As smooth as Grand Seiko, more accurate than Rolex

Today we will check out the Bulova Jet Star models. These 40mm beauties are a throwback to the 1973 models, but maintain a modern look to them. The best part about these models is they use Bulova's HPQ (High Precision Quartz) Precisionist movement, which boasts an accuracy of just 5 seconds per month! That is insanely accurate. Considering you have to change your watch 2x a year for DST, that means you pretty much will never have to set it outside of these 2 times a year.
We've got the 50th anniversary Limited Edition, as well as a beautiful claret dial, and golden dial for you to see.
longislandwatc...
Leave your comments down below.
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Thanks for watching!

[@jasonbrocious3805]

I purchased the gold one during a Black Friday sales event. I picked it up on Dec 4 and when it came time to set the clocks ahead in March, it had moved less than a second. That’s insane.

[@islandwatch]

that is amazing

[@bani_niba]

That Gold version is so retro and so 1970's funky. So cool.

[@islandwatch]

then they did their job

[@Matt_S104]

Nice to have someone so clearly state the difference between precision and accuracy - lot of people don't appreciate the distinction... I actually saw the title of the video and wondered if that was where you were going with it... given your engineering background. As to why Bulova chose the name Precisionist... I guess Accurist is taken and they might not have wanted people to make the association and as someone else has already said they already have an Accutron... Very nice watches. Have had my eye on the red one for a while... just not sure I'd really have that many occasions to wear something so blingy.

[@tozzifan]

I have one claret. I put it on a horween black leather strap with off white stitching for daily use, and it appears a lot more subdued. Consider that the sides of the case are vertically brushed, they are not that reflective. The bracelet is a disco ball, perfect for a dinner with friends.

[@Matt_S104]

@@tozzifan Good point - am tempted - love the claret dial and attracted by the movement.

[@islandwatch]

agreed, thanks for watching

[@KC-bv9kf]

With a moderate size collection of blue, black, grey, and white dials, I can tell you that the red is dark, like wine and easy to wear. It can be your change of pace watch that won’t need winding for years.

[@rs24ultra]

I got both the Red and The Gold Jetstar models at Christmas, discounted online from US major retailers. Love the retro look with the super accurate watch. Bulova owned by Citizen, both excellent brands. These will be collectors and they look amazlng in-person, exuding beauty quality and style. Timeless.

[@msc_2253]

Yes! Finally Bulova is moving in the right direction with their precisionist watches. I like the movement, but would never have purchased one of the huge, flashy, spiral adorned pieces they had previously offered. I recently saw a review of a yellow dial version and thought that is was decent, but that limited edition looks great.

[@LeeePowers]

Indeed. They wasted this movement the first handful of years,offering only gaudy,chronograph-ish pieces.

[@islandwatch]

I understand that for sure

[@stephenhendricks6790]

I own 2 of the 3 models of the Jet Star., the limited edition silver dial and the gold case version. I purchased one and received the other as a gift. I have a collection of about 30 watches and these are 2 of the four with quartz movements. The rest are hand wound or automatics. In short, a quartz watch has to have some special feature for me to own it. And I have to say that the Jet Star collection meets that requirement in spades. I love the accuracy of the watches. Far better, in fact, than advertised. Over the 6 months I've owned them, each has lost a total of less than 2 seconds. All that and the smooth sweep of a second hand that mimics a mechanical watch. As another contributor noted, it's wonderful to see Bulova finally add watches to the Precisionist collection that don't look like rejects from the Invicta design studio!

[@Coldpack13]

I have the limited edition. Great watch. Only weakness is the lume of which I don’t really care because it’s not a diver. Wish the seconds hand was a little thicker.

[@islandwatch]

Thanks for watching

[@rs24ultra]

I have the same two from Chistmas. I Love them, but not an everyday driver.Bulova is owned by Citizen, an excellent brand ( love my Titanium eco drives with both digital and analog displays without changing a battery as they are solar batteries. Timeless beauties. My Swiss watches stay on the winder, unworn and one Breitling with a dead battery.

