The Bulova Rubaiyat Four Seasons “Spring” 150th Anniversary Edition (Ref. 97R103) is a women’s watch introduced in 2025 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the American maison. Part of the Rubaiyat collection, it occupies a segment where the traditional dress watch meets the language of jewelry watches, prioritizing decorative materials and aesthetic identity over mechanical complexity.
Its defining feature is the natural rhodonite dial, around which a chromatic interpretation of spring dominated by shades of pink is developed. It is aimed primarily at those looking for an elegant and strongly characterized timepiece, with a less conventional visual presence than a classic women’s dress watch. The connection with Rubaiyat also adds a relevant historical dimension: the name has been part of Bulova’s women’s watchmaking since 1917 and is reinterpreted here in a contemporary key for the brand’s anniversary.
Design
The pink rhodonite dial is the true visual centerpiece of the watch. The natural stone produces veining, chromatic transitions, and irregularities that prevent the surface from taking on the uniform appearance of a painted dial. This variability is an integral part of the design: the distribution of the shades cannot be perfectly replicated and gives the composition a more material character.
The decision to leave much of the rhodonite free from indications allows the stone to retain a dominant role. The applied hour markers adopt a floral shape and are distributed very sparingly, while the central hands feature slender, worked profiles that complement the ornamental character of the composition. The Bulova tuning-fork emblem and signature occupy the upper portion of the dial without weighing down the design.
Around the central section, the ring of pink sapphires introduces a different kind of brilliance from that of the rhodonite: the dial stone absorbs and diffuses light through its natural veining, while the gemstones generate more concentrated reflections. It is precisely this contrast that prevents the monochromatic composition from appearing flat.
Another defining element is the crown positioned at 12 o’clock. Its placement keeps the lateral silhouette unobstructed and reinforces the frontal symmetry, recalling one of the recognizable design codes of the Rubaiyat family. The cabochon completes this approach with a detail openly inspired by jewelry.
The pink alligator strap does not seek chromatic contrast, but intentionally extends the dial’s color palette. The result is a highly coherent tonal aesthetic in which rhodonite, gemstones, warm-toned metal, and leather work as parts of the same design rather than as visually independent components.
Case & Construction
The case is made from stainless steel with a rose gold-tone finish and measures 30.5 mm in diameter, approximately 8.5 mm thick, with a 6 mm lug width and a 37 mm lug-to-lug. These are compact proportions consistent with the model’s feminine and formal character.
The bezel is embellished with 42 pink sapphires. Beyond their decorative role, their arrangement creates a continuous frame around the dial and makes the peripheral area of the case an integral part of the composition. This is particularly relevant when considering where a significant portion of the timepiece’s material value is concentrated.
The dial is protected by a double-domed sapphire crystal. Its curvature contributes to the construction of the profile without sacrificing the material’s inherent scratch resistance, an appropriate choice considering the importance given to the surface beneath it.
The upper crown incorporates a cabochon-cut synthetic spinel. This solution does not introduce any additional function, but completes the specific architecture of the case while keeping the setting control aligned with the watch’s vertical axis.
Water resistance is rated at 30 meters, equivalent to 3 ATM. This level of protection is therefore consistent with the nature of a dress watch: sufficient for normal accidental contact with water, but not intended to turn the model into a timepiece designed for aquatic activities.
Movement
The engine is the Miyota GL24, a Japanese-made quartz caliber configured solely to operate the two central hands.
The technical choice is deliberately essential. There are no mechanisms or modules dedicated to supplementary indications, and the movement architecture remains subordinate to the priorities of the design: maintaining a slim profile and allowing the aesthetic construction to take the leading role.
Battery life is estimated at approximately 36 months. In this specific context, the GL24 therefore prioritizes ease of ownership and reduced need for intervention over the mechanical interest of the caliber. The movement is not the element intended to attract an enthusiast, and this is an important consideration when assessing the overall price.
Functions & Complications
Functions are limited to displaying hours and minutes through the two central hands. There are no complications, running seconds, or calendar indications.
Daily interaction is consequently reduced to setting the time through the upper crown, while the absence of secondary information preserves the visual continuity of the rhodonite.
Performance
On the wrist, the case sits in a compact and orderly manner, with a restrained longitudinal presence that also favors smaller wrists. The slim profile keeps the timepiece close to the wrist and allows it to slip easily under a cuff, a characteristic consistent with its formal purpose.
Its visual perception, however, is more significant than its geometric footprint. The gemstone frame catches the light around the perimeter and optically expands the watch’s surface, producing a more noticeable wrist presence than its compact construction might suggest.
The alligator strap naturally follows the curvature of the wrist and maintains the elegant character of the case. The custom fold-over clasp with dual pushers provides controlled opening and, compared with a pin buckle, avoids repeatedly subjecting the leather to the same bending stress during use.
In terms of legibility, the model clearly prioritizes aesthetics. The hands stand out against the stone, but the chromatic variations of the rhodonite and the decorative execution do not pursue instrument-like contrast. The absence of luminous material also makes reading the time in darkness outside the design priorities.
Technical Data
Brand: Bulova Watches;
Model: Bulova Rubaiyat Four Seasons “Spring” (Ref. 97R103);
Year: 2025;
Case Material: Rose Gold-Tone Stainless Steel, Pink Sapphire-Set Bezel (42 Sapphires);
Case Diameter: 30.5 mm;
Case Thickness: ~8.5 mm;
Lug Width: 6 mm;
Lug-to-Lug: 37 mm;
Crystal: Double Domed Sapphire Crystal;
Water Resistance: 30 m / 100 ft (3 ATM);
Battery Life: ~36 months;
Movement: Quartz Watches – Miyota Caliber GL24 (Japanese Movement);
Functions: Hours, Minutes;
Complications: None;
Bracelet / Strap: Pink Alligator Leather Strap with Custom Fold-Over Clasp and Dual Pushers;
Type: Anniversary Edition Watches, Classic Watches, Dress Watches, Fashion Watches;
Sex: Women’s Watches;
Nationality: American Watches.
Retail Price (Launch): €890 / $995.
The Rubaiyat Four Seasons “Spring” is most successful when judged for what it actually sets out to be: not a watch built around movement sophistication, but a women’s dress watch that uses the codes and materials of jewelry watchmaking to reinterpret the collection’s historical identity.
Among its strengths, the natural rhodonite stands out first and foremost. Compared with a simple pink coloration, the stone introduces genuine variations across the surface and makes the dial less standardized. The upper crown, symmetrical construction, sapphire crystal, and chromatic integration of the strap all contribute to giving the design a recognizable identity. The use of precious stones on the bezel also adds tangible material content to the ornamental execution.
The compromises are equally clear. The movement is extremely simple and offers no particular technical interest if you consider the caliber a central component of the watchmaking experience. The modest water resistance limits versatility compared with models designed for broader use, while nighttime legibility is sacrificed completely in favor of aesthetic purity.
Given its launch price, the value proposition should therefore not be judged on horological complexity. A substantial part of the offering lies in the decorative materials, aesthetic execution, and commemorative character of the edition. If you are primarily looking for performance, functions, or mechanical content, there are more rational interpretations in the same price range; if, on the other hand, you value the combination of natural stone, jewelry-inspired styling, and Rubaiyat tradition, the construction is far more consistent with its positioning.
The overall verdict is that of a specialized and consciously ornamental dress watch: technically simple, but endowed with a strong aesthetic identity and materials that distinguish it from the conventional women’s quartz offering. Its ideal buyer is not looking for complexity on the wrist, but rather a celebratory, compact, and immediately recognizable Bulova, in which the value lies primarily in the design and decorative execution.
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