Keep in mind that you're in the Affordables forum - nearly all the watches discussed here fit your definition of 'mall watches'. The spirit of the original post isn't 'is Bulova good compared to Breitling?' but more like 'Is Bulova good compared to Seiko?'
I don't have much good to say about my wife's low-end Bulova (she bought it for herself before I got into watches) - the gold plating wore easily, the mineral crystal was scratched easily and after a few years several of the pins in the bracelet started falling out.
On the other hand, I've been really impressed with Bulova's Accutron line - dollar for dollar they are a heck of a lot of watch for the price, and even more so when found online for 50% or less of MSRP. Sapphire crystals, ETA movements (including mechanicals!), high-quality finishing, affordable price. If you like their styling, they're everything you might ask of an entry-level swiss watch.
I don't have much good to say about my wife's low-end Bulova (she bought it for herself before I got into watches) - the gold plating wore easily, the mineral crystal was scratched easily and after a few years several of the pins in the bracelet started falling out.
On the other hand, I've been really impressed with Bulova's Accutron line - dollar for dollar they are a heck of a lot of watch for the price, and even more so when found online for 50% or less of MSRP. Sapphire crystals, ETA movements (including mechanicals!), high-quality finishing, affordable price. If you like their styling, they're everything you might ask of an entry-level swiss watch.
