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Bulova 97A207 Maquina Automatic Bracelet Watch - W09417
Ref. 97A207
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 Maquina collection is Bulova's exercise in architectural boldness — angular tonneau cases, integrated bracelets, and skeletonised dials that treat the movement as the centrepiece rather than something to be hidden. This 97A207 does that in gold PVD, pairing a grooved black outer hour ring with gold-plated mechanical components visible through a central aperture. The balance wheel sits in plain view, and the contrast between the textured black surround and the warm metal of the movement beneath it is the whole point of the dial. At 40mm across a 47mm lug-to-lug span, the tonneau case wears more compactly than those numbers suggest — the integrated bracelet absorbs the transitions and the whole thing sits as one continuous piece on the wrist rather than a case with straps attached. At 186 grams it has noticeable presence, though not uncomfortable weight. The Miyota 8N26 underneath is a shared movement across a great deal of Japanese mechanical production, reliable and straightforward, and its 42-hour reserve means a weekend off the wrist does not require a reset on Monday morning.
- Reference
- 97A207
- Brand
- Bulova
- Collection
- Maquina
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 13.37mm
- Lug width
- 12mm
- Case material
- Gold PVD
- Case shape
- Tonneau
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 8N26
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Gold
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47mm
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
- Origin
- Made in Japan
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 5 collections
This watch appears in the Bulova Maquina range (5), Automatic Watches (1,904), Gold Watches (784), Skeleton Watches (356) and Tonneau & Cushion Watches (146).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 47mm 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 97A207 Maquina alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 97A207 | SRPL71J1 | T1224071605100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £549 | £540 | £620 |
| Case size | 40mm | 39.5mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap |
| Power reserve | 42 hours | 41 hours | — |
| This watch | 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?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 42 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What 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.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 47mm, 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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