...the Caravelle by Bulova is here to fill a void left by one of, if not the, most legendary dive watches ever made for the modern audience, the Seiko SKX
—Devin Pennypacker
This is a review of the Bulova Caravelle Sea Hunter Reissue, self-winding automatic watch. I bought my first automatic, a Seiko SNK809, in 2014. Nearly 10 years after buying my second Seiko (the SKX013K diver, which is no longer made) and wearing it everyday, I have bought this Bulova which ticked nearly all of the boxes in my vintage watch wishlist.
My Wishlist for a Vintage Watch
- automatic movement
- under-40mm dial
- tan hands and face, lumed
- more than 50m water-resistance
- day-date
- rotating bezel
For fans of vintage-look automatic dive-watches, the Bulova Caravelle Sea Hunter is a recommended purchase. I fell in love with the watch in a review on Worn & Wound. The watch checked nearly all the boxes in my wishlist of the perfect vintage watch: automatic movement, under-40mm dial, tan indices, numerals and hands, a rotating bezel, date only, and a more than 50m water resistance. The re-issue is 39mm in diameter, and runs on a Miyota 8215-33E automatic movement (3-hands, hacking seconds, 21 jewels, -20s to +40s per day, 42 hour reserve).
On September 23, I visited the Bulova website (I was automatically redirected to the Bulova Canada website) and found that the watch wasn’t yet available for purchase. So I contacted Bulova customer service (remember to include the model number of the watch, 43B175, you’re inquiring about, as the name alone is not sufficient to identify the watch) asking when it would be available in Canada and whether it would be sold on Amazon. The next day, I received a reply from Elyse who let me know that the Sea Hunter would be available exclusively on the Bulova Canada website, “in the next couple of weeks”.
Ordering
I kept checking the website weekly until I saw that it was finally available and I ordered it on October 8. Since I was planning to buy the watch, I subscribed to their mailing list during one of my visits, which got me a promo code for a 10% discount on my first purchase.
Sizing the Bracelet
One of the options when ordering from Bulova is that the bracelet can be pre-size to fit your wrist. On the order-page, there is a link to a sizing guide (PDF) that you print, cut-out the ruler and wrap it around your wrist, adjusting it until you get a comfortable fit. The number has to be rounded-up to the nearest 10mm; my 175mm wrist measurement was rounded up to 180mm.
When ordering, you have a choice between $30 expedited (1-2 days) shipping or free (2-5 day) shipping. I chose the free option as I was not in any rush after having to wait 2 weeks. The package shipped via FedEx on October 9 and arrived the following day in an oversized box because the purchase automatically included a free ($10 value) Bulova gift bag. I would have preferred that the gift bag be optional since I was buying the watch for myself and the gift bag would be promptly discarded.
The Watch Face and Back
The Sea Hunter has a hacking second-hand and a date window. The numerals and indices are lumed, as is a round pip on the bezel at 12 o’clock. The hour-hand has a spade (is that the correct term for this shape?) on the tip which, surprisingly, makes it easier for me to distinguish the hour. The second-hand is white and un-lumed. There is slight distortion along the circumference of the crystal which feels like it’s slightly domed. The crown is engraved with a "C" for Caravelle.
The watch has a solid steel caseback, laser-etched with "CARAVELLE Sea Hunter", "Designed by Bulova", etc. and a transparent, round sticker labeled, "JAPAN MOVEMENT CHINA BAND".
The Bracelet
The style of the steel bracelet matches the watch perfectly, however the choice of manufacturer (made in China) leaves a lot to be desired; I would have paid slightly more money for a better bracelet. The bracelet does come with quick-release pins so it can be easily removed. It has a dual push-button release, three position micro-adjust and a branded safety-clasp.
Suggestions for Improvement
Suggestions for improvement, would include making the date window larger and the lume brighter. The card that’s in the box should be slightly smaller to make it easier to take out of the box or even eliminate it completely because it contains completely useless information. I spent a whole, frustrating minute digging at it before I could take it out.
The lack of crown-guards, which is typical for dive watches, is unusual.
I have not been able to find the specific manual for the Sea Hunger showing how to hand-wind the watch (I assume you do it after pulling the crown out to position 1) and how to lock and release the clasp (I guessed).