Men's Archive Series Lunar Pilot 6-Hand Chronograph High Performance Quartz Stainless Steel and Black Nylon Strap Watch Set, Sapphire Crystal Style: 96B251

It's hard to imagine a better deal than that offered by Bulova for this watch. Often what sets a watch apart from countless other similar watches is the "story" behind the watch. Whether it's the Rolex worn by Sean Connery, the Tag Heuer worn by Steve McQueen, or the Cartier worn by JFK. The most sought after watches have a story. Indeed, one of the most sought after watches is an Omega Speedmaster Professional. This is the watch worn by the American Astronauts for the Gemini, Apollo and Skylab missions, and until recently, were the only watches ever to make it to the moon. However, owning a "speedy" will set you back several thousand dollars, but that's what you need to spend to get a "moon watch". Up until now. The story goes that David Scott, commander of Apollo 15 was given a Bulova prototype to "test" while on mission. While he did not plan on actually "testing" the watch, he did put it in with the rest of his stuff as backup. As luck would have it, it was needed as his Speedmaster failed when the crystal popped out, and Scott wore the Bulova on the moon for EVA 3 and on the return trip. That watch recently sold for 1.6 MILLION dollars in auction and is the only privately owned watch that has been on the moon. Bulova has taken that story and created an homage to that prototype. The Lunar Pilot is the result. Even without the space pedigree, this is one special watch. It's quartz movement beats at 8 times the normal frequency giving the watch an accuracy of approximately 10 to 15 seconds a YEAR vice the normal 10 to 15 second a month variance on normal quartz watches. This movement also features a second hand that ticks every half second and a sweeping chronograph hand that is normally found only on mechanical watches. Encased in it's bead blasted stainless steel case, the watch is 45mm wide which makes it a large watch. The watch is capped by a thick sapphire crystal, and the back is engraved with the mission information from the Apollo mission. The face detail is exquisite. Instead of a "flat face" like on many watches, the seconds marker track is recessed, and the face is raised. The 5 min lume markers are raised further on the base and the subdials are slightly recessed into the dial. This type of detail is rarely found on a watch of this price point. A date window between the 4 and 5 position discreetly gives the day of the month. The subdial at 3 o'clock is used for measuring 1/20th seconds in chronograph mode while the 9 o'clock subdial shows minutes elapsed. The 6 o'clock subdial shows running seconds for timekeeping and remains moving whether or not the chronograph is in operation or not. The watch is very clean and legible as would be expected for a watch designed for space travel. In fact the face is much like an Omega Speedmaster, not due to any copyright infringement, but rather due to the necessity of maintaining the NASA specifications already laid forward. The case design, however is very distinctive with recessed pusher bars that pivot for the chronograph functions. It's easy to see that these pusher bars were designed specifically to be operated by a large gloved hand. The watch itself is water resistant to 50 meters, but really isn't designed for water sports. This version of the watch comes with two straps, a leather strap and a fabric strap that is reminiscent of the NASA strap used by the astronauts. A strap removal tool is also included along with a certificate of authenticity and booklet describing the history of the watch. This watch also comes with a stainless steel bracelet version, but they are not interchangeable as the lug holes are in different locations for both watches. Even without it's interesting inspiration, this watch would be a bargain. The accuracy of 10 sec a year makes this one of the most accurate watches you can reasonably own. The attention to detail of this watch rivals that of much more expensive watches. The fact that it comes with such an interesting back story makes it a must for anyone who values unique and collectible time pieces. And you don't have to plop down several thousand dollars to do so.

