Bulova vs Movado: Which is the better luxury watch brand?
When it comes to luxury watches, few can compete with the high-end brands of Movado and Bulova.
Like Cartier and Rolex watches, Movado and Bulova made a name for themselves in the watch industry through their high-quality craftsmanship, sleek and classic designs, and continuously advancing technology.
While each of these watch brands offers a wide variety of styles, designs, and functions that are appealing to even the most novice watch enthusiast, you might be wondering which of the two popular watch brands you should be investing in and ultimately which luxury brand is better.
In this post, we’ll explore the history of Movado and Bulova watches, the quality and design differences, as well as the price range between the two brands.
I’ll also outline the most popular Movado and Bulova watch collections available today to help you make the most informed decision on which watch is right for you.
History of Bulova Watches
Originally known as the J. Bulova Company, Bulova was founded in 1875 by Joseph Bulova. The company started as a small Jewelry store in New York City and eventually expanded into the luxury watch brand it is today producing high-quality timepieces.
Founder Joseph Bulova established himself as a leader in innovation early on by introducing the first line of men’s watches, including the first adjustable watch band.
The Bulova brand later solidified its reputation for reliability and precision during World War II when it provided the US military with extremely durable utility watches.
In 1960 the Bulova watch company was the first brand to introduce the tuning fork. This technology used a tuning fork to vibrate at a precise frequency controlling the timing of the watch.
This advancement was significant at the time as it allowed for the watches to more accurately track time compared to traditional mechanical watches.
The tuning fork technology was later replaced with quartz movements, which became an even more accurate and low-cost option for timekeeping and is now seen as the standard for wristwatches.
Today, Bulova is one of the leading watch brands in the world and is known for its classic look and contemporary styles, continuously advancing technology, and high-quality designs.
History of Movado Watches
This Swiss luxury watch brand was founded in 1881 by a 19-year-old entrepreneur named Achilles Ditesheim.
One of the Movado brand’s biggest successes came with the design of the Museum watch. This watch offers a classic yet basic design featuring a simple black dial with a single gold dot at the 12 o’clock hour.
The Movado museum watch became a permanent collection piece in the Museum of Modern Art in New York in the 1930s. It was at this time that Movado solidified its reputation in watch design and innovation.
Furthermore, Movado has a long history of collaborating with famous artists and designers such as Andy Warhol.
Movado watches are best known for their sleek and minimalist designs and today, the museum watch specifically is seen as a symbol of luxury and sophistication.
Bulova vs Movado
Design
Both Movado and Bulova have very distinct design features amongst their watches and their designs do vary from one another.
Movado watches are known to have a more modern, minimalist design. One of the key features of Movado brand watches is the single dot at the 12 o’clock position, this symbolizes the sun at high noon.
Bulova watches, on the other hand, are more traditional and classic in their style and design with a range of contemporary designs. Bulova watches often incorporate patterns and aesthetic designs into their watches.
In addition, they are known to use high-quality metals and materials such as gold and diamonds. In general, Bulova watches have a dressier look and design than Movado watches.
Movement
When it comes to watches the term movement relates to the internal mechanism that powers the watch and allows it to keep time.
Movado watches are powered by Swiss quartz movements, which are known for their accuracy and low-maintenance.
These quartz movements use a quartz crystal to keep track of time. They are battery-powered and are considered to be much more accurate than mechanical movements and also do not require manual winding.
The term “Swiss” in quartz movements indicates a very high quality standard for the watch movement.
Bulova watches, on the other hand, now owned by Citizen Watch Co. use a variety of high-quality mechanical and quartz movements including Swiss and Miyota (Japanese) quartz movements as well as the automatic movement.
Bulova offers a range of automatic (self-winding) watches as well as battery powered watches.
Price
When it comes to Bulova vs Movado pricing, both of these luxury watch brands offer watches that are available in a wide price range.
In general, Movado watches tend to be more expensive than Bulova watches. This is most often due to the higher quality materials used in their designs as well as their Swiss quartz movement.
