Bulova Watch (96A120)

Brown is a difficult dial colour and this one earns it. The face is a deep tobacco brown, the exposed bridges behind the openings are rose gold-toned, and the strap is a matching brown crocodile emboss. Warm right through. Case and Wrist Presence Polished stainless steel, round, with a plain slim bezel and lugs that curve down into the strap. The crown sits at three. Steel around a brown dial is a cooler frame than a gold case would be, and it is what stops the whole watch reading as one uninterrupted brown object. Dial and Legibility Deep brown with applied Roman numerals around a stepped chapter ring and a fine minute track outside them. Two openings are cut into the dial – a small one at twelve and a wider one at three – showing rose gold-toned parts of the mechanism turning underneath. A subsidiary dial sits low on the face with its own printed track. The hands are rose gold-toned and slim. Warm metal on brown is a low-contrast pairing: this dial looks its best in daylight and takes a second glance in a dim room. Strap and Fit Brown leather embossed with a crocodile pattern, stitched in matching thread and tapered to a pin buckle. The emboss gives it texture and hides everyday marks better than smooth leather does. Adjustment is hole by hole, and the strap will soften and darken over the first month as it takes the shape of your wrist. When it eventually splits at the fold, a standard replacement drops straight in. Who This Watch Suits Someone who wants a dress watch with something visibly mechanical about it, in a colour that is not black, white or blue. Brown dials suit brown shoes and tan leather, and not much else – which is part of the appeal. Care and Maintenance Keep the leather dry. A soaked strap dries stiff and then cracks at the fold, and no amount of conditioner brings it back. Wipe the steel case with a soft cloth rather than a compound. Leave the crown pushed fully home. Take service work to a watchmaker. About the Brand Bulova was founded in 1875 and built its name on putting technical interest into watches ordinary people could afford. An open dial with visible bridges on a brown dress watch is a fair example of that. Technical Specifications Attribute Specification Brand Bulova Reference 96A120 Case shape Round Case Stainless steel Dial Brown with open apertures Markers Roman numerals Hands Rose gold-tone Strap Brown croc-embossed leather 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.