Bulova Series X SE 98B429

The bezel is the story on this Bulova Series X Special Edition. It's made with Damascus steel, whose layered pattern creates flowing lines that differ from one piece to another. Against the smoky black dial and angular gold-tone case, the patterned metal looks almost like a miniature landscape. This is a material-led edition, not a claim of a numbered production run.

The faceted 44.5 mm stainless-steel case has a curved sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating. An eight-hand dial and high-frequency quartz movement provide regular timekeeping and chronograph timing, with separate counters for elapsed time.

Our Take

We'd start with the bezel. The layered steel makes each example a little different, which is much more interesting than simply changing the color of an existing watch. It's a bold Series X, but the close-up metalwork is the reason to linger.