Bulova Marine Star Men’s Chronograph Watch (98B104)

Marine Star is Bulova’s water-going line, and this is the dressed-up version of it: a rose gold-tone case with black screws and black crown guards, a black dial, and a rubber strap. Sporting hardware in a warm metal. Case and Wrist Presence A round rose gold-tone case with a heavy scalloped bezel and four black screw heads set into it. Chronograph pushers and the crown sit inside a black guard on the right flank, which protects them and gives that side of the watch a stepped profile. It is a broad, deep case and it does not pretend otherwise. Dial and Legibility Black with a fine radial guilloche that catches light in bands. Roman numerals in white and rose gold ring the dial, the largest at twelve and six. Three registers are sunk into the surface with rose gold rings around them, and the date sits in a small framed window between four and five. The chronograph seconds hand is tipped in red, so the one hand that moves during timing is the easiest to follow. Movement and Functions Quartz chronograph. The upper two registers accumulate elapsed minutes and hours while the central hand runs the seconds; the lower register is the running seconds, which tells you the watch is alive when the chronograph is stopped. The date is set from the crown. Water resistance is rated to 10 ATM, roughly 100 metres, which covers swimming and snorkelling but not the chronograph pushers being operated underwater. Strap and Fit A black rubber strap on a pin buckle. Rubber is the right material for a watch rated to swim in – it does not hold water, it does not stretch, and it takes chlorine and salt without complaint. The buckle adjusts hole by hole, so the fit is fixed rather than infinitely fine; pick the hole that keeps the case still when you turn your wrist over. Who This Watch Suits Somebody who wants a sports chronograph in something other than steel. The rose gold and black combination is loud in a way brushed steel is not, and the rubber keeps it usable rather than purely decorative. Care and Maintenance Rinse the case and strap in fresh water after the sea and dry them. Do not push the chronograph buttons or pull the crown while the watch is wet – that is how water gets in on a watch that is otherwise perfectly sealed. Rubber lasts longer out of direct sunlight, and the case gasket should be replaced when the battery is. About the Brand Bulova has been making watches since 1875. The Marine Star line is where it puts screwed bezels, guarded crowns and real water ratings, and this reference carries all of that under a rose-gold finish. Technical Specifications Attribute Specification Brand Bulova Collection Marine Star Reference 98B104 Case shape Round Case Rose gold-tone with black accents Dial Black Markers Roman numerals Functions Chronograph, date Movement Quartz Crystal Mineral Water resistance 10 ATM / 100m Strap Black rubber Gender Men’s Warranty 24 months Buying With Confidence Movement cover runs for 24 months under the international manufacturer warranty, with the battery and ordinary wear excluded. Every watch leaves us new and unworn, boxed with the manufacturer’s paperwork, and goes out by tracked courier anywhere in the country. An unworn watch in its original packaging can be returned under the Consumer Protection Act.