This watch has been reviewed on Amazon many times already, so I will try to not repeat too much of what has already been said, and if I do repeat, I'll try to condense my words to what you might really be interested to know. First: This watch has some historical significance, as a replica of the only other watch known to be worn on the Moon besides the Omega Speedmaster (which I also once owned). Bulova produced just a few of these back in the early 70's (through their Swiss subsidiary Universal Geneve), submitted some to NASA for testing, and gifted one to David Scott, who took it along as "backup" during the Apollo 15 mission. He ended up wearing it on the lunar surface while piloting the Lunar Rover. That particular watch sold at auction in 2015 for $1,600,000. Second: Even without the historical significance, it's a technically interesting watch with unique features. The watch uses Bulova's UHF quartz movement, in which the crystal vibrates 8 times faster than conventional quartz watches. This provides extreme accuracy of approximately 10 seconds/year as well as very smooth motion of the central chronograph seconds hand. The running seconds hand located on the subdial at six o'clock ticks every half-second, not every second like most quartz watches. Third: The styling is unique among modern Bulova watches, which are often very highly polished, glittery and sometimes "blingy". This watch is more of a "tool" or instrument, with a mostly bead blasted texture, and a little bit of a brushed finish on the bezel. The crystal is a thick flat slab of sapphire, and actually protrudes a millimeter or so above the edge of the bezel, just like the original plexiglass crystal did. The pushers to activate the chronograph functions are levers which operate in slots milled in the case. The dial is very precisely detailed, and has the subdials and the track for seconds recessed slightly below the level of the main dial, while the tachymeter track is raised above the main dial, giving a pleasing three-dimensional effect. The white lumed hands and markers offer high contrast with the black dial, and very good legibility. Basically, the watch looks like something designed to do a particular job, rather than something designed simply to look pretty. Fourth: The watch is physically large. The original was 43.3 mm diameter, and because the UHF movement used requires slightly more space, the case has been slightly enlarged to 45 mm, with an overall length of 53 from lug-to-lug and about 13 mm thickness. For most people, this isn't really a problem as large watches are fashionable, and it's not stupidly large like some other examples I could name. My wrists are almost exactly 7 inches, and I already owned other watches with similar size, so from my perspective it looks large, but not TOO large. If your wrists are less than 7 inches circumference, the watch MAY look big on you, depending on your personal preferences. Fifth: The build quality is excellent. I could find no defects at all, everything worked properly out of the box. I've heard of some buyers needing to reset the chronograph hands to zero (an easy adjustment), mine were fine from the start. The back is nicely detailed with information about the Apollo 15 mission and the famous Bulova tuning fork logo. The presentation box includes an extra velcro strap similar to those actually used by NASA, as well as a tool to remove the spring bars when changing straps. The leather strap which is attached to the watch is very nice, with a texture which resembles either carbon fiber or a basketweave (take your pick). Either way, it is kind of stiff to begin with, but in a day or so, conforms very well to my wrist. I find it comfortable enough to wear while sleeping, and although the watch is somewhat heavy, after a while it is easy to forget I'm wearing it. I wouldn't choose this watch to wear during very active sports such as mountain biking, as the weight on my wrist might be noticeable then. Also, I've got other watches which are lighter and better suited for that kind of use. However, for everyday wear, the Lunar Pilot is perfectly comfortable. Bottom line (see what I did there?) is that this watch is unique, comfortable, accurate and historically significant, and a LOT of watch for the money.

There isn't really much to be said about the Bulova Lunar Pilot that hasn't already been said. It's a absolutely stunning piece in person. None of the photos or videos did the vast array of changes in height and depth of the different complications and watch elements justice. I genuinely love looking at this watch every single time I turn my wrist. So far, it's accuracy has not been lied about. It has remained bang on down to the second from the moment I set the time. The fit and finish are excellent. As others have said, it is a lot of watch for the price especially if purchased on sale as I did. The main reason I am writing this review is because at the time of purchase and of writing this review (about a week a part) the items description lists the band size at 22mm. Which surprised me as I also purchased a 22mm nato strap at the same time and it did not fit at all. I checked today with my calipers and it's absolutely a 20mm width for the strap. So, the watch is incredible and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone but, just know, it's 20mm when purchasing other straps! Edit: I've been wearing this wonderful watch daily for a little over a month. I wanted to share a quick update with a few thoughts. First, this watch seems wonderfully durable. I haven't been abusing it by any means but, the sapphire looks as clear and perfect as the day I got it. And the case remains pristine. Secondly, it hasn't dropped even a second in that time which I am extremely please about. Thirdly, and finally, the lume is... garbage. I love everything about this watch with that as the one exception. Even after 45 minutes of charging in direct sunlight at noon, the lume does not glow brightly, and dims within 10~ minutes of going into dark. It's a shame because the blue hue of the lume is absolutely gorgeous. And every other part of the watch is divine but, the lume. If you really *need* legibility in dark situations or spend a lot of time in the dark, this may not be an ideal watch for you. While I am slightly disappointed, most of my work is done on the light side of the moon, so it's still all good for me haha.

