Tap the image to enlarge
Bulova 96L343 Goddess Of Time Mesh Bracelet Watch - W83235
Ref. 96L343
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 £995 across 43 Bulova watches in stock.The Goddess of Time collection draws directly from Bulova's 1970s archive, and this piece makes that lineage legible: the tonneau case, the textured top surface set within a polished bezel, and the paired-back two-hand dial with no seconds marker are all period-faithful choices rather than decorative gestures. What pulls the design out of pure nostalgia is the dial itself — a slice of genuine blue sodalite, a semi-precious stone whose natural veining means no two examples are identical. At 27 grams and with a case shaped to sit close along the wrist, it wears as jewellery in feel while reading clearly as a watch. The mesh bracelet adjusts by sliding clasp across a range from 6 to 7.75 inches, with no link removal required — a practical detail that tends to reveal itself the first time you actually need it. The snap-on caseback carries an engraved depiction of the Goddess of Time figure, detailed enough to reward the occasional look, and the Miyota movement is rated for roughly four years between battery changes — long enough that the watch will ask very little of its owner between now and the next service.
- Reference
- 96L343
- Brand
- Bulova
- Collection
- Goddess of Time
- Case size
- 28mm
- Case thickness
- 7mm
- Lug width
- 12mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Tonneau
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- 5Y26
- Functions
- GMT
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Mesh bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
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 6 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (3,546), Back in Stock (3,538), Watches Under 37mm (1,908), Women's Watches (1,786), Blue Dial Watches (974) and GMT Watches (277).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 28mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Second time zone for travelling
- One of Bulova's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Bulova 96L343 Goddess Of Time alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 96L343 | AR11777 | TBW6040 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £239 | £229 | £254 |
| Case size | 28mm | 28mm | 28mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 30m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Mesh bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| 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?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
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?
12mm. 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.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as women's.
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.
More Bulova watches like the 96L343 Goddess Of Time
In stock, and close on style and price