[@AbdulRWatches]

Very cool watch, Bulova is done great with their vintage looking new releases.

[@RegM86]

Purchased red dial version late last year. Smoothness of sweeping seconds hand is mesmerizing.

[@jw4111]

I own one - great watch! Quartz movement with super smooth movement!

[@marcgoulding5230]

Love the claret - great color and color combos.

[@islandwatch]

thank you

[@wingi7722]

That sweep hand is amazingly smooth!

[@islandwatch]

very!

[@johnshifflett1722]

I love that 262 kHz movement, so smooth. Didn’t think I would like the gold one, but I can see it as a brown dial

[@islandwatch]

looks great

[@johnsrabe]

Gorgeous. The claret and gold especially. And well-priced.

[@islandwatch]

I agree!

[@markburton9614]

I have the silver with red and blue accent version of the Jet Star Precisionist. I've been recording the time for 5 months now and it has yet to lose a second. Dead accurate still after 5 months. This is Grand Seiko level of accuracy with similar quality and smoothness to boot!

[@jasonbrocious3805]

Also: protip. I put the gold one on a gold Milanese from Strapcode and it is one slick combo!

[@cmitt8883]

Good to see some standard style 3 handers come back with this movement. The fleeting but glorious days of the accutron ii saw some fantastic offerings!

[@azdbuk]

Mark, pivoting on the Citizen aspect of Bulova, you should use your engineering chops and do a brief video on the details of the eco drive movement and even maybe the defunct Eco drive duo movement, interesting history, plus, some of us still have no idea how they actually work....like I still don't know how computers actually work!

[@Nefville]

A computer is nothing more than a collection of switches that remember whether they're on or off. Billions and trillions of switches. Those switches are then turned on or off and are read by software or hardware which depending on their positions provides an output. Take 8 switches, all of which are off but the last one. So 00000001. That would translate to the number 1. 1100100 would be the number 100. Say you want to generate an image, you'd write software that translated those numbers into a color and a position on screen (a pixel). With enough pixels you can fill the screen. You could even stitch many pictures together to generate a video, like a Long Island Watch KZbin video.

[@islandwatch]

noted!

[@koosb8162]

I wanted to know how computers work as a teenager, I did an electrical engineering degree. I'm now 40 yrs out of date but I used to know how computers used to work. I suppose some of them haven't changed very much, until you get to the silicon level.

[@azdbuk]

I get the basic concepts such as mentioned above, (thanks again Nefville) , but at the granular level like you mentioned....conduction, electricity, speed, organization of info, it is all hard to conceptualize the movement of all this...@@koosb8162

[@rs24ultra]

I love my eco drive Citizens, five with the digi-Ani dual displays, three in Titanium my favorite. Citizen owns Bulova and these Retro Ketstar timepiece are beautiful and accurate Now of the made a solar version that would be great, perhaps in Titanium (wow).

[@garethhanna9173]

I have the special edition on the strap. Insanely accurate and great 70's vibe, all I need now is a bubble perm and a water bed.

[@laurencehogg6010]

And massive, massive flares 😂

[@garethhanna9173]

Not forgetting a spectacular kipper tie.

[@islandwatch]

definitely 70's feeling

[@KC-bv9kf]

Polyester all the way….

[@samnova450]

Really like the Gold to Brown one. Love the dial colors from the 70’s.

[@TheMadelineClark]

I have the Claret one. The sweep is mesmerizing and the accuracy is mind boggling! Less than 1 second lost in 5 weeks.

[@islandwatch]

Sweet! That is great

[@brewwatchco]

The additional matching strap looks great too! Always enjoy the videos, Marc. ✨

[@islandwatch]

Thanks Jon! See you in SF!

[@hugohugo37]

Seems like Bulova is finally using that awesome movement in some cool watches. It disappeared for a few years and I never understood why. You'd have to pay up for a Grand Seiko to get a smoother seconds hand sweep.

[@plmn93]

Yeah I like these but a $600+ quartz watch can be a tough sell I suppose.

