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Bulova Crystal 98A292 Octava Automatic Gold Tone Bracelet Watch - W09250
Ref. 98A292
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 Octava sits within Bulova's most openly decorative line — watches where the movement is incidental to the spectacle rather than the other way around. Here, 251 crystals are pavé-set across the bezel, along the bracelet, and around the skeleton dial's perimeter, making the whole piece read as a single continuous surface of faceted gold. The Miyota 8N26 inside is a sensible choice for the job: a Citizen-family movement, robust and straightforwardly serviceable, running at 21,600 vph with a 42-hour reserve. It keeps reasonable time without demanding the kind of attention a more ambitious calibre might. On the wrist, the scale is hard to miss. At 41.7mm wide and 13mm thick, with a bracelet and case together weighing 183 grams, this is a watch that announces itself physically as well as visually. The integrated bracelet flows into the case without a visible break, and the hidden deployant clasp keeps that uninterrupted line around the wrist. The luminous hands offer some low-light legibility, though the open dial at this level of embellishment is read as decoration first.
- Reference
- 98A292
- Brand
- Bulova
- Case size
- 41.7mm
- Case thickness
- 13mm
- Lug width
- 22mm
- Case material
- Gold PVD
- Case shape
- Octagonal
- Dial
- Gold
- Crystal
- Mineral
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 8N26
- Functions
- Small seconds, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Gold
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 50mm
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
- Origin
- Made in Japan
- Gem set
- Yes
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 Back in Stock (3,629), Automatic Watches (1,904), Gold Watches (784), Automatic Watches Under £500 (401) and Skeleton Watches (356).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Bulova's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Bulova Crystal 98A292 Octava alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 98A292 | SSA465J1 | PWRAA0323 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £499 | £500 | £469 |
| Case size | 41.7mm | 41.8mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 42 hours | 41 hours | 40 hours |
| This watch | 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?
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?
22mm. 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 50mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ 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.
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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