Worn & Wound
An Equation for Watch Buying Satisfaction with the Bulova Hack
In the early days of Facebook, “Facebook official” was a big deal. A status update from “in a relationship” to “single” sent shockwaves through social circles, and an update to “it’s complicated” was always sure to add some confusion and perhaps a few laughs. If such a social media page existed for watches (this is a terrible idea, please don’t do it), my status with the Bulova Hack would be: It’s complicated. I purchased my first Hack back in 2020 based on a subjective infatuation with its aesthetics. Afterall, the decision to purchase a watch is often triggered by an emotional response, and boy did the Hack have me smitten with its clean and legible classic military design. While I’m far from an expert on military watches, in the same way I can geek out over a racing chronograph without being a car guy, I appreciated that the modern Hack stayed relatively true to the Bulova A-11, credited as the watch that won the war. But technology has changed in the decades since the original Bulova Hack was issued to the US Military in World War II. As sapphire crystals and 100 meters of water resistance have become ubiquitous staples of field watches, the Hack remains stuck in the past with a mineral crystal and a mere 30 meters of water resistance. And though the modern Hack features a hackable movement just like the original ones that allowed for synchronizing time with the simple pull of a crown, the chunky Miyota 82S0 that allows for this feature, with an...
