Bulova Caliber NM50 Watch Movement

Manufacturer	Bulova
Caliber Number	NM50
Movement Type	Quartz, battery-powered,
Jewel Count	8 (unconfirmed)
Frequency	262,144 Hz (262 kHz)
Beats Per Second	16
Accuracy Rating	+/- 5 seconds/month
Battery Cell Number	CR2016
Battery Life	~1 year
Oscillator	3-pronged quartz crystal
Hand Count	3
Functions	Central hours; central minutes; central seconds; date at 3:00
Hacking Seconds?	Yes
Country of Manufacture	Made in Japan
Known Models	Bulova Jet Star (Ref: 96B414, 96B415, 96K112, 97B214), Bulova Super Seville reissue (Ref: 97B223), Bulova Accutron II (Ref: 97B133) (Add your watch to the comments below…)

Bulova caliber NM50 is a high frequency quartz movement with 3 hands and a date.

Their official description of the movement is:

“A movement featuring a 3-pronged quartz crystal with a frequency of 262 kHz that is 8 times greater than standard quartz, leading to an accuracy of seconds a year.”

As mentioned in the quote above, the cal. NM50 features an super smooth seconds hand thanks to it’s 262kHz vibration rate – which converts to 16 beats (vibrations) per second.

Watch this video of similar caliber P102 in action.

Bulova brands this movement as HPQ Precisionist and describes it’s functionality as “state-of-the-art Precisionist technology”.

You’ve heard of HAQ (High Accuracy Quartz), used by other brands? Well “HPQ” stands for High Performance Quartz.

The NM50 is found in various Bulova models, including the Icon Collection (at least as far back as 2018), where they state the accuracy to be accurate to 5 seconds per month:

“The watches of the Icon Collection are powered by Bulova’s Precisionist movement, a revolutionary 8-jewel quartz mechanism vibrating at a remarkable 262kHz, accurate to 5 seconds per month with increased resistance to temperature changes, and with a sweeping seconds hand.” –Source

This caliber is also found in the new Super Seville introduced on May 29, 2024.

In Bulova’s own words:

“The new Super Seville is powered by our proprietary high precision quartz Precisionist movement, a revolutionary 8-jewel quartz mechanism vibrating at a remarkable 262kHz, accurate to seconds per year with increased resistance to temperature changes, and with a smooth sweeping second hand.” -Super Seville product description

Some of the topics covered in this caliber listing:

Battery:

The battery in the NM50 is a large cell CR2016 battery. Bulova claims that the battery will last one year.

“Your new Quartz Watch has a fresh power cell designed to provide maximum reliability for approximately a year under normal use. If the cell is not replaced before it is exhausted, the watch will simply stop. The mechanism should not be harmed in any manner. However, when the power cell becomes exhausted, it should be removed at your earliest convenience to diminish the possibility of leakage. Never store your watch with an exhausted power cell in it.” -Official user manual (page 9)

Please comment below with your battery experience.

Hacking Seconds:

The calibre NM50 has hacking seconds (seconds hand stops when the crown is pulled out), which also serves as a method to preserve battery power.

“When the crown is in the “OUT” position, the motor and hands stop. Only the quartz crystal continues to vibrate, using very little power. If the watch is to be stored for a length of time, it is recommended that the crown be left in the “OUT” position to prolong battery life. This does not apply to models with two hands only.” -Official user manual (page 9)