[@hugohugo37]

@@plmn93 Oddly enough when this movement first came out, the watches ended up selling at discounters for really cheap. I got the military styled one for like $125. I don't know why they didn't sell.

[@ichris2011]

@@plmn93 it’s all subjective but I really don’t think the price is bad at all, even at MSRP (which these go for around $400 grey market). for a high tech super accurate movement that is in house, fully jeweled, and exclusive to this brand. A similar tech from most other brands would likely be shot up into the stratosphere with marketing and manufactured hype. There are Swiss brands that offer objectively lesser quartz movements for WAY higher prices than $600, all while bragging about their “precision”

[@islandwatch]

I think the watch looks good, and is decently priced. And supremely accurate; more than a Spring Drive

[@shirishpanwalkar]

That is a really beautiful watch! Thanks for the review!

[@islandwatch]

thanks for watching

[@Kevinjimtheone]

The claret one looks gorgeous to me. The other two look nice, too. It the claret just speaks to me. It’d look fantastic on a claret leather strap, too.

[@docf1xx]

I have the sea king with the uhf movement and it has been running for months and seems to be right on!

[@bassplayer2011ify]

A Bolivia Precisionist was almost my first watch. But at the time I couldn't afford one. So I did more digging and found Seiko. Bought an SNK809 (back when they were 100 bucks) and the rest is history.

[@absar8304]

I picked this up from Germany for my wedding, it is awesome. A scratch magnet so beware. The bracelet is so shiny people think it's silver. I love the watch so much

[@Vox-Populi]

Love these videos Marc. I learn a lot.

[@adk7962]

Very cool. That limited edition one is definitely on my radar. Thanks for the great reviews and the mini lesson.

[@islandwatch]

welcome, thanks for watching

[@brentwhite9712]

Lovely watches! I have the limited edition version and two of my workmates have the red and the gold versions.

[@LS1007]

Fancy schmancy. Thanks Marc. Have a great Sunday! 🙏🏼

[@islandwatch]

LOL, thanks!

[@KC-bv9kf]

I got the Shubun over a year ago and got the red Jetstar a few months ago. The sweeps are very similar. Also, I checked out a Zenith Defy Revival last month and they are quite similar, though I didn’t wear the Bulova on that day, lol. Excellent value, that JS.

[@kevindavis7530]

I have the LE version and really am happy with it. The bracelet is super comfortable.

[@islandwatch]

very nice bracelet

[@robertotorres6391]

The second one that you show with the red dial usually remind me of a mafia movie toys, mafia watch with the red blood, turning into dark blood very nice very nice touch

[@islandwatch]

thanks! Maybe that's a marketing idea, LOL

[@paulhart2021]

Love that limited one with the color combination.!!!!

[@islandwatch]

thanks!

[@vaclav_fejt]

I've handled these for a review - they're surprisingly thick, and also heavy as a result of the thickness. That would be my only gripe... They also reminded me why I prefer mechanical watches over quartz analogue watches: With mechanicals, when pressing the crown in, I'm physically releasing a latch. Therefore I can make the seconds hand and the minute hand line up perfectly. Not so much with quartz, I almost always turn my finger on the crown and mismatch them. I thought it was just a quality issue (as an owner of cheap quart pieces), but it happened with the Jet Star too.

[@cfk8593]

I just placed my order for the limited edition silver. It has been a while since I have been this taken in by a watch design.

[@thetattedpharmacist3215]

I just got the all silver on black leather strap on a one day deal from a local to me (Australian) AD. $349AUD so something like $225USD! Retailers certainly have room to play with the MSRP over time. Can’t wait to take delivery of it!

[@islandwatch]

that's awesome

[@billyk...]

1:09 I got this model. I had the dealer put on the blue strap. It looks fantastic.

[@islandwatch]

nice

[@Robin6512]

I have an old Snorkel aka devil diver 666. That one looses about 60 sec per year. She’s about 50 years old. I’m going to look for one of these.

[@Texmotodad]

Very nice indeed! Agreed - white dial.

[@islandwatch]

thanks!