I always prefer watches where you can tell the time in just one glance. This one is very readable in that regard. For that reason alone, I would give it 5 stars. There are tons of watches you couldn't say that about. The luminous nature of the watch is fine. Not too bright...but adequate for a few hours. Because the hands and hour markers are white, any light will allow you to easily read the watch. But, wait, there's more. The chronograph is low key and easy to ignore the buttons. There's not a lot of small print in the watch to distract. I also enjoy the ability to time something in less than 1/10th of a second. There are some unexpected things...what you would think of as the seconds hand is a hand for the tachymeter...the seconds hand is the very small dial on the bottom of the watch. The reset of the timer hands to zeroize is sometimes necessary...read the online manual for that. Some have said that it is a bit huge on smaller wrists. I have a smaller wrist, but it looks fine there. The leather band is only okay. It looks good...but could be easily updated to a more stylish style. That's a matter of personal taste. I haven't used the NATO band. Overall, the watch is a fun time piece with a tiny bit of history. It's worth the time (pun not intended).

The Bulova Lunar Pilot is a beautiful homage to a historic watch—a Bulova chronograph worn on the moon by astronaut David Scott on Apollo 15 in 1971. Featuring a modern, Bulova Precisionist movement, this watch is mechanically a better watch than the original it’s based on. I’ve had mine for a couple of months, and in the time I’ve had it, the Bulova is now about two seconds slow from actual time. That’s about a second a month, making this one of the most accurate watches I own. For a quartz watch, the precision is outstanding. I think there are probably only two ways to get better accuracy in a wristwatch than this—you either get lucky, or you pay a lot more for something like a Grand Seiko. I do not yet own an Omega Speedmaster Professional. At some point I will, but I think it’s more of a ‘show watch’ than a ‘daily driver.’ This Bulova is actually a better timepiece, even if it doesn’t have the same cachet as the Omega. The #1 reason I bought this watch is because the movement is one of the best available anywhere, especially at this price point. You’re just not going to get much more of a bang for your buck than this, if you want an accurate wristwatch. As stated by others, the lume on the hands and indices are adequate but not eye-poppingly bright. I’m a bit spoiled by dive watches, which are meant to be very bright. This is not on that level. I’m just a bit disappointed that the lug width is 20 mm instead of 22 mm. I think 22 mm would have been more appropriate for such a large watch. I’m a bit more disappointed with how high the lug pins are set on the Bulova. In purchasing this watch, I meant to swap out the leather strap for my preferred Maratac Zulu watch band. Unfortunately, the lug pins sit so high on the Bulova that the Zulu strap threads awkwardly through the lug pins (across the bottom, up, over, and down). It looks and feels a bit awkward on my wrist, as well. The lug pins are also a few millimeters away from the lug ends, so with the thin Zulu band on the watch, the lug ends stick out. So it appears Bulova means this watch to be paired with a leather band, not a thin nylon band. Consequently, I’ve reluctantly swapped out the Maratac for the stock leather Bulova band, at least for now. Fortunately, the stock band is comfortable and looks good on the wrist. It’s not quite the ‘daily driver’ my Citizen Promaster is, but this Bulova merits a place in my regular rotation, based largely on its outstanding movement. I will consider getting the all-black 2017 version as well.

