Wristwatch Review: Caravelle Sports Quartz Men's Watch with Black Nylon & Leather Strap

If you are looking for a great deal on a sinister looking watch designed by Bulova, you'll want to check out this Caravelle Sports Quartz Men's Watch. I've had one for a couple of months now and I really like it.

A Caravelle men's sports watch

Caravelle Watch Design

This Caravelle Sports watch has a black dial with a "carbon fiber" stippled pattern in the center of the dial.  CARAVELLE appears in the top quarter of the dial and 50m denotes the water resistance in the bottom quarter.  A small date window is positioned just above the hour marker at the 6 o'clock position. A smooth track around the perimeter of the dial has raised batons to note the hours.  Each baton is a green color and is outlined in black.  Numerals with the same color and outlining mark the 12 and 6 o'clock positions.  The Bezel has a slight coin edge, but does not rotate.

A look at the nylon strap reinforced with leather on a Caravelle watch

Caravelle Watch Dimensions

This watch has a 41mm diameter case that is 10mm thick.  The strap is 20mm with a very slight taper.  Overall, it's a nice size: substantial but not overwhelming.

Watch Construction

The watch has a black coated stainless steel case and caseback.  I'll ding this watch slightly for workmanship as I did have a quality issue initially in that the crown or stem didn't want to push in completely (not due to a spacer). I was able to pop the case back off, push in the stem, and pop the caseback on again. After that I was able to set the watch and it works perfectly.

Overall Impression

I like this watch.  It fulfills the Caravelle mission of bringing a solid value in for consumers at an affordable price point.  

A Quick Video Look at this Caravelle on X

Here's a video that I posted @the_watch_dude on X.

Here's a quick video look at the Caravelle Men's Quartz Sports watch with nylon and leather strap. (2/2)#WatchAddict #WatchLover #Review pic.twitter.com/lFMHEIPO1M

— TheWatchDude (@the_watch_dude) August 3, 2024

Unfortunately, this Caravelle watch is no longer available on Amazon.

Watches A to Z: Caravelle

Caravelle is a watch brand introduced by Bulova back in 1962.  It's purpose was to offer quality Bulova-designed timepieces with jeweled movements at lower, more accessible, price points. This is a good thing because I'm a big fan of more accessible price points.    

A Vintage Manual Wind Caravelle Watch - Joe Haupt from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Today, the Caravelle website says that Caravelle watches are inspired by vintage designs. This is also a good thing because I like vintage designs. It's also a sign that Caravelle watches might be a little more interesting than usual to watch collectors. For a dose of vintage and classic, I like this Caravelle by Bulova Open Aperture Automatic on Amazon.

Caravelle Open Aperture Automatic

A quick look at the men's Caravelle section of the Bulova website reveals plenty of interesting watches.  On Amazon, I found this Caravelle retro quartz watch and it's a beauty.

Caravelle Retro Quartz Watch (Amazon.photo)

Caravelle Watches in my Collection

One of the first watches I added to my collection was a Caravelle stainless steel diver-style watch.  It was one of the coolest watches. Sears stores used to have an abundant supply of Caravelle watches. Unfortunately, the rubber strap deteriorated and I was unable to find a nice replacement strap.  If I still have this watch, I may have to restart my search for a replacement strap.

Caravelle by Bulova Diver Style Watch

Recently, I've added a new Caravelle watch to my collection.  This one has a cool blacked-out look with green batons for marking the hours.  This watch is also a good value proposition with a unique look at a low price point.  You can find this Caravelle by Bulova Sport Quartz (Model 45B155) on Amazon.

A New Caravelle Watch

In this era of rampant inflation, Caravelle is a brand that you can use to stretch your watch buying budget and add interesting watches from a storied watch company.

Caravelle Watches for Christmas

When I go through my watch collection looking for good ideas for Christmas Gifts, one thing in clear:  "C" stands for Caravelle.  Caravelle by Bulova watches provide Bulova style and construction in an affordable package.  

Caravelle by Bulova

One of my favorite diver-style watches is this old Caravelle by Bulova Men's 45B35 Rubber Strap Black Dial Watch (above).

Where a Bulova watch might cost $100 to $600, a Caravelle by Bulova watch can come it at a much more attainable price of $125 or less. Here are some great looking Caravelle watches for men.  (In 2024, I ordered this murdered-out Caravelle on Amazon.)

Caravelle (Model 45B155)

In the spirit of the holiday season, don't overlook Caravelle by Bulova watches for women, they look great and offer a lot of style at a reasonable price. If your lady love likes Swarovski crystal or a old world vintage look, Caravelle watches always let her have the time!

[This article, photos, and links were updated in May 2024.]

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.