# New from Baselworld: Bulova CURV



## ManOnTime

99% of the new watches at Basel are far out of my price range, and these new Bulova's are as well, but I still can't help but be thrilled by the fact that Bulova (with Citizen's help, admittedly) continues to innovate.

It's interesting to see how far they can push the Precisionist/UHF/262kHz movement, and it is seriously thin.



















Bulova CURV Watch Features World's First Curved Chronograph Movement | aBlogtoWatch


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## tmathes

I kind of like that and in particular that it doesn't seem, at first blush, overly thick and bulky. I also found this from Hodinkee:

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-bulova-curv-chronographs

I like the blue one (I'm a sucker for blue-dialed watches), I'm assuming it's the same curved design but it doesn't say in the article.


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## ManOnTime

tmathes said:


> I'm assuming it's the same curved design but it doesn't say in the article.


It is.

Bulova is supposed to have at least twelve models at launch in different metal and color configurations. The most expensive with MSRP at $899 in titanium with *curved* sapphire glass front and back. 😲


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## tmathes

matlobi said:


> It is.
> 
> Bulova is supposed to have at least twelve models at launch in different metal and color configurations. The most expensive with MSRP at $899 in titanium with *curved* sapphire glass front and back. 


The deal breaker for me (with what I saw) is that integrated strap. No. Way. Ever. Again. Nevereverever again.

I had a Skagen years ago that that same style integrated strap (wife gave it to me, oh, 15 years ago). When the strap needed replacement, Skagen, just freshly bought by Fossil, said they would not sell me one, it needed to be sent in. Long story short, they ruined the watch. They did make good with a voucher for a new one though. The replacement had a standard strap, I refused to consider anything with an integrated anything.

I'll take a look when they come out in April of next year. If we're lucky. 

And hopefully they're not 45-50mm only Bulova is well known for producing (still bummed that the moon watch is too darned big for me).


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## ManOnTime

tmathes said:


> The deal breaker for me (with what I saw) is that integrated strap. No. Way. Ever. Again. Nevereverever again.


I hear you on the integrated strap, but as this picture shows, it doesn't look to terrible to replace. All that's needed is a jeweler's screw driver and someone to make a strap, of course! 










These two really catch my eye, and thankfully they have standard bracelets.


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## tmathes

It's not the ease/difficulty of the replacing the strap. It's finding the *(&)(^ strap. And the likely ridiculous cost of it.

That was the issue with my Skagen; the strap was easy to replace but Skagen wouldn't sell you one. You had to send it to them and they trained apes they in the "shop" broke the watch. That was the issue.


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## tayloreuph

Can anyone speak the the viability of the battery? I wonder about getting batteries in the same way that Accutron 214/218 cells have been discontinued and in search of replacement. Any idea of what the future may hold for the Precesionist/Accutron II/262kHz power cells?


Sent from my pretentious handheld device


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## odd_and_vintage_fan

tayloreuph said:


> Can anyone speak the the viability of the battery? I wonder about getting batteries in the same way that Accutron 214/218 cells have been discontinued and in search of replacement. Any idea of what the future may hold for the Precesionist/Accutron II/262kHz power cells?
> 
> Sent from my pretentious handheld device


The original Accutrons needed a different voltage, 1.35v, than what became the eventual standard of 1.55v. From the tear-down I saw of a Precisionist movement, it was just an off-the-shelf battery. Unless the industry moves away from its current standard sizes, things should be fine for a long while.

The early battery powered watches like the Hamiltons, the Landeron 4750 movements, and the Accutrons all used their own proprietary batteries because they all had very specific requirements that nobody on the battery market could meet with existing products.


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## knafel1983

Very cool. I prefer the skeletonized models. Good luck when the rubber strap gets old and breaks.


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## arogle1stus

matlobi
What fun would it be to attend the exposition knowing you can afford any watch on exhibit? 
The fact that they are out of reach to us, is the thing that attracts me. Kinda like a kid viewing
the latest array of fun video games, know his parents will not buy them for him.

"The nicest peach is always out of reach they say".

X traindriver Art


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## Sevenmack

I'm definitely going to end up with one of them, especially since, this being Bulova, the _real _pricing on the watches will fall pretty quickly below MSRP. What I would love to see is Bulova take the Precisionist technology to new levels as Citizen did during the 2000s with Eco-Drive. Particularly a minute repeater like Citizen's Calibre 9000 (for which you wouldn't need a corresponding perpetual calendar complication) or a moon phase/annual calendar. Even a radio-controlled Precisionist would be nice to see.


