Bulova has been hitting on all cylinders lately and their latest, the 1973 “Parking METER,” is another winner. The watch, which is based on a Bulova bullhead chrono from the 1970s, features a 0S21 Miyota movement that powers the central seconds hand as well as a 24-hour dial at noon. There is a running seconds at six o’clock and a date window. Best of all is the case which enrobes the traditional case like Iron Man’s armor.

From the release:

The new Bulova Parking Meter Chronograph boasts the same “Parking Meter” case shape with top pushers and unique crown positioning as the original. Featuring a silver dial with blue and orange details, the watch comes in stainless steel with a blue ion plated outer ring leading up to the pushers and matching inner tachymeter ring. The watch is powered by a 0S21 Miyota Chronograph with dual time feature set with the 6H crown and is set on a supple brown leather strap with blue-grey stitching. 

The original Parking Meter ran an automatic movement called the ChronoMatic, one of the first automatic chronos on the market. They mixed a few things up in this watch, probably in an effort to maximize the feature set with the quartz movement, so you’re not getting a traditional chrono as much as a weird amalgam of world-timer and chronograph. This model is limited to 5,000 pieces and will cost $595 when it ships. It’s not nearly as mechanically cool as the original, seen below, but it’s honestly quite a striking design and well worth a look if you’re into watches from a simpler, more disco-tinged era.

ByJohn Biggs

John lives in Brooklyn and has loved watches since he got his first Swatch Irony automatic in 1998. He is the editor of WristWatchReview.

One thought on “Introducing: The Bulova “Parking Meter””
  1. The 6:00 sub dial is not a running seconds. It is a elapsed minute counter for the chronograph. The 0S21 movement does not have a running seconds.

Leave a Reply