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Bulova Marine Star 98A273 Automatic Bracelet Watch - W09224
Ref. 98A273
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 Marine Star line has always leaned into sport-luxury without much apology, and this iteration makes that clearer than most. The combination of a gold PVD case against a black dial is deliberately high-contrast, and the open-heart aperture at seven o'clock reframes what is otherwise a bold dress-sport proposition: it turns the Miyota 82S5 inside into part of the display. That movement — 21 jewels, 21,600 vph, a hacking seconds hand — is a solid Japanese automatic workhorse, and seeing the balance wheel through the dial gives a wrist this large something to justify its size. At 205 grams on the bracelet, this sits with real weight. The 24mm lug width means the bracelet fills the case properly rather than pinching in, and the deployant with dual push-buttons holds things securely without requiring a struggle to open. Roman numerals and a small seconds subdial at five o'clock give the layout a classical arrangement that sits in mild tension with the dive-rated depth — an interesting combination that makes the watch harder to place, and arguably more versatile for it.
- Reference
- 98A273
- Brand
- Bulova
- Collection
- Marine Star
- Case size
- 44mm
- Case thickness
- 13.45mm
- Lug width
- 24mm
- Case material
- Gold PVD
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Miyota 82S5
- Functions
- Small seconds, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 200m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Gold
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 42 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 7 collections
This watch appears in the Bulova Marine Star range (12), Back in Stock (3,629), Automatic Watches (1,904), Watches 44mm and Over (977), Sports Watches (882), Gold Watches (784) and Dive Watches (634).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 200m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Bulova's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 44mm sits at the larger end
Bulova Marine Star 98A273 alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 98A273 | GM-B2100BD-1AER | SRPF03K1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £489 | £549 | £399 |
| Case size | 44mm | 44mm | 43.8mm |
| Water resistance | 200m | 200m | 200m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 42 hours | — | 41 hours |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 200m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
It can, over time. Mineral glass handles daily wear but will pick up fine scratches that sapphire would not.
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?
24mm. 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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