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In partnership with Bulova
In the middle of the 20th century, the Bulova name was absolutely everywhere. After Joseph Bulova founded the company in 1875 and they began producing their own timepieces a few decades later, they grew into a pioneering watch brand that pushed boundaries in the industry for design, production and even marketing. The first-ever television advertisement, for any company, as noted by Guinness World Records, was a 1941 spot that declared “America runs on Bulova time.”
These days, you may be more familiar with some of the company’s specific watches than the brand itself, as they have a number of pieces that have become icons themselves: the astronaut-favorite Lunar Pilot, the nickname-usurping Devil Diver and the electronic Accutron among them. But while their historic releases still hold sway on wrists and watch blogs the world over, the company continues to unveil reworked classics and brand new designs worth considering for your collection.
These days, Bulova price points start at an accessible $195 and climb up to around $4,750 for their limited-edition watches. If you’re chiefly concerned with movements, the brand offers both mechanical options and high-performance quartz models. For styles, it’s dealer’s choice, from rugged field watches to dress pieces to divers. It would seem that Bulova’s goal as it celebrates its 150th anniversary is to be a one-stop shop: you tell them the occasion, they’ve got a timepiece to match.
To parse through the hundreds of watches available, we’ve selected six notable Bulova pieces that stand out among the many different styles.
Chronograph Watches: Bulova Lunar Pilot
The Lunar Pilot is the most famous timepiece Bulova has ever produced, thanks to one owner: astronaut David Scott. The story goes like this: NASA officially issued Omega watches for the Apollo 15 mission, but the crystal popped off Scott’s piece during a stroll on the Moon, so he strapped on his backup — a Bulova chronograph that went on to be called the Lunar Pilot. The modern iteration is a faithful recreation, but with an ultra-high frequency quartz movement (262 kHz) instead of a mechanical hand-wound movement. Don’t let that change dissuade you: the watch, which was updated in 2023 to include a more wearable and historically accurate 43.5mm model (compared to 45mm), has made it on our lists of favorite chronographs and favorite quartz watches.
Field Watches: Bulova Hack Watch
The modern field watch should be tough, legible and utilitarian, but handsome enough to wear just about everywhere. Among Bulova’s line of military-inspired pieces, you’ll find the trusty automatic Hack Watch, which checks all those boxes. We specifically like the lighter cream dial for easy reading during the day, plus luminescent hands and hour markers for the same at night.
Hybrid Ceramic Watches: Bulova Snorkel
Whimsical, collectible quartz watches with composite ceramic cases? Yeah, they’re having a moment, some models certainly more successful than others. Bulova’s new Snorkel series, which was released earlier this year, offers a compelling mashup between old and new: the case and unidirectional bezel are modeled after the brand’s iconic “Devil Diver,” which was originally released in the ‘60s as the Snorkel, later the Oceanographer; the newfangled “Hybrid Ceramic” material used in the case is paired with a classic stainless steel crown and caseback; and the funky wave-patterned dials are complemented by functional, lume-coated hands and indexes. Add in sea creature motifs (from the Blue Tang Fish, pictured above, to the Sea Turtle, Clownfish and Great White Shark) and you’re looking at an affordable charmer.
Dive-Style Watches: Caravelle by Bulova Sea Hunter
Caravelle is a vintage Bulova sub-brand that traces its history back to the 1960s, and the Sea Hunter was one of the popular dive watches under that label. Bulova recently brought back the watch in an updated guise that favors the daily wearer, but still has some legitimate underwater chops. Besides the clean stainless steel model pictured above, there are three colorful designs: blue and gold tone, black and rose gold tone, and green and gold tone. Whichever you opt for, the 39mm case packs a Miyota caliber 8215-33E automatic movement featuring 42 hours of power reserve, an admirable 666 feet of water resistance, and lume-coated hands, indexes and pip on the unidirectional bezel.
Archival Watches: Bulova Jet Star
Bulova has done an admirable job of carrying the legacy of their monumental watches into the future with regular archival reissues, and one of the most intriguing releases is the Jet Star. Inspired by a funky piece from 1973, the new Jet Star is immediately defined by its angular turtle case and retro color options (we recommend leaning into the nostalgia and opting for the claret sunburst dial); but it’s been upgraded for the 21st century with Bulova’s Precisionist 262 kHz quartz movement
Archival Watches: Bulova Super Seville
Okay, we had to include another archival release because the Super Seville offers something completely different than the Jet Star — at least in terms of wrist appeal. Yes, it has the same movement (the Precisionist quartz, accurate to within seconds a year) with a three-hand dial and date window, but Bulova flexes its design panache in the details. The 37.5mm case is ideal for modern tastes, the coin-edge bezel pairs beautifully with the brushed green dial (there are eight other variants, too), and the TV-shaped case is something you just won’t find on many other wrists.
Meet your guide
Alex Lauer
Alex Lauer is the features editor at InsideHook. Since joining the company in 2016, he’s covered a wide range of topics, including cars, the environment, books and business.
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![The Bulova Hack Watch [left], Lunar Pilot [center] and Caravelle by Bulova Sea Hunter [right]](https://www.insidehook.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Bulova-best-watches-2025.jpg?fit=1200%2C800)
