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Bulova Jet Star 96B472 Precisionist Bracelet Watch - W09394
Ref. 96B472
Sits in Bulova’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Bulova watches we list, which start at £100.
Price range £100 to £1,250 across 120 Bulova watches in stock.The original Jet Star landed in 1973, when Bulova was cutting cases with the kind of angular confidence that read as futurism rather than ornament. This reissue from the Archives collection stays faithful to that brief: broad, dramatic facets, a domed crystal that catches light at angles a flat glass would simply absorb, and a sunburst dial that shifts between silver and grey depending on where you are standing. The NM10 Precisionist movement is the part that separates this from a straight revival. Running at 262,144 Hz — roughly six times the frequency of a standard quartz — it holds to within ten seconds a year and drives the seconds hand in a continuous sweep rather than the familiar tick. On a watch this visually active, a smooth sweep hand reads correctly in a way a stepping one does not. At 154 grams on the bracelet, this is a watch you know is on your wrist, and the quick-release spring bars mean swapping it off is a matter of seconds rather than tools.
- Reference
- 96B472
- Brand
- Bulova
- Collection
- Precisionist
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 12.6mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Grey
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 46.4mm
Learn more about Bulova
Joseph Bulova, a Bohemian immigrant, opened a jewellery shop on Maiden Lane in New York in 1875 and moved into watch manufacturing in the early twentieth century, building a plant in Sag Harbor and later a substantial operation in Queens.
Bulova's instinct for firsts was commercial as much as technical. It ran the first national advertisement for a watch brand in 1926, broadcast the first radio commercial in American history — a time announcement — in 1926, and aired the first television commercial ever broadcast in 1941, paying nine dollars for the slot.
The engineering came too. The Accutron of 1960 replaced the balance wheel with a tuning fork vibrating at 360 Hz, driven electronically. It was accurate to within a minute a month, far beyond mechanical watches, and it hummed rather than ticked. NASA used Accutron timing mechanisms in spacecraft, and one was left on the Moon in the equipment package of Apollo 11.
Bulova also made an enormous contribution to American war production, supplying military timing devices, and founded a school of watchmaking for disabled veterans.
The company was acquired by Citizen in 2008. Modern collections include the Precisionist, with a high-frequency quartz movement producing a smooth sweeping seconds hand, and reissues of the Accutron and the 1970s Computron.
- 1875
- Joseph Bulova opens his New York shop.
- 1941
- Airs the first television commercial in history.
- 1960
- The Accutron tuning fork movement is released.
- 1969
- An Accutron timer is left on the Moon by Apollo 11.
- 2008
- Acquired by Citizen.
Also in 3 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (3,629), Stainless Steel Watches (3,600) and Grey Dial Watches (283).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 46.4mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Bulova's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
Bulova Jet Star 96B472 Precisionist alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 96B472 | H43311135 | 010-03013-02 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £449 | £450 | £470 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Silicone strap |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 46.4mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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