TGIF: Solving A Fluted Bezel Conundrum

Say you've been thinking about adding a dress watch with a fluted bezel to your collection, but you have few rules:

1. It can't be a Rolex Datejust.
2. It can't be a Datejust homage.
3. It can't cost more than $1000.
4. It has to be a respectable brand with a history. 

A Nibosi Datejust Homage Watch

It's a bit of a conundrum.  You like that sparkle, but you aren't presidential material. Homage watch can be cool. But, sometimes for work, you might want to avoid an obvious datejust homage watch. You also don't want to spend more than $1000 because you can always get that "no papers" Rolex from the pawnshop for about $3000. What do you do?

A "no papers" Rolex Datejust at the Pawnshop

I think that you look at watches from Bulova and their value-oriented brand Caravelle. Bulova has a fluted watch with a square case called the Super Seville. Since it's square, it's obviously different from a Rolex Datejust. It's not a homage. Plus, it has a bit of Bulova brand prestige and the famed Bulova Precisionist movement. I've given the Bulova Super Seville a sharp watch shout out before here on this blog. To me, the Bulova Super Seville is a very different watch than the Rolex Datejust.

Bulova Super Seville (Amazon photo)

The Super Seville is a little expensive. This best price variant comes in at nearly $500 on Amazon.  You can check it out via my Amazon affiliate link. Bulova's value-oriented brand Caravelle offers another fluted watch that may pique your interest.

Caravelle by Bulova 3-Hand Men's Quartz Watch (Amazon photo)

The Caravelle by Bulova 3-Hand Men's Quartz Watch is another alternative.  It's a 41mm diameter watch with a "coin-edged bezel" that comes in at a bit over $100 with a leather strap. Stainless steel bracelet versions are a bit more expensive, but still under $150. While there is a 41mm Rolex Datejust, it has a thicker bezel and thicker hour markers. This Caravelle strikes a far more minimalist tone with thin markers and a smaller date window. You can check this one out here via my Amazon affiliate link. 

I think either of these choices provide a fluted bezel alternative that is different enough from the classic Rolex Datejust to break away from the homage label. That can be a breath of fresh air.

If you do like the looks of the Rolex Datejust, I have found some homage watches that might fit the bill.  You can read about them in this post.

Watch Spotlight: The Caravelle Tradition Quartz Day-Date Watch

There are many broader social and economic forces at play in our world. We can't do much about that big picture. Sometimes it seems like little personal luxuries become more and more difficult to attain. Sometimes it seems like an elite European timepiece might be attainable. Sometimes economic instability threatens and you need to play it safe. When it comes to the world of watch collecting, we get to make our own rules. The look, the aesthetics, the functionality of a good timepiece can be presented in a number of different ways and at a number of different price points. Good design and good taste isn't exclusive to Europe. For an example, let's a take a took at an  affordable watch from Caravelle.

Caravelle Traditional 3-Hand Watch

This Caravelle Tradition 3-Hand Watch with Day, Date, and Backlighting is a great example of a nice looking 40mm watch that would be right at home in any business casual environment. It's a practical, readable watch, with backlighting at the push of a button (located at 2 o'clock). You can see the elements of a basic field watch in the design. The black case, black strap, and blue dial are all strong traditionally masculine design elements.

Caravelle Tradition Watch for Men (Amazon Photo)

You can take a look at this watch here via my Amazon Affiliate link. As of January 2026, this Caravelle is being offered at a nice sale price on Amazon. As an offshoot brand of Bulova, the Caravelle name carries a bit of the parent brand's prestige and history. It has class without a crazy price tag.

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 Amazon website reveals plenty of interesting watches.  On Amazon, I found this Caravelle Sea Hunter Automatic watch. It's a beauty based on Caravelle history. It has 200 meters of water resistance and a 41-hour power reserve.  You can see it here on Amazon.

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

In 2024, I 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.  This is the Caravelle by Bulova Sport Quartz (Model 45B155).

A New Caravelle Watch

Today (November 2025), you can find a chronograph variant of this watch on Amazon. It's Model 45B159. You can find this Caravelle sports watch here on Amazon.

Caravelle Sports Watch 45B159

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.

[This post was updated in November 2025.]