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## Sam-e

does anyone have an idea on what the diameter is of the watch?


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## BenchGuy

tmathes said:


> And hopefully they're not 45-50mm only Bulova is well known for producing (still bummed that the moon watch is too darned big for me).


Watch here: 




Note that the when wearing the strapped version, the buckle tongue is in the last hole. This guy has a very small wrist. That said, the watch looks to take up a lot of real estate...so I wouldn't be surprised if it is 40-42mm diameter without the pushers/crown. Didn't otherwise find specs with a cursory look across Google's offerings.

Also note: there is no traditional chrono runner seconds hand (sweep seconds). Supplying one would make the movement too thick and defeat one purpose of the curve design. Problem with curved movements: hands still have to be straight at 9/3 positions because the dial is essentially flat there. For my personal taste, I don't see the point in a stop watch feature if it is read from a sub-dial.

BG


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## Ahriman4891

BenchGuy said:


> Problem with curved movements: hands still have to be straight at 9/3 positions because the dial is essentially flat there. For my personal taste, I don't see the point in a stop watch feature if it is read from a sub-dial.


Great point. However, I must say I really like the design of the CURV models, both the titanium ones and the SS with blue dials. Maybe a non-curved version of this movement will find its way into the next wave of Bulova chronographs?


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## arogle1stus

This is certainly no earth shaking news by now but Basel World was hit by a watch theft ring and thieves stole millions of dollars worth of watches.
Question: Where will the thieves find any one to fence the watches to? What will their return be? 10 cents on the dollar? Thieves mentality?
Guess it will be similar to theft of world class art objects. Sell to collectors who can only keep them in their private collections.
Why own something you have to hide?

X traindriver


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## tmathes

arogle1stus said:


> This is certainly no earth shaking news by now but Basel World was hit by a watch theft ring and thieves stole millions of dollars worth of watches.
> Question: Where will the thieves find any one to fence the watches to? What will their return be? 10 cents on the dollar? Thieves mentality?
> Guess it will be similar to theft of world class art objects. Sell to collectors who can only keep them in their private collections.
> Why own something you have to hide?
> 
> X traindriver


Check the date on when that "event" was reported on WUS.


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## how2collect

Is this watch available yet? Why don't I see it on Bulova's website?


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## mplsabdullah

The Bulova Curv watches are now on sale at Macys http://www1.macys.com/shop/search?keyword=bulova+curv
Unfortunately I could not find any working promo code to use right now.


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## mplsabdullah

Double post by mistake


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## tmathes

mplsabdullah said:


> The Bulova Curv watches are now on sale at Macys http://www1.macys.com/shop/search?keyword=bulova+curv
> Unfortunately I could not find any working promo code to use right now.


I noticed that too, no price discount likely since it's just introduced. But, the Moon Watch is in stock, price with the code (BFJULY) knocks it down to a sweet price. and it does work with the moon watch.

Bulova does show the Curv line on the web site now, in fact the web page is dominated by the Curv. Smallest case size in the line seems to be 43mm.


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## ilmaio

I've seen the entire line on Bulova site and i have to say they are truly beautiful and with a new and fresh design in a world where almist all' watches look the same.
The only thing i don't understand is why the sub second dial doesn't have a sweeping hand, if you watch some videos on you tube you can cleary see the hand ticking.
The sweeping hand is the distinction Mark for the new Bulovas and on this top of the line model they're back on a ticking hand...


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## time-man

odd_and_vintage_fan said:


> The original Accutrons needed a different voltage, 1.35v, than what became the eventual standard of 1.55v. From the tear-down I saw of a Precisionist movement, it was just an off-the-shelf battery. Unless the industry moves away from its current standard sizes, things should be fine for a long while.
> 
> The early battery powered watches like the Hamiltons, the Landeron 4750 movements, and the Accutrons all used their own proprietary batteries because they all had very specific requirements that nobody on the battery market could meet with existing products.


Actually, the original batteries were of a mercury chemical composition, and when mercury batteries were banned, anything that used them was no longer able to function properly, unless it could operate at the slightly higher voltage (1.55) of the current batteries. (Many camera internal light meters and separate hand held light meters were victims of this also.) Depending on where you read it, the original Accutrons are able to run on the higher voltage, or can be adjusted to run on it. There is also an adapter that the newer battery can fit into that will drop down the voltage to the 1.35 that the Accutrons need.


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