[@Hemebean]

Very nice ! More watches should use quality quartz movements.

[@islandwatch]

yes, they should

[@Koishishibaman]

I have the LE on the blue strap. Looks great! Real nice watch for the money. Maybe I will try the bracelet. Accuracy? Seems to be the same as my GS 9f movements.

[@MichielJ71]

When will they, Citizen and/or Bulova, combine high accuracy quartz with Eco-Drive in this price category?

[@islandwatch]

Probably not feasible from a power angle

[@MichielJ71]

@islandwatch in what way exactly? My Bulova can use a standard battery for 1,5 year or so.

[@RSVTuono]

As engineer I get the technical distinction between "precision" and "accuracy", but the scientific definitions for those terms are not the *only* definitions. 99% of the population (including myself!) expect terms like "Precisionist" and "High Precision Quartz" in a watch marketed to the masses to mean that it keeps very good time well within 1spd. Anyway, I got my red Jet Star (I *love* it!) mid-December and set it to time.is. Just checked and it is +1s vs. time.is so 0.25s/month or 3s/yr so far. Not bad!

[@islandwatch]

enjoy it, great accuracy

[@megasoid]

Thanks Marc!

[@islandwatch]

welcome!

[@commandZee]

Love the brown and gold! Maybe you guys could consider the color way for an Islander?

[@islandwatch]

maybe!

[@Nefville]

Its really cool I have to say. I quite like it. I had a Precisionist dress watch but it was too big so I gave it away but I really did like it, especially the 8hz sweep. PS You know what would be cooler and more precise than this though? A 38mm blue aventurine dial Brookville. That would actually have nothing to do with this watch except for the cool factor that is. PPS the Precisionist oscillator beats roughly 8,262,432,000,000 times a year. That's over 8 trillion times every year. Crazy!

[@islandwatch]

that is totally insane!

[@VivekSingh-hy1dk]

Hey Mark could you please review the oceanographer champagne colour watch? Thanks

[@richdubbya]

I can attest to the accuracy. I have the Accutron 2. Same movement. Pretty sure it takes 2 batteries. Super smooth, super accurate. Tiny movement. Huge batteries. The sweep is pretty wild for a watch at the price.

[@darkstar7742]

I am guessing they used precision not to confused it with their Accutron series.

[@islandwatch]

more than likely

[@SlapShotRegatta22]

I've been looking for an excuse to buy a Bulova for YEARS. They're getting there but still missing the mark. I'd love to see more classic, vintage models that utilize their Precisionist movements as opposed to these more funky pieces. One day...

[@davect01]

I have a Precisionist Claremont and love it These are a great addition to the brand

[@islandwatch]

thanks!

[@NekoIan66]

I like it!

[@se7enspac3s]

Awhile back i talked my friend into buying a black and yellow sea king with this movement. Got it for about 300 new off ebay. Takes a really big battery which i think only lasts about 3 years.

[@islandwatch]

nice!

[@tozzifan]

Ah, the ways of marketing.... in Europe the Claret is marketed as the 'Merlot'. That's a grape used for red wines in Italy, France, and probably other countries. Btw, my red one loses about 1.5 seconds a month. Love it.

[@islandwatch]

And Formex calls it Gamaret

[@ksgould1992]

Maybe Bulova considered the "high accuracy" naming aspect is covered by the Accutron.

[@Beanerds]

I own and love 2x Bulova Precisionist's and a Grand Seiko Quartz , and I will say yes my Bulova's are good , + or - 5-10 seconds per year , Awesome ! . But mate my Grand Seiko 9F SBGN003 GMT had its first battery change done by me in the 3.5 years since I brought it new and it was +3 seconds ! . How do I know this you ask ? I also own a Seiko Astron that when GPS locked is + or - ONE Second every 100,000 YEARS ! so yes I can test the time keeping to that accuracy of all my watches . Can you ?