The majority of Movado watches range in price from $500-$2,500, though depending on the model and features, the price can reach several thousand dollars.
The price point of Bulova watches can start as low as $50 and increase up to several thousand dollars. Again, this all depends on the specific watch model and features that the watch offers but generally, Bulova watches are offered at a more affordable price.
Despite the high price of both of these watch brands, it’s important to remember that when shopping for a watch, both Movado and Bulova watches are designed to last, which of course increases the price when compared to other brands.
Quality
Both watch brands are known to create high-quality watches that are built and designed to last many, many years.
Despite having more affordable timepieces, the quality of Bulova watches is known to be very high end. These watches are typically made of a pure stainless steel case with a non-reflective and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. These watches are also oftentimes water resistant, though the level of resistance varies based on the model.
Movado timepieces are also made and designed with quality in mind. These watches are most often made of scratch and dust-resistant mineral crystal glass.
Like Bulova, Movado watches are also water resistant with the level of resistance varying based on each specific watch. As we already discussed, both watch brands use high-quality movements in timekeeping for their watches.
The Bulova and Movado brands have a long history in the watch industry of producing high-quality timepieces based on very high standards of effectiveness, reliability, and design.
Movado Watches
Movado Museum
The Movado museum watch collection holds some of the best-selling watches that the brand makes. These watches have a simple and elegant yet unique design that features the hallmark black dial with the gold dot at the high noon clock position.
These watches include the Movado museum sport and museum classic watch collections. All of the museum watches feature the Swiss quartz movement and are known for their clean and modern aesthetic. They are an extremely popular option for simple yet sophisticated wristwear.
Movado Vizio
Another one of Movado’s classic timepieces, the Vizio has a sleek and modern design and typically has a black or silver dial with the signature Movado single dot dial design on the watch face.
The Vizio watch is a great option for a casual everyday watch or for more formal and special occasions. It is also built with the swiss quartz movement making it a high-quality watch that will be very long-lasting.
Movado Bold
As the name suggests the Movado Bold collection contains the most bold designs that the brand offers. The watches are larger and offer colored dials alongside a large stainless steel case.
The Bold collection has a wide range of styles and colors as well as varying band materials from leather to stainless steel and mesh. These watches are great for both men and women.
Bulova Watches
Bulova Marine Star
The marine star collection is one of Bulovas most popular watch collections. It offers bold designs that are perfect for those with a love for water or otherwise active lifestyle.
One of the most popular features of these models is the water resistance and use of the quartz movement. The marine star watches also offer chronographs and luminous hands making them great for aquatic activities.
Bulova Precisionist
While these may not be watches for everyone, the Bulova precisionist collection is one of Bulova’s most popular due to the features it provides.
The Precisionist collection is known for its highly accurate timekeeping as well as features like multi-function displays, chronographs, water resistance, and more.
Two of the more popular models within the collection are the Bulova Precisionist 96B175 which offers one of the largest watch faces with a 46.5 mm case, and the Bulova Gunmetal Precisionist which features a gunmetal finish on the case and bracelet.
Bulova Classic Dress Watch
This is the ultimate classic dress watch with all of the class, elegance, and sophistication you need. The rose gold finish only adds to the luxurious feel and the watch face is mounted on a classic brown leather band.
As for features, the watch is water resistant and contains a date window along with rectangular markers for the hours and minimalist pencil-style hands.
Conclusion: Is Movado or Bulova better?
So when it comes to Bulova vs Movado, which is best?
Despite the differences in designs and styles, these two luxury brands actually have quite a bit in common! Both Movado and Bulova have been around for over a century and have spent that time perfecting their craft and watch designs.
They both offer watches that are highly sought after by watch enthusiasts all around the world and are known to create watches of the highest quality that are meant to last for many years to come.
When shopping for a Movado or Bulova watch, which is the better brand will ultimately come down to personal preference based on your desired design and style as well as the specific functions you’re looking for in a watch.
Whichever you choose, rest assured that your watch will be created and designed to last by one of the world’s best luxury watch brands!
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