It was almost my turn. I glanced down at my wrist. We were twenty minutes into our department’s all hands meeting and I was up next. With about sixty people in the room and another twenty people conferencing via telephone and Internet, it would be my biggest audience ever. Plus, our vice president was speaking and my manager was in the room. I was a little nervous. I glanced down at my wrist again. The shiny tuning forks logo at the twelve o’clock position on my new Bulova Dress Watch (Model 96B168) was reassuring. I was well-dressed and ready. I fit in and I didn’t need to be nervous about anything.
No one needed to know that the Bulova Model 96B168 was discontinued. (The closest current Bulova is probably Model 96B015.) They didn’t need to know that the watch was great deal at Sears for $99 during the Christmas season. They didn’t even need to know that various clearance outfits had it online for as low as $68. According to an online company called inventoryadjusters, full retail for this Bulova 96B168 watch would have been over $200. All my co-workers would see is a gleaming, silver dress watch, with a date window at 3 o’clock, and that beautiful logo at twelve. If they held the watch and looked very closely at it, they might notice the subtle grid pattern underlying the shiny silver face. They might notice the brushed stainless steel construction and the perfect fit of the bracelet. Other than that, they would simply see that this discreet Bulova was a perfectly appropriate men’s watch for the office.
In an era of oversized watches, the case of this Bulova is 40mm across and 9mm thick. The bracelet is 21mm wide and is secured by the foldover snap clasp. The watch bracelet comes too big for normal mortals and I had to have a couple of links removed for a perfect fit. However, since the watch doesn’t carry extra hardware on-board for adjusting the clasp, once this Bulova is fit properly it is smooth and supremely comfortable. The watch has a mineral crystal and is water resistant. The hours are marked by simple shiny hashes (or batons in fine watch parlance). Minutes are marked by short black hashes. In terms of style, this Bulova is similar to, but noticeably nicer than, my Pulsar dress watch. This Bulova is a simple, high-quality, quartz watch that is simply supremely functional.
Overall, it’s easy to see why the Bulova 96B168 might have been discontinued. The old sales phrase says, “You sell the sizzle not the steak.” This Bulova dress watch is all steak. It’s attractive, functional, and a little old fashioned. The 40mm face is tasteful and conservative in a world of big bling. But, when you are at an important business function, it’s nice to see that it’s a Bulova. When you need a shot of business confidence, this Bulova will do quite nicely. My speech went well.
Sources:
www.inventoryadjusters.com
www.bulova.com
Other articles from this contributor:
Wristwatch Review: Men’s Relic Silver Stainless Steel Multifunction Watch
Wristwatch Review: Grenen Men’s Stainless Steel Mesh Watch
Wristwatch Review: Merona Men’s Round Dial Analog Dress Watch from Target