[@roadgent7921]

Frequency is 262,144 hz, which is 2^18 (2 to the power of 18). A run of the mill quartz crystal oscillates at 2^15. Why they work to those exponentials? No idea! 😊

[@eric21881]

I got the red one on layaway I ordered that hirsch black leather with sail cloth kinda finish and the red rubber for it as a strap

[@islandwatch]

sweet!

[@eric21881]

@@islandwatch goes without saying but I ordered it from y’all Had to reel those rewards

[@eric21881]

@@islandwatch I just got it in and yeah it’s gonna look amazing on that red jet star

[@andrevandermerwe4225]

I am looking for a Seiko Titanuim original strap.

[@markiangooley]

I have a couple of the older Precisionist watches, sold to me as refurbished. They’re not bad, especially if one likes that movement of the second hand. I wish they were more accurate. I also bought a new old-stock Certina with one of ETA’s PreciDrive thermocompensated quartz movements, and it’s accurate to about ten seconds a year. Apart from me NOBODY WANTS THEM. They want superficially similar watches with a Powermatic 80 movement, perhaps? What’s the appeal of inaccurate watches?

[@user-yg2dm5sf9r]

There is also a grey dial one in some countries.

[@islandwatch]

interesting, thanks for that

[@Heisenberg_747]

The sweep is smoother than the automatics kinda like spring drive level. Also I reckon the battery won’t last that long as a standard quartz.

[@islandwatch]

Spring Drive level; it's a large battery, should give a few years.

[@gregtolley3455]

What state do I have to move to to marry that sweep hand?

[@wumpyaz]

Just a question, how is this Bulova more accurate than a GS 9F if they are both rated at +/- 10 seconds per year? The fraction of the price I get ;)

[@ninjasrose1653]

Congrats on hitting 200K Marc. The big boy leagues sir! I am VERY tempted by one of these as I am a grab-and-go guy tbh. The only sweep that I have seen that's smoother is Spring Drive and even that is up for debate?

[@islandwatch]

thanks so much

[@bt3750]

I think the term accurist (or similar) was already in use.

[@islandwatch]

yup, it is

[@wescobts]

Glad to see these being offered. The watch world is so much more than just automatics. I love my quartz watches, oddly enough, I really like the gold colored one. Be well

[@islandwatch]

thanks!

[@christopherlakey3980]

Standard quartz watches have a precision of 1 second. The unique feature of these watches is the sub-second precision creating a smooth sweeping seconds hand. Also, since they spun out Accutron as a standalone brand, I don't think that was an option.

[@islandwatch]

yeah, I get it, but maybe just another name

[@grenphelps7455]

I really like these watches, but I wish they weren't on butterfly clasps 🤦 they'd be better on a normal clasp

[@speedypaul2314]

If bulova brushed that finish instead of polished with that white dial and a proper clasp they would have had a winner. Looks similar to the nivada.

[@islandwatch]

thanks

[@plmn93]

I like these. But it begs the question, why don't regular quartz watches use smooth movements? Seems like that's not related to the 262kHz crystal.

[@tdugong]

Too taxing for the batteries. You'd need something with more charge for the battery to last longer, which usually means a larger or thicker battery.

[@islandwatch]

battery drain

[@Willy_Elres]

I have always wondered the same thing as you. And I just don't believe that the only reason no one else does the (incredibly beautiful) sweeping second hand is because of battery drain. No way. Who cares if you have to replace the battery every two years?! A "sacrifice" that is so easily worth it!

[@Bob_Smith19]

Shiny!

[@lookatwrist]

'Precisionist' makes sense here though. It doesn't sync with radio or gps - YOU set it. It's only as accurate as the reference source you use. But the movement will stay precise thereafter.

[@islandwatch]

that's true as well, excellent point

[@joecampinolives]

Has anyone ever told you that you look and sound like Bill Hader doing an Alan Alda impersonation?

[@christianaviles2199]

Apparently Accutron was already taken.... I'm curious if the Surveyor bracelet is compatible with the Jet Star? Cases seem to be the same.

