With atomic sync timing everywhere these days—phones, TVs, cars—accuracy was the top priority for me. I wanted something that could keep time on its own, without leaning on radio or GPS correction. So far, it’s living up to it. After a few weeks it’s still within a second of atomic time from when I set it, which is exactly what I was hoping for. The one thing that caught me off guard is the small seconds subdial. It doesn’t sweep smoothly like the chronograph seconds hand, it jumps twice a second. Not a big deal, just something I noticed, and kind of surprising since one hand sweeps and the other doesn’t. Early on I also had to realign the chronograph hand after a lot of timing use—it drifted slightly off zero. But I did that once, it was easy, and it’s stayed lined up ever since.
I also really like the paddle pushers. They were designed for astronauts wearing gloves, but the benefit on the wrist is that they don’t stick out as far as traditional pushers. The watch keeps a tighter profile and doesn’t flare out as much, which makes it wear better than I expected. As for the lunar walk story, honestly, I’m tired of hearing it. This watch doesn’t need that backstory to be appealing. It looks sharp on its own, the dial and details are crisp, and overall it feels like a serious, well-made watch.
This is my first Bulova, and I’m enjoying it a lot. I like that it’s an American brand with real history, and that they’ve been behind a lot of firsts and innovations in watchmaking. That matters to me, and it makes me want to pick up more from their HPQ line over time.