I am writing this from the perspective that after Bulova was purchased by Citizen, the quality has dropped to that of an entry level premium watch. I own an Omega Speedmaster Pro and a Speedmaster reduced as well as about 50 other premium Swiss, German, and vintage American watches. As a fan of vintage Bulova watches, I own a 1963 Spaceview, 1966 Astronaut, and the Accutron 214 and 218 movements along with the contemporary Spaceview 2, Spaceview 2000, and shortly, Spaceview 314. I also own an Omega F300 and Universal Geneve Unisonic which are both derived from Accutron 218 movements. The quality and finish of this watch does not raise to vintage Bulova or premium Swiss level. With that said, the least expensive Omega Speedmaster is 20x more expensive. The Bulova Chronograph watch has a great story with the Omega crystal failing, with a privately owned Bulova watch making the third moonwalk on Apollo 15. That watch was actually a rebadged manual winding Universal Geneve made special for NASA for consideration as the moon watch before NASA went with the Omega. A few examples were given to astronauts. This watch was inspired by that design with modern improvements. The largest differences is this watch has a sapphire crystal and is quartz. Both of these changes are great improvement to durability and ease of use. Manual watches require regular winding, and maintenance every 3 to 5 years. Quartz watches rarely need service other than batteries every 3 to 5 years. Moon watches have hesalite crystals which are similar to other plastic (mineral) crystals. They tend to scratch easily, but are very hard to crack or shatter. Hesalite is also lighter than Sapphire. If you don't wear a manual or automatic watch for a while, you will need to reset it. This watch only needs to be adjusted for daylight savings time and for date depending on the month. It is not difficult to set. The movement is based on the Bulova Precisionist with a higher pulse quartz crystal providing the heartbeat. The Precisionist movement is +- 2 seconds per month making it more accurate than COSC requirements for superlative chronometers such as Rolex. It is not as accurate as a smartwatch or radio watch, but it is as good as you get from quartz. The chronograph has three hands. One for 1/10 seconds, one for seconds, and one for minutes. The pushers lack the click that Swiss watches tend to have, but are responsive enough. Although it may not be required with a quartz watch, you should stop the chronograph movement before you reset it because you will damage any mechanical movement with the exception of spring drives if you don't stop the chronograph first. The high heartbeat makes the seconds hand for chronometer very smooth. The small seconds (sweep) hand beats twice per second which is jerkier than average mechanical watches but smoother than most quartz watches. The face is about 43mm and it is close to 50mm from lug to lug. This makes it a bit large for smaller men's wrists. It is not as large as Casio G Shock or Breitling cases, but the average men's Rolex or Omega is 40mm. Take note that the Speedmaster Pro is 42mm (47mm lug to lug) while the Daytona is 40mm (47mm lug to lug) and the Breitling Chromomat is 44mm (54mm lug to lug) making this fairly typical for men's chronograph watches. It is surprisingly thick (14mm). I have other quartz chronograph watches that are thinner. It is about as thick as typical mechanical chronograph movements. It is also quite heavy at about 6 ounces. That is lighter than the average Breitling, but heavier than most watches. The case is Stainless Steel with a brushed finish. The pushers and crown are polished for contrast. There are no rough edges. As stated earlier the crystal is sapphire which is scratch resistant. The crystal sits about 1 mm above the case which can lead to chips, slivers, and splinters on the edge depending on use and abuse. There is no curve to the crystal. The hands are polished and the markers are bright white making this pretty easy to read in low light. The lumina is typical. Expect the lumina to last less than 30 minutes. If you want a watch that is easy to read at night, get a Timex. Water resistance is 50 meters which in reality means you can wash your hands with it on and bathe with it, but shouldn't swim, dive, or soak in a hot tub with it on. The crown and pushers have no added resistance. The back is screw down instead of snap fit which is more resistant. Never pull up the crown or use the pushers underwater on any watch regardless of how resistant it may be. The bands are typical for an entry level premium watch. The leather is stiff. The carbon fibre leather pattern is interesting and it appears to have calfskin on the inner layer. I have other modern Bulova watches with bad stitching and rough edges, which this band does not suffer from. If it doesn't soften up, I may replace it with a better band. The NATO adjacent band is worse in my opinion. A true NATO band has a