Grading on the CURV: Bulova’s Sophisticated Trio of New Chronograph Models

Please allow me to kick this off with a topic that often gets short shrift in the minds of watch lovers: Wearability.

You’d think this would be more important, but for many, the concept of “wearability” begins and ends with finding a watch you like and making sure you also like how it looks on your wrist. Done, you can wear it.

And while sometimes you’ll notice that certain case sizes and shapes feel more comfortable on the wrist than others, this is not a common consideration when purchasing a watch. Similarly, more often than not, lugs and straps/bracelets only factor into our watch purchasing decisions based on our personal design (read: aesthetic) preference, not whether the lugs are clunks or the strap/bracelet is bulky.
 

In fact, I would go as far as to venture a sweeping generalization: Many of us own watches we love, but we find ourselves taking them off throughout the end of the day as they start to feel a little too heavy or move around the wrist a bit too much. So, while locating a “just right” watch might not be considered an essential task by many watch lovers, it should. And finding one can be unexpectedly challenging.

Interestingly, only one approach to case design consistently cuts right to the point when it comes to comfort and a secure-feeling fit: A contoured case. And in fact, many traditional timepieces feature a curved case back to conform to the arc of the wrist. If you haven’t tried one out, I urge you to give it a whirl.

That said, nothing compares to the contours of the CURV collection made by Bulova.
 

Due to the case and crystal resembling a concave lens on both the top and bottom, the brand’s innovative CURV timepieces provide a delightfully comfortable experience for your wrist while also looking super cool. And for additional appeal, the CURV features the world’s first curved chronograph movement, to boot.
 

Now, Bulova is repositioning the story of the CURV towards a more sophisticated realm without losing sight of its unique design and sporty nature with the recent release of three new 44mm chronograph models.

First, the deep green dial on silver-tone stainless steel execution presents a verdant, eye-catching option, with alternating vertical striping and translucent dial work that plays well with the traditional chronograph tri-compax design (an hour tallier at 3 o’clock, a small seconds at 6 o’clock, and a 12-hour totalizer at 9 o’clock).

Plus, even though the top crystal is curved into the case, the dial is not distorted in the slightest (ditto when viewing the movement via the curved caseback’s crystal). Meanwhile, coming on a chunky-not-clunky, alternating brushed and polished steel bracelet, the green dial version is the sportiest of the three novelties.
 

Next, a gray-brown dial with rose gold-tone steel hour markers, hands, and gauging dresses up the second of the new CURV chronograph. Indeed, the rose gold-tone detail is particularly appealing on the ever-present Bulova tuning-fork logo at 12 o’clock. And like its ingenious curved movement, which features a three-pronged quartz crystal delivering a frequency eight times higher than standard quartz, this version is all-business.
 

Lastly, the third model in the new trio kicks right off with a gorgeous bi-color silver- and yellow gold-tone steel approach. The gleaming gold-tone bezel, mid-link bracelet details, and dial gauging are anchored by a refined all-black dial with similar vertical striping and translucence to its siblings.
 

And while all three timepieces feature a dial-color matching translucent ring on the face, this version offers the smokiest, most elegantly subtle view into the movement from above. Kind of like the view from a penthouse terrace.