Bulova Men’s Automatic Watch (97A108)

The dial is cut away in the lower half so you can watch the balance wheel swinging. Around that opening the watch is entirely conventional: a silver face, black Roman numerals on a raised chapter ring and gold hands. It is a mechanical watch that does not shout about it until you look down. Case and Wrist Presence Round, gold-tone, with a plain polished bezel and a fluted crown on the right. The bezel is narrow and the chapter ring is raised, so the dial gains depth without the case having to be thick. Lugs curve down towards the bracelet rather than sticking out straight, which is what keeps a dress-shaped case sitting flat. Dial and Legibility Silver, with a fine horizontal grain across the upper section. Black Roman numerals sit on an outer ring with a printed minute track inside them – dark markings on a light dial, which is the highest-contrast combination there is. Below the centre, the dial opens onto the movement: you can see the balance oscillating and a ruby jewel set in its bridge. A 24-hour scale runs in a sub-dial to the left and a small seconds register sits to the right, both printed straight onto the skeletonised plate. Movement and Functions The dial reads AUTOMATIC, 21 JEWELS. That means a self-winding mechanical movement: a weighted rotor turns as your arm moves and winds the mainspring, so a watch worn daily never needs winding by hand. Left off the wrist it will stop after its reserve runs down, and it is restarted by winding the crown or simply by moving it. The seconds hand sweeps in small steps rather than ticking once a second. Bracelet and Fit A gold-tone bracelet with flat brushed and polished links, sized by removing links at the clasp. A mechanical watch benefits from a slightly firmer fit than a quartz one – the rotor needs wrist movement to reach it, and a watch sliding loosely on the arm winds less efficiently than one that moves with you. Who This Watch Suits Someone who wants a mechanical movement in a formal watch and would rather see it than read about it on the caseback. It is a conservative design carrying one unusual feature. Care and Maintenance Mechanical movements need servicing every few years; there is no battery, and neglect shows up as poor timekeeping long before it shows up as a stoppage. Keep the watch away from strong magnets – speaker surrounds and laptop lids are the usual culprits – since magnetism throws a balance wheel off rate. Wipe the gold-tone case dry after wearing. About the Brand Bulova has built watches since 1875, largely in quartz, and its open-heart automatics are the part of the range where the mechanics are put on display rather than hidden. Technical Specifications Attribute Specification Brand Bulova Reference 97A108 Case shape Round Case Gold-tone Dial Silver with open-heart aperture Markers Black Roman numerals Movement Automatic, 21 jewels Registers 24-hour and small seconds Bracelet Gold-tone Gender Men’s Warranty 24 months Buying With Confidence The watch carries a 24-month international manufacturer warranty on the movement; the battery and normal wear fall outside it. It ships new and unworn in its original box with the manufacturer’s paperwork, travels on a tracked nationwide courier, and the Consumer Protection Act gives you the right to return an unworn watch in its original packaging.