continual strap running behind the watch so if you snap one spring bar, you typically do not lose the watch because the other spring bar holds the watch to the band. If the intention was to match the strap to an NASA strap, it is far too short. The best example of a NASA velcro strap you can easily see is Apollo 13 just before the launch when they are strapping Lovell down. A NASA strap wraps around an average wrist 2 1/2 times so that it is long enough to go over a pressure suit. I didn't test the spring bar removal tool but the instrument is too short for my taste. If you want to change your band, be patient and go slow in order to avoid slipping and scratching your watch case. If you choose to replace the band, it is 20mm which is a common size. I will probably go with black ostrich, which will cost more than the watch which is why I didn't deduct any stars for the bands. Would I recommend this watch to a high end only wearer? Probably not. It lacks the lineage and quality. Even Bulova acknowledges this with the 2014 Accutron spinoff allowing for a premium, classic Bulova at a higher than average price point. Would I recommend this watch to someone who likes a good story? Yes. I think the Apollo 15 story and the Omega vs Bulova story during the space race is a good one. Would I recommend this watch to someone who wants a less expansive moon watch than the Omega? Absolutely. You get a great, accurate chronograph in the style of the Speedmaster at a much more accessible price. I would rate this 2 stars vs the Speedmaster with the exception of price. It is 5 stars when compared to similar quality watches.

Was never a fan of Bulova, as many American made watch band are nowhere near the precision or excellence of Japanese and Swiss time pieces like Seiko and Omega. However with the prominence of this model being the back up watch on Apollo 15, and the absolute simplicity and accuracy of the movement, it is an absolute elegant piece. An Omega Speedmaster might not pass into my collection, but the Lunar Pilot is an excellent addition to my collection and I was extremely excited to purchase. While I really wanted it with the metal bracelet, I considered that 95% of my collection have metal bracelets, and was a little hesitant to purchase this with the leather strap. I made the right choice. While I probably won't switch out the strap for the NATO Velcro strap, there is a 3rd party company that has created a custom fitting bracelet for this model-the steel bracelet for the other models in this line WILL NOT fit this case-I am looking at quick release pins and other straps that might pair well. This piece is gorgeous and I love looking at it. The line on it is horrible as others have reported, however I didn't buy it to look at it in the dark. This is becoming my favorite piece quickly and wearing it is absolutely comfortable. I have a few divers that are 47mm, and a couple that are 53mm, and look large but compliment my wrists well. At 45mm this piece is perfect on me, neither too large or ostentatious. It is lightweight, understated, and just goes well with pretty much any outfit. I will be enjoying this watch for years. Do not miss out.

I am absolutely bonkers for this Lunar Pilot. I was a bit nervous after I ordered waiting for it to come as in the interim, I was reading a bunch of forums and watching YouTube and TikTok vids saying that this watch is too big . I was prepping myself to feel the same and return it .. however, once It came and I opened the box.. it was love at first sight . Pictures do not do this watch justice.. it's perfect and beautiful. The design is slick , high contrast and precise. It feels like a luxury watch. It's completely easy to read (which is great for these aging eyes) and I love the backstory. I don't have a speedy, but I DO have a homage Pagani speedy. This Lunar Pilot is bigger for sure , but it's a different animal .Again. I was initially afraid that it would be too large, however, it's no bigger than my Seiko Turtle. And definitely way less obtrusive than the bulking G shocks. Also, since the design is classic and subdued.. it's not a huge gaudy watch like giant chunky gold blingy ones.. the straps are both great but for now I'm sticking with this included basket weave style leather.. it feels very quality. I can't say enough good things about this . One last thing regarding the sapphire crystal. I saw another fellow online talking about how he banged the crystal edge on a sink and chipped it.. I CAN see this being an issue as there is nothing protecting the edge. It's simply a flat slab of sapphire sitting on top of the bezel. I imagine this is because this was based of of a prototype and is remaining true to the original.. I can see Buluva updating this perhaps ? Or maybe no.. I mean, it looks utilitarian and simple and for that reason I like it.. just hope I don't chop mine as well as I have a tendency to be rough with my toys... Anyhow.. get this watch.. you will love it