2025, you can find this Bulova for less than $200 here on Amazon!

My Favorite Diver Style Watch: The Caravelle by Bulova Stainless Steel Diver Style Watch

[I can't believe I've been blogging about watches for 14 years.  It's been amazing and fun.  Now, I can update some of my original posts with a little more watch wisdom.]

I really enjoy classic Diver Style watches.  They have a simple, clean, functional design, and they usually have a bezel that turns.  A rotating bezel is great for timing things while wearing an analog watch.  My favorite diver style watch is my current Caravelle By Bulova Stainless Steel Watch (Model 45B35K).

Caravelle By Bulova Stainless Steel Watch

It's black.  It's stainless.  It has a simple rotating bezel. What's not to like? 

Update 2025: There were some cool things about this watch. The classic style, rotating bezel, stainless steel case, and richly enameled bezel surface gave this watch an awesome look. But, as it turned out, there were a few flaws not to like with this good looking watch. It wasn't the face or case, it was the strap that presented problems. Within a year, the strap got brittle, and showed signs of white oxidation. The unusual shape made it impossible to replace the strap.  After my experience with this watch, I would recommend watches with more conventional lug dimensions and traditional spring bar strap or bracelet attachment mechanisms.

You won't find the Model 45B35K Caravelle watch on Amazon anymore, but Caravelle branded watches are still going strong.  

As of July 30, 2025: To maximize value, visit the Bulova Store on Amazon and check out their selection of Caravelle watches.