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The Bulova Lunar Pilot‘s saga is exciting and reveals Bulova‘s paramount role in the US race to land a man on the moon. Back then, Bulova joined the party and the original competition, yet failed NASA‘s first assessment and couldn’t pride itself on the “Moonwatch” nickname and the Apollo 11 mission.
The American brand, whose technology has far gone over a wristwatch – let’s think about the Accutron devices extensively adopted – tried once again and succeeded to participate in phase two of the agency’s space program by attending the Apollo 15 mission.
David Scott, the Apollo 15 mission, and the first Bulova watch on the moon.
Astronaut David Scott was wearing a Bulova chronograph during his walk on the moon; his timepiece was hammered by RR Auction in 2015 and gained the headline news when the watch fetched an outstanding $ 1,300,000.
That’s much money, isn’t it? Well, I think it’s not that outrageous given what this Bulova watch stands for in space exploration. Since then, the brand has built on that heritage, re-issuing the original as faithfully as possible. Moreover, the Bulova Lunar Pilot has triggered and extended the Bulova Archive collection to include more and more pieces from the brand’s history moving forward, like the lovely Devil Diver, the cutting-edge Computron and more. From a technical perspective, the most significant leap between old and new is adopting ultra high-frequency quartz technology to replace a “standard” mechanical movement.
The Bulova Lunar Pilot housed a Universal Genève Space Compax‘s mechanism, hence a Valjoux-based calibre showcasing a three-register layout, as found on the Moonwatch. That configuration proved to pass NASA‘s strictest criteria. Bear in mind that, back then, Universal Genève was a Bulova‘s subsidiary. In 2016, the re-issue hit the market despite offering a technical package in line with the brand’s current positioning and its technological pedigree.
The 2016 Bulova Lunar Pilot
As said, Bulova launched the first modern Lunar Pilot five years ago. The project raised general appraisal and grew Bulova‘s reputation as a pioneering brand, usually connected with Accutron.
Bulova belongs to the Citizen Group; hence high-frequency technology is at the brand’s core and, without any doubt, the most relevant technology on the shelf. The modern re-edition comes equipped with a 262kHz high-frequency quartz calibre which outperforms the competition when it comes to running accuracy.
The high-frequency quartz calibre ensures a 10-seconds-per-year accuracy according to specs. With that said, you won’t miss any mechanical movement since the watch looks and feels “mechanical” while not breaking your bank account and with the remarkable build quality. The Lunar Pilot is sturdy and well designed, and you end up wearing something whose design is mechanical chronograph-based. The tachymeter scale is raised and filled with plenty of luminescent material; finally, the Chrono push buttons activation and the overall weight – 108 and 184 grams, without and with bracelet, respectively – are what you’d expect wearing a mechanical timepiece this big.
Bulova priced the Lunar Pilot in between 500 and 550 Euros (for the standard steel options); here is why the recipe works and has proved successful from day one. My only criticism is the tiny, useless date window confirming its commercial pedigree. However, Bulova “fixed it” by launching the full black reference 98A186 and the premium Bulova Lunar Pilot 50th Anniversary Limited Edition, the 2021 highlight, to celebrate the first 50 years since the Lunar Pilot landed on the moon (3 August 1971).
Please forgive us for associating the latest iteration to an Apollo 11 lunar module instead of an Apollo 15; we won’t change history, yet we believe the only American watch brand to walk on the moon deserved first-page news on here.
The Bulova Lunar Pilot 50th Anniversary Limited Edition watch
If you’re praising Bulova for offering high quality on a standard Lunar Pilot, you won’t be surprised to find out that the commemorative edition sets the bar higher by introducing a Grade 5 titanium alloy.
I guess product marketing specialists opted for titanium to celebrate history rather than lightness (despite being a welcome addition, given the Lunar Pilot measures 45 mm across). Titanium became popular from the seventies and appeared more frequently on commercial timepieces. There’s no doubt that titanium is the celebration model’s “talking point” and a primary technical feat, given that Bulova belongs to the Group that first marketed a titanium watch.
While I won’t associate Bulova with Citizen, I admit that being part of a Group that masters titanium technology like no other in the watch industry makes the Bulova Lunar Pilot 50th Anniversary Limited Edition a far more compelling and attractive proposition to look at. The Grade 5 titanium case comes paired with a blinky gold-looking treatment, thus creating a vivid contrast between titanium’s matte dark greyish hues and shades of gold, especially on the case back, where the seventh man to ever walk on the moon is standing alongside the lunar module.
The celebration limited edition piece reminds me of what Omega offered in 2014 with the gold and titanium Speedmaster Apollo 11 45th Anniversary Limited Edition. The case exclusively comes with a grey NATO strap and gold tones, and the watch comes in a commemorative box, including an Apollo 15 badge.
Final thoughts
This review was a chance to get our hands on plenty of Bulova Lunar Pilot watches for the first time, rewind the timepiece’s history in brief, and what made it so sought-after by the watch community. It indeed is a Holy Grail watch per se.
Probably I’ll not pick the Anniversary edition as a first choice, even though the 50th is the most refined Lunar Pilot so far. It sets this model apart from the original scheme, despite appreciating the brand’s effort to make it more sophisticated with the adoption of a grade 5 titanium alloy, one of my all-time favorite materials; but I would not say I like the polished gold accents; I would have gone for a matte finish throughout.
Conversely, I like the “no date” layout and appreciate the superior finishes, but I don’t think a 5000 pieces collection is an authentic Limited Edition. The Bulova Lunar Pilot 50th Anniversary Limited Edition retails for 890 Euros.
(Photo credit: Marco Antinori per Horbiter®)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
