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Bulova 96B256 Review: Marine Star Stainless Steel Chronograph Watch

For decades on end, Bulova has been known to release beautiful and functional watches.

They did just that with the Marine Star.

I first saw this piece on my friend, and I was blown away by the perfectly chosen colors on the watch.

Each of the colors complimented, contrasted, and harmonized with each other perfectly, which drove me to take a deep dive into the watch’s features and specifications.

During my research, I stumbled upon a plethora of reasons to get this watch.

From the craftsmanship, all the way down to the movement.

If I found out about this watch sooner, it probably would be on my wrist already.

In this Bulova 96B256 review, I’ll show you some of the best features of this wonderful timepiece.

-54% Sale
Bulova Men's Marine Star Series B Stainless Steel 6-Hand...
  • From Bulova's Men's Marine Star Collection, live and play in maritime watches that feature bold accents, iconic patterns and...
  • 6 Hand, 1/20 Second Chronograph Measures up to 60 Minutes, Calendar, Small Second Hand
  • Silver-Tone Stainless Steel

Pros:

  • Nice blue dial that can easily draw attention
  • Easy to read time and chronographs
  • Accurate timekeeping

Cons:

  • Some people will need time to get used to the buttons

A Detailed Design No One Can Ignore

I’m a huge geek when it comes to colors.

I love studying which colors work well together and which don’t.

It should go without saying that Bulova’s designers know colors way better than I do, and it’s more than evident with this timepiece.

The dial uses this beautiful royal blue color for the dial’s background, with a standard white color for the markers, hands, and some of the details.

This is a relatively simple combination, but Bulova brought it to a whole new level by adding burnt orange details on a couple of places such as the number on the date window.

These dial colors are all held together by the beautiful silver-colored stainless steel case, truly a watch that will look good with any outfit.

All The Functions You’d Need

Bulova 96B256 dial

This isn’t a watch packed with functions like some of the sports watches out there.

This is understandable as it isn’t a sports watch, however, Bulova made sure to put all the necessary functions for an added layer of convenience.

On the dial, one of the first things you’ll notice is the three sub-dials.

These sub-dials are the watch’s chronograph.

By using the buttons above and below the crown, you can easily use the stopwatch for whatever you need.

There is also a date window in between the 4 and 5 o’clock positions that is really easy to read.

There aren’t a lot of functions on this piece, but there are definitely enough.

Accurate Movement

The watch uses a Japanese Quartz movement, giving a great amount of accuracy.

These movements have been a staple for a lot of watch companies as they are inexpensive and incredibly accurate.

This allows the companies to lower the cost of their timepieces, making them more accessible to a lot of people.

The Japanese Quartz movement is widely considered to be one of the most accurate and practical movements out there.

That is exactly why I was very happy to find out that Bulova chose this specific movement.

Compare to other Bulova Marine Star Watches:

Customer Scores and Reviews

Bulova 96B256 on wrist

There were a lot of satisfied customers on Amazon when it comes to this model.

I can’t blame them either, this watch is just amazing.

A lot of the reviewers loved the quality of the watch, especially considering its price.

Others praised the design, with one reviewer saying that this watch is the perfect fit and size for the modern man.

However, one review stood out as it was the only negative one is the sea of positivity.

The reviewer stated that he wished Bulova used their Precisionist movement.

While having the accuracy of the Precisionist would have been great, it would have also raised the watch’s price to make it less accessible, which is why I didn’t really mind.

Conclusion

For those who love dressing up and matching colors, this may be the perfect piece for you.

It feels and looks great on the wrist and keeps accurate time, there isn’t really much more to be desired with this piece.

I’ve always loved Bulova, and this model only solidified my opinion.