Bulova’s Archive Series celebrates the company’s most memorable and important moments, reviving nostalgic models from the brand’s history and reimagining them with superior materials and modernized movements. Based on a 1950s prototype originally designed for the United States Navy, the Bulova MIL-SHIPS-W-2181 faithfully recreates a historic timepiece that was never previously made available to the public, and gives it modern enhancements such as a self-winding movement and scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.

The 41mm stainless steel case of the Bulova MIL-SHIPS-W-2181 features a historically-accurate lug width of 16mm, and it also includes a screw-down winding crown and 60-minute rotating timing bezel that will only rotate when it is pushed down. Just like the original prototype, the dial of the MIL-SHIPS-W-2181 includes highly-legible luminous markings, and it even features a small split-color paper strip that will change color should the watch’s 200 meters of water-resistance ever fail and moisture enters the case. Completing the watch is a pass-through style strap made from slate blue nylon with a stainless steel buckle that can withstand continuous contact with water.

Under the two-piece threaded case-back of the Bulova MIL-SHIPS-W-2181 resides the reliable Miyota 82S0 mechanical movement. While the original prototype from the 1950s relied on a traditional manual-wind caliber, the Miyota 82S0 adds the convenience of automatic winding, along with a power reserve of approximately 42 hours.