Bulova Teams Up With Complecto for a Limited-Edition Jet Star
Storied American watch brand Bulova is known for its diverse catalogue that includes maximal modern pieces alongside stylish re-editions of classic 20th-century designs. Among the latest of these is the Jet Star, a striking 1970s-style watch distinguished by a bold geometric case and an ultra-accurate 262kHz frequency quartz movement.
Bulova added a new model to the Jet Star line this week thanks to a collaboration with Complecto, a fast-growing platform dedicated to amplifying underrepresented voices in the watch community. Limited to just 100 pieces, the Complecto Jet Star features a silvered gradient dial with orange accents complemented by a charcoal Alcantara strap with an orange rubber lining and embossed with the Complecto logo. We spoke with Complecto’s Founder and CEO Jason Gong about the collab.
How did you get into watch collecting, and how did your experiences as a watch collector lead you to start Complecto?
I fell in love with watches pretty early in life after receiving a Swatch on my 8th birthday — it was a dive watch with a translucent blue case on a yellow strap with a rotating bezel. Even though I grew up in Brooklyn, NY, I was always fascinated with the natural world and the oceans, so wearing that watch made me feel like Jacque Cousteau. From that point forward, I viewed watches as a gateway to new adventures and experiences — almost as if wearing them would transport me to a different place or time, which really nurtured my imagination.
Bulova Jet Star Complecto Edition
Bulova Jet Star Complecto Edition
 As I matured and my experiences as a watch enthusiast evolved, I started engaging more with the watch-collecting community through internet forums, consuming watch media and eventually attending in-person events. Watch collecting has always been a pretty esoteric hobby and it was exciting to be able to engage with other people who shared the same passion. But I noticed something about the industry pretty quickly — the underrepresentation of women and people of colour. Knowing how this can create barriers to entry for so many people who might otherwise participate in the hobby, the idea with Complecto was to build the kind of community and industry that I wanted to be a part of; one that was intentional about inclusion and actively sought to engage and welcome people from all backgrounds into the world of watches.
How did the collaboration with Bulova come about?
Having owned many Bulovas in my life, I was already very familiar with the brand as a collector. But when I was formally introduced to the brand in the Summer of 2022, I realized that many of their values as a brand aligned with Completo’s mission and values. Bulova has an established history of supporting organizations that serve underrepresented communities and has always been a brand at the forefront of accessible luxury, so the inclusion thread ran deep and fully aligned with Complecto’s inclusive ethos. In short order, they came to embrace Complecto and planted the seed for a future collaboration that would ultimately become the Complecto Jet Star Limited Edition.
Why was the Jet Star the perfect piece to collaborate on?
It was important to me that Complecto’s first collaboration was accessibly-priced but still exciting, and differentiated from other offerings collectors might consider in this price range. As we were exploring options from Bulova’s catalogue, the Jet Star quickly emerged as an ideal option.
Bulova Jet Star Complecto Edition
Bulova Jet Star Complecto Edition
Bulova Jet Star Complecto Edition
The Jet Star is a historical reference from Bulova’s archives and 2023 marked its 50th anniversary and embodies so many of the virtues that make Bulova so compelling — bold design, technical innovation and rich history.
What unique touches are included in this limited edition?
The Complecto Jet Star features several touches that really make it stand out; the first is a gorgeous dĂ©gradĂ© dial which transitions from a bright grey sunburst in the centre to a smoky charcoal tone around the outer dial. There are also bright orange details at the hour markers, seconds hand and Precisionist logo just above 6 o’clock.
We also took it a step further by including a multilink steel bracelet plus two custom straps; a Bulova black leather strap with orange contrast stitching and a bespoke Delugs charcoal alcantara strap with pearly grey contrast stitching and an orange rubber lining. Finally, each watch features the Complecto logo engraved on the caseback and is individually numbered out of 100.
Why Bulova?
Bulova is an immigrant story that found the American Dream in New York City — this is deeply resonant for me as it mirrors the experience of so many underrepresented communities in NYC and around the world. But they’re also a brand with an incredible history of significant innovations like standardizing production techniques for watchmaking, building the world’s first clock radio, and of course, the Accutron, which was the world’s first electronic watch.
