Bulova Marine Star Review (MUST READ) – Affordable Diving Watches For Men

So Bulova are one of my favourite brands, I’m sure my regular readers are well aware of this by now. But today I wanted to look at one of their most popular series of watches, the Bulova Marine Star. They were designed as a sporty highly functional watch series with an interest in diving.

You can learn all about the brand and their history in my in depth Bulova watches review.

Below I’ve listed 6 of their most popular designs, I hope you enjoy having a read through, don’t forget to leave a comment below when you’re done.

 

1. Bulova Marine Star Men’s Quartz Watch with Black Dial Analogue Display and Silver Stainless Steel Bracelet 98B203

Bulova Marine Star Diving Watch 98B203

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This is a pretty classic simple design for a divers watch, the watch has a clean dial and is easy to read with it’s luminous hands and hour markers. This 98B203 has a water resistance rating of 100m also known as a 10 bar pressure resistance.

The watch is a nice size with a casing diameter of 43mm which is considered large, and a thickness of 10mm which is classed as average. The dial window is made of a hardened mineral glass which will resist most scratches but not to the same level a sapphire glass would.

I think this Bulova offers pretty fair value for money if you’re looking for a diver style watch from a popular designer brand.

 

2. Bulova Marine Star Men’s Quartz Watch with Black Dial Analogue Display and Black Rubber Strap 98B104 

Bulova Marine Star Review 98B104 men's diving watchFind out the price on Amazon

I’ve actually featured a full review of this watch before in the past and love it then, and still continue to do so. I’m a massive fan of most watches that go for a rose gold effect with their design. I think the chronograph design mixed with the larger Roman numerals all looks very good on the watch dial.

When it comes to size and features, this watch is slightly bigger than the previous watch with a casing diameter of 44mm and a thickness of 12mm, it comes out with a big more of a chunky design. I like the use of the durable rubber strap that’s wide than your average strap with a width of 24mm. Bulova have also gone for a mineral glass again which is exactly what I expected from a watch in this price range from Bulova.

This 98B104 also has a water resistance rating of 100m which is equal to a 10 bar pressure rating.

 

3. Bulova Marine Star Men’s Automatic Watch with Black Dial Analogue Display and Orange Rubber Strap 98B207

Bulova Marine Star Quality Watch 98B207 Orange Dive Watch

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Now if you were after something with a better water resistance rating then I’m happy to say this one here has a 200m water resistance rating – 20 bar pressure rating. This is a bright watch, I love the use of colour on the strap and the bezel of the watch, it’s a stunning bright orange that you’re aren’t exactly going to miss are you. A great feature of this watch is it’s automatic movement, it powers itself from the kinetic movement of your wrist, meaning you won’t have to wind it up.

It’s a sizeable watch with a casing diameter of 47mm which is classed as an extra large watch. The thickness of this case is 13mm which is only a large. You can expect this to site prominently on your wrist with an easy to read dial.

 

4. Bulova Marine Star Men’s Quartz Watch with Blue Dial Chronograph Display and Black Silicone Strap 98B258

Bulova Marine Star 100m 98B258 Watch

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Tipping the scales away from that previous boast of colour we come to this 98B258 which has a more low key design with a nice dark blue dial with simple red detailing. This watch features a 100m water resistance which is 10 bar pressure rating, not quite as high as the previous watch.

When it comes to size and features this watch has a casing diameter of 44mm which is considered large, the thickness of the case is 13mm so again also large. The glass is a specially hardened mineral crystal which can resist most scratches and some others can be buffed out if need be.

When it comes to value for money I would be inclined to choose the previous Orange Bulova watch, however most people are likely to go for the design they like best.

 

5. Bulova Marine Star Men’s Quartz Watch with Silver Dial Analogue Display and Silver Stainless Steel Bracelet 98B204

Bulova Marine Star Men's Watch 98B204

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The contrast between the face and the bezel is almost perfect from this 98B204, I love the use on blue on the bezel and the detailing on the hands. Great use of colour here without over doing it. It’s another high performance chronograph from the Marine Star collection.

This one has a water resistance rating of 100m which as I expect you know by now equals a 10 bar pressure resistance.

As I would expect in this series the glass is a hardened mineral like the rest of the watches featured here. The diameter of the watch casing is 43mm with a thickness of 10mm, similar to a few of the others. It’s classed as a large but these days most new watches are around the 42mm mark.

 

6. Bulova Marine Star Men’s Quartz Watch with Blue Dial Analogue Display and Gold/Silver Ion-Plated Bracelet 98B230

Bulova Marine Star Quartz Watch 98B230

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I’m normally very fussy when it comes to this use of two tone colouring on straps but I’m happy to say I feel this watch has done an excellent job. I like how the gold continues from the strap to surround the dial and encase the crown and pushers. Also the gold and deep blue compliments each other extremely well.

Like most the previous watches this Bulova Marine Star has a water resistance rating of 100m – 10 bar pressure rating. A specially hardened mineral crystal glass. And a casing size of 43mm x 10mm.

If I were to pick any of the watches here this one would have to be my favourite design by far.

 

Conclusion

So what did you think? I found there was quite a mix of designs and styles, even when you’re only looking at as little as six watches. If you wanted to see more of the Bulova Marine Star series you can find them all here. I’d be interested to hear what you think of these so do let me know below and I’ll respond as soon as I can.

 

Further Reading?

Why not take a look at one of my most popular posts, 100 ultimate watches under £500. It’s a fairly impressive list of some of the most popular men’s watches available.

If you’re looking for something a little more affordable then consider the 21 most popular men’s watches under £200.