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Bulova 98B422 Surveyor Automatic Bracelet Watch - W09336
Ref. 98B422
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Stepping up in Bulova's range
The Surveyor sits within Bulova's push to bring properly finished automatics into everyday wear, and this burgundy variant makes the strongest case for it. The Miyota 8215 inside is built by Miyota, a Citizen subsidiary — which matters because Citizen is also Bulova's parent, making this a movement with genuine corporate backing rather than a sourced commodity. It hacks, hand-winds, and carries a 42-hour reserve, which covers a long weekend off the wrist. At 39mm with a thickness of 11.7mm, it wears closer to a dress watch than its bracelet suggests, slipping under a shirt cuff without the usual bulk. The burgundy dial shifts noticeably in changing light — flat and dark indoors, richer and more saturated in direct sun — while the rose gold-tone hands and applied indices hold their contrast against it cleanly. The case edges are faceted and alternate between polished and brushed surfaces, which gives it more visual interest than the price bracket typically delivers. The exhibition caseback lets the 8215 do some of the decorative work, and the bracelet's quick-release spring bars mean swapping to leather for smarter wear takes seconds without tools. At 159 grams on the wrist, it has enough presence to feel considered without sitting heavy.
- Reference
- 98B422
- Brand
- Bulova
- Collection
- Surveyor
- Case size
- 39mm
- Case thickness
- 11.7mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Burgundy
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 8215
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 42 hours
- Strap
- Interchangeable
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 Surveyor range (12), Back in Stock (3,629), Stainless Steel Watches (3,600), Automatic Watches (1,904) and Automatic Watches Under £500 (401).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 39mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Bulova's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Bulova 98B422 Surveyor alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 98B422 | RA-AC0M01S30B | RGB10011/05 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £299 | £300 | £299 |
| Case size | 39mm | 38.4mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 42 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?
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?
20mm. 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, though at 39mm 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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