The Lunar Pilot’s hands and hour indices are painted with a lume that glows bluish rather than green. They render a “sleeker” appearance than traditional pedunculate, wart-like chronograph pushers. The pushers have minimal play they engage with a highly tactile click when activated. Others simply think it looks cool.Ī “signature” feature of the Lunar Pilot: the hinged paddle chronograph buttons, presumably designed for use with space suit gloves. The crystal, prominently protruding from the top of the case, is worrisome to some of the prolific hand-wringers on the watch forums and groups. The back of the watch is inscribed with a tribute to the Apollo 15 mission, including the specific location on the moon where the Bulova was worn. Combined, these features create a pleasing 3D relief. Hour indices are applied to the main dial face. The chapter ring and subdial faces are a step below the main dial face. The dial offers quite a bit of depth with a raised tachymeter rehaut under the crystal. The warranty card, instructions, and a booklet on the history of the watch designed to go to the moon lie under the top layer.Ĭombined with white indices and pencil-shaped hands, the black dial is uber legible. It comes on a nice faux leather pillow, nestled in a box with satin pulls.
Given the price, Bulova Lunar Pilot’s watch is impressive, as is the box. (It’s not showing on the Bulova website at the time of writing.) The stainless finished model is still on the Bulova website. It’s available on any number of online dealer sites. Yes, sir! While Commander Scott’s watch had a stainless steel finish, I chose the black colorway for my Lunar Pilot. Dark side of the moon v2.0Įarlier this year, our own Robert Farago wrote, “ OMEGA Moonwatch – Buy Something Else!” But it’s an astronaut watch! It’s supposed to be big and highly legible. Some WIS ( watch idiot savants) think it’s “too big” at 45mm across and 52mm lug-to-lug. (More later about why quartz is cool with this watch.) Some horological pedants fuss about it being a quartz movement as opposed to the mechanical movement of Commander Scott’s prototype Bulova. So it became the “Lunar Pilot.” Another “ Bulova moment.” They produced a replica watch and sent it to market.īulova wanted to call it a “Moon Watch,” but OMEGA objected, trademarks and all. That’s when the light bulb went on at Bulova Headquarters. Commander Scott kept his Bulova and stuck it in a safe deposit box. Since OMEGA watches were government issue, they were returned (and reportedly reside in the Smithsonian). The prototype was gifted to him by Bulova. His back-up watch was a Bulova prototype that didn’t make the NASA cut (OMEGA won the contract). He asked permission from NASA to use his personal back-up watch for EVA #3. Apollo 15 Mission Commander David Scott was wearing his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster when the watch suffered a spontaneous “ major malfunction.” The crystal popped out during EVA #2 (extravehicular activity a.k.a., “moon walk”). OMEGA has long and proudly claimed to be the “ only watch worn on the moon.” For years, we’ve accepted this as gospel – a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) that couldn’t be matched. The only “Moon Watch” is Omega! Negative, Ghostrider It turns out that the Bulova Lunar Pilot story is quite the Space Oddity. I am weak! And so began the furious late night internet hunt for more information. This time it was the Bulova “Lunar Pilot.” A forum member posted a photo of his in a “WRUW” (what are you wearing) thread, and I had to know what it was. A watch I would have otherwise never heard of jumped to front and center of my obsession.