Bulova Chronograph C “Stars & Stripes” Watch Review

Bulova Chronograph C “Stars & Stripes” Watch Review

Bulova Chronograph C “Stars & Stripes” Watch Review

A couple of days later I had been attending a midsummer meet up of “watch guys” in New York are able to it had been an informal lunch, with every patron getting a wrist watch or more to demonstrate, an opportunity to trade some understanding and drink a beer together. Right after we sitting lower, among the men sitting across from me pulls back his cuff and divulges the identical watch I spotted online the couple of days prior. “Is the Bulova ‘Stars & Stripes?’” He stated it had been. “Did you receive that off this forum not lengthy ago?” He stated he did. “That’s a genuine watch, as with, Bulova created it?” He stated they did, in 1970 - for just just one year, to become exact.

That very same-model watch

Inside a decent condition. This cost inflation not just surprised me - somebody that handed down the piece simply to be later proven wrong - however it appears to possess also surprised Bulova, this major rise in curiosity about what in the past would be a small , unsuccessful production run. However these are strange occasions in the realm of watches, so the brand saw this major spike in intrigue, and correspondingly re-issued the piece only at that year’s Baselworld. - with a rather bigger situation, modern finishing, a quarta movement movement, and - most considerably- an aggressive cost point.

The current watch, despite the fact that it’s a re-issue of the historic predecessor, continues to be today a remarkably funky-searching piece. At 46 mm (3 mm bigger compared to vintage model) on the mesh bracelet, the steel chronograph has a lug-less design, simple pump pushers, a thick, barrel crown, along with a notched bezel. Its dial, where a lot more of its aspects lie, hosts the red, white-colored, and blue details where the piece acquired its nickname “Stars & Stripes,” and which many have construed being an homage towards the American flag. Here you’ll locate an outer blue tachymetric scale with inner white-colored-detailed hour markers, then more blue detailing towards the middle of the dial having a vintage “Bulova” emblem printed toward the 12 o’clock mark.

Printed over this backdrop are three subdials with red triangular hands for chronograph minutes at 9 o’clock, running seconds at 6 o’clock

Bulova Chronograph C “Stars & Stripes” Watch Review

Along with a split-seconds counter at 3 o’clock. The hour and minute hands have been in an easy pointer construction, with red triangular tips, and also the chronograph seconds hands is definitely an enlarged red triangular pointer such as the subdial indicators. Powering the timepiece is really a Bulova “High-Performance” 262-kHz quarta movement chronograph movement, exactly the same movement utilized in the brand’s Moon Watch. Presently offered at retailers worldwide.

Evaluating the current version towards the original piece, it’s apparent that Bulova makes a obvious effort to stay as faithful towards the latter as you possibly can. As the situation is slightly bigger at 46-mm, this increase is probably because of the wider quarta movement movement used when compared to vintage model’s by hand-wound Valjoux 7736. The various movement has additionally altered the subdial configuration, altering the initial running seconds in the 9, 12-hour counter towards the end from the dial, and 30-minute counter for the 3 o’clock position to what's presently observed. The ultimate changes come by means of modern finishing and manufacturing the contemporary watch appears overall more refined with regards to the crispness from the dial as well as in the polishing and brushing from the wide, steel situation.

The Chronograph C occurs the heels from the broadly popular Bulova Moon Watch

Bulova Chronograph C “Stars & Stripes” Watch Review

And it was released plus the 2. form of that piece. Both of them are part of Bulova’s growing “Archive” collection, and also the discharge of the “Stars & Stripes” (vintage ad for that original pictured below) appears to become signaling an increasing readiness by Bulova to head to the highly-popular vintage reproduction market. With respect to the success of the new watch Body very affordable and representing a great value, even when some purists take problem with its quarta movement movement- the company might release more vintage Bulova favorites, possibly even together with a piece from the in the past popular “666” diving heritage. I understand I’ll be watching carefully.