Nautical mile

SHOP: Bulova Sea Hunter

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Watch

I usually look for a combination of elegance and utilitarianism in my watches, which I’ve recently found in the Vintage Caravelle Sea Hunter from Bulova. At 39mm, it’s a Goldilocks size (i.e., fits most wrists) and as light as any automatic watch I’ve worn. I forget it’s there until I look at its elegant arrowhead and sword hands and clean numbers.

As the name suggests, the Sea Hunter is a dive watch, with a unidirectional bezel, large screw-down crown, subtly lumed indices and hands, and 200m water resistance. However, its low profile and understated features make it dressy enough for nearly any occasion.

There are a few color options, all with the same features and date window. I’ve been wearing a gold-tone version with blue face and bezel and have loved its versatility, pairing it with jeans and a T-shirt by day, and in something dressier for evening events, too. The Japanese movement keeps excellent time, and while the Sea Hunter variations tend to be listed for as much as $375, they’re currently on sale for less than $300 on the Bulova site. If you need a daily-wear watch whose price won’t make you sweat every scratch, consider a sturdy piece of New York lore — Bulova Watches began in New York City in 1875, and they’ve clearly stood the test of time, in more ways than one. –Charlie Davidson

→ SHOP: Bulova Sea Hunter • $280.