The applied indices give the dial a feeling of depth, and the rings on the sub-dials are applied too. And it is a heavy-duty watch. I assume the idea is that a big bike and rider need a big watch. This model comes in at nearly 47mm - that could be a dealbreaker for some. The case is barrel-shaped and has a rich blue sunburst dial. Again, the beauty is in the simplicity and functional colouring.

It’s a busy design, but the dial isn’t cluttered. I’m not normally a fan of overcomplicated designs, but this works for me. Because of the Harley Davidson input, what may have seemed messy now looks mechanical.

Specification

It began in the 1870s when Joseph Bulova opened his watch shop in downtown New York. From the outset, Bulova strived for mechanical perfection. By 1912 he had a Swiss factory mass-producing watches.

They’ve collaborated with and referenced America’s cultural icons. For a guy living in Northern England, that’s fun.But if you like chunky watches, then this is an attractive piece. Obviously, the Harley branding catches the eye first, as do the overlapping sub-dials. Then you can begin to take in the details. How comfortable do you want your watch to be? It’s a serious question. What if a watch was designed with comfort being the priority.

Dial also features tachymeter and applied indices. All these things create solid combination and work nicely together. Dial is perfectly legible and you won’t have a problem with it. Separate plus should be added for leaving only Bulova logo and resisting adding any additional writings. That’s not because of an innovation or a groundbreaking design. This watch is famous because it’s one of a select group worn in space. What makes the story even better, is that it wasn’t meant to be there. So what you have is a watch that outwardly looks like a handsome chronograph. On closer inspection, you can see that it hugs the wrist. Particularly the models with a bracelet. There’s a nice integration that helps maintain the curve. The 30s saw the introduction of their popular rectangular watches. Then another world first when they ran a TV advert on the day commercial advertising was permitted. How about I take you through the best Chronographs that Bulova produce? It’s where they’re strongest and it’s where you’ll find their most famous watch.This is the big selling point of the watch, at least for me, and much like the Devil Diver, the effort they put into the dial really shines through. The Surfboard is offered in a few different color variants, but mine is the navy blue and red one. One important thing that I didn’t notice and that the product photos don’t show, and that you can’t see in the store, is that in very intense sunlight, the blue and silver portions of the dial are actually sunburst. When the light catches the face just right, the blue is incredibly intense. I bought this watch thinking it was just a really dark, flat navy blue, but I’m incredibly pleased with the discovery. The design itself is pure 60s/70s. The indices are the little faceted polished rectangles you see on vintage watches, and have a tiny sliver of lume in the center, as do the hour and minute hands. Both the running seconds and the chronograph hands are unlumed. The subdials (running seconds and 60-minute counter) are located in the large silver oval that gives the Surfboard its name. A tachymeter runs around the dial above the minute indices. All of this is covered by a double domed sapphire crystal that produces virtually no distortion, even at crazy angles. The hour and minute hand are both wide and white, with a two-tone tip. The outer edges of the tip are bright red, while the center sports a slim lume stripe. The seconds hand is long and needle-shaped, with a bright red/orange finish that matches the red on the other hands and the subdials. Sapphire glass is slightly raised over the case and it creates nice edge distortions. Don’t worry – dial is still legible and you won’t have any problems here.