The ‘Other Moonwatch’ Is an Affordable Classic with Pedigree

These days, a lot of people might hear “Moonwatch” and think of a Swatch. Yes, the MoonSwatch captured the zeitgeist with its space-adventure connection — which, of course, actually belongs to the Omega Speedmaster Professional. But there’s another “moonwatch” on the market that deserves your attention, especially if you’re on a budget: Bulova’s Lunar Pilot, recently downsized to 43.5mm.

The modern Lunar Pilot watches update a model introduced in the 2010s — which were, in turn, reissues of a Bulova watch worn on the moon in 1971. They have real provenance and a very cool NASA-inspired, tool-watch design — and while they might not be as hyped or as inexpensive as a Swatch, they’ve got genuine tool watch cred and are far more suited to daily wear.

Love the MoonSwatch or hate it, Omega brought the lunar missions and astronauts’ watches to a wider audience, making Bulova’s Lunar Pilot more relevant and desirable than ever. Filling a niche in the space, these Bulova chronographs are legit, classic, and affordable links to an iconic story. And shaving off a couple millimeters made them even more wearable and more faithful reissues.

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Bulova Lunar Pilot

• $671.00 at bulova.com
  $895.00 (25% off)

• Diameter: 43.5mm
• Thickness: 15mm
• Movement: Bulova NP20 quartz
• Water Resistance: 50m

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The Bulova Lunar Pilot: What We Think

On August 2, 1971, astronaut David R. Scott had a problem. The crystal of his Omega Speedmaster had popped off, and he was due for a walk on the lunar surface. He instead grabbed his backup watch, a Bulova Chronograph reference 88510/01.

Bulova was one of the finalists for NASA’s official moonwatch, and this chronograph is the same design of that which lost out in trials to Omega’s Speedmaster. It proved itself on Scott’s mission, though — and when he sold it in 2015, it went for $1.6 million at auction. (The Omega Speedmasters that have been on the moon are technically government property, which means they don’t go up for auction.)

Given this space-based badassery, Bulova’s quartz reissues of that famous chronograph (from 2015 and 2017) have long been a popular favorite. They filled an important void for fans romanced by the history but not ready to shell out thousands for a Swiss mechanical watch.

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The first Lunar Pilot reissues, however, were larger than the original, at 45mm. So when the 2023 Lunar Pilots returned to the original’s 43.5mm, it was a welcome size change for several reasons: It’s more historically faithful and the downsizing allows for a number of design elements to shine — and though the watches are smaller and more versatile, they still feel like substantial, awesome tools on the wrist. In other words, it made one of the most compelling watches in the budget range even better.

It’s a Formidable Tool Watch

Bulova’s built a formidable tool watch that, armed with its dependable high-precision NP20 Accutron quartz movement, would be trustworthy on any space mission. Let’s talk about the crystal, for instance. It is impact- and shatter-resistant sapphire crystal, with anti-reflective coating; it’s flat, and sits atop the bare bezel, almost as if to say: I’m not popping out anytime soon.

The Lunar Pilot’s three-pronged quartz movement is accurate to within a few seconds per year. And though mechanical movements are cool, space explorers know that quartz technology is superior in almost every single way: it’s more accurate, more durable, and more affordable than traditional clockwork.

It’s as Thick as a Mechanical Chronograph

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Returning to the aforementioned size once again: including that flat crystal, this watch is 15mm thick. That’s a hell of a side profile, one that you’d expect from a mechanical chronograph watch, though this one is quartz. You’ll notice the heft immediately when picking it up, especially if you’re accustomed to wearing smaller watches. What’s cool is, when you put it on, the design of the watch — I’ll call it balance — means that something this thick just feels right.

The sense is that you’re wearing an aerospace instrument, and one that if you needed to could be strapped to the outside of your spacesuit.

This effect is enhanced by the dual paddle pushers, which feel great to press. A three-register chronograph is always fun, and the Bulova Lunar Pilot’s high-frequency quartz lends a smoother sweep to the running seconds hand. As a chronograph, particularly in the blue-white panda version, it is really a wonderful watch.

Each Version Is Compelling in a Different Way

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Speaking of those colorways. The black recalls the original watch worn by Scott — and, of course, an army of Omega Speedmasters. Though I found the black-on-black dial efficient at cramming lots of eye-pleasing markers and fonts into the smaller watch, it was really the blue-white panda version that shone during my testing. The texture of the dial adds significant depth, and the blue is a dark navy that nicely compliments the white markers.

This version of the chronograph is doing a lot: It’s a heavy-handed tool watch, but also offers a unique take on the classic, and doesn’t go overboard stylistically. If it’s not the best moonwatch Bulova ever made, it might be the most versatile.

Bulova Lunar Pilot: Alternatives

An obvious selling point of the Bulova Lunar Pilot is its price. That quartz movement means it’s not only more accurate than an Omega’s mechanical movement, but it also costs a lot less. Both versions will run you $895 at retail but expect to find them on sale even on Bulova’s site (not to mention the likes of Amazon).

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You can still get the 45mm Lunar Pilots — which, in addition to having a lower retail price ($620 on a steel bracelet) to begin with, can often be found deeply discounted (check here and here).

That’s significantly less than the $6,600+ it costs to own a new Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph. And though a MoonSwatch ($260+) will run you less, it’s, well, made of plastic (ok, a plastic-ceramic hybrid material called “Bioceramic”), and you probably have to bribe a mall employee to get one.

bulova

Bulova Lunar Pilot

• $671.00 at bulova.com
  $895.00 (25% off)

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