[@islandwatch]

Don't know, sorry. But, yes, accutron was taken

[@graemedicks6938]

Lovely watch. Be a bonus if it has a screwdown crown, a bit of extra safety in terms of water resistance. Well explained about the difference between accuracy and precision.

[@Deadhansome]

Maybe because Accurist already exists as a brand? So I guess Precisionist is the next best thing?

[@islandwatch]

Maybe, or maybe there's another term

[@Deadhansome]

@@islandwatch Could be fun this. How about EXACTOTIME! 😂.

[@jasondoe2596]

Would you say that "High Precision Quartz" is an _imprecise_ term, or an _inaccurate_ one?

[@islandwatch]

LOL, it's correct, just not what they want

[@stevehenrytagami4709]

I bought the gold and fumee mustard. Very 70s. I want to put a gold bracelet on it so if anyone knows where to get one, please comment

[@islandwatch]

Sweet, thanks.

[@PheasantPluckersMate]

Thanks Marc. Now I know that most of my watches are neither accurate nor precise. 😂

[@TheTimeFarm]

I wonder if they mean that a higher frequency could result in a more precise amplitude. You can adjust and regulate a precise instrument to be accurate, maybe they claim the higher frequency is more stable over a wider range of conditions. Also saying something is accurate implies it will always stay that way, a precision instrument needs to be checked and calibrated. Might have been a marketing or legal decision to make sure people serviced them like a mechanical watch.

[@islandwatch]

It certainly is more precise, but you want something that's both accurate and precise

[@popomomo12]

I have an older bulova with accutron 2, whats the difference?

[@islandwatch]

tuning fork movement, not a quartz oscillator

[@popomomo12]

@@islandwatch thanks! I could have looked it up but hearing it from the man himself is much better!

[@alliejr]

3:30 Listening on headphones I couldn’t hear anything except for you.

[@islandwatch]

thanks for that

[@laurencehogg6010]

There's a budget/mall watch brand here in the UK called Accurist that's been around since about 1940s or something, so maybe they went with Precisionist coz Accurist was taken? And also 'Accuracist' sounds a bit naff. Love, peace etc

[@islandwatch]

probably, thanks for commenting

[@Sergeant_Fury]

The gold one makes me think of creme caramel. The red one makes me think of Big Red cinnamon chewing gum. The silver one is the best.

[@islandwatch]

you like food, LOL

[@Sergeant_Fury]

@@islandwatch No silver-colored food out there.

[@jonathanilagan7778]

Would anyone know if these precisionist movements are serviceable?

[@islandwatch]

by Bulova

[@derbagger22]

Look at this guy, he goes all nerdy on the definition of precision, but he can't tell us exactly how big his own wrist is. LOL

[@islandwatch]

ha! But that's accuracy :)

[@blzebub2]

GS quartz is accurate to 10 sec per year.

[@MichaelAguila]

Very nice, just a little too small for my taste

[@doobeedoo2]

Why can't they make it more water resistant? Why is that challenging?

[@islandwatch]

Maybe not challenging, just not necessary

[@taxxcutt7455]

TGV says Bulova.

[@islandwatch]

he sure does

[@jehru2800]

Mine has been 0 sec per month for 4 months

[@islandwatch]

amazing

[@BangTheRocksTogether]

Based on. Not "based off of."

[@beng9906]

God do I wish they'd release this in a more reasonable size (or at least a smaller option in tandem with a 40mm). If this was in 38 I'd probably have an order placed right now. While they were bold, I always liked the Curv/Precisicionist/"Accutron II" watches that Bulova came out with, but I never bought one, because the size just made them look so clunky.

[@Apokathelosis]

They wear very small, but for female size wrist bracelet may not work, as there is not many links to remove.

[@islandwatch]

Curv is super cool

[@cartorius]

WHATS THIS?!

[@marcelodelpuerto395]

My Glycine loses more seconds in a day than this thing does in a year!

[@riggatonihandolini]

Everything is a fraction. 2/1 is a fraction.

[@Titan7170]

Accutron is their accurate watch🤣

[@eslai]

They have none of the elegance of a Grand Seiko, however. I do like some of those dials though.