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Bulova 98A179 Classic Automatic Skeleton Dial Bracelet Watch - W09130
Ref. 98A179
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 series sits within Bulova's Classic Automatic line but pursues a deliberately industrial character — ion-plated black from case to bracelet, with the dial opened up to show the escapement wheel doing its work beneath. The movement behind that aperture is the Miyota 8N26, a 21-jewel Japanese automatic that Citizen's movement division built specifically with skeleton applications in mind: robust enough to be worn hard, regulated well enough that exposing its action is a feature rather than a compromise. At 46mm and 194 grams it wears with real presence, and the integrated bracelet — flush-fitting by design — helps distribute that weight so it sits against the wrist rather than sitting on top of it. The dial reads dark and mechanical in flat light; angled light catches the open aperture and the movement beneath it more than it catches the hands, which is precisely what the design is constructed around. Link adjustment requires extracting split pins by hand rather than using a tool-free micro-adjust system, so getting the fit right at the outset is worth the effort.
- Reference
- 98A179
- Brand
- Bulova
- Collection
- Classic Automatic
- Case size
- 46mm
- Case thickness
- 13.2mm
- Lug width
- 13mm
- Case material
- Black PVD
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 8N26
- Functions
- Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 40 hours
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 (3,600), Automatic Watches (1,904), Watches 44mm and Over (977), Automatic Watches Under £500 (401), All Black Watches (363) and Skeleton Watches (356).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Bulova's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 46mm is a large watch with real presence
- 40-hour reserve means winding it after a day off
Bulova 98A179 Classic alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 98A179 | SRPC61J1 | PWVBA0223 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £449 | £339 | £445 |
| Case size | 46mm | 45mm | 44mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Silicone strap |
| Power reserve | 40 hours | 41 hours | 40 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
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 40 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
13mm. 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 men'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.
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