Look at the original David Scott moon watch then look at the new Bulova Lunar Pilot. First, there is an error right on the original. It say " TACHOMETER" not "TACHYMETER" like on the new made watch. A tachometer is a device that measures revolutions, a TACHYMETER measures distance over time. So right from the start the Bulova had some issues. God knows what Astronaut Scott thought when he strapped on the Bulova, though he was probably too busy making moon history to care. I'm sure the watch worked perfectly either way. Now look at the new dial and you'll notice many differences. The original was powered by a mechanical Valijoux 72, the reproduction is powered by a Bulova (Miyota) quartz 8136 and a SW927R battery. While this is not a problem it will mean the sub dials will have different layout and markings. And what's this? A date window is present on the matte Lunar Pilot models but not the black PVD model. The original had no date window! Now look at the minute/second track on the two watches. The original is raised and the reproduction is sunken. Also on the sunken areas on the reproduction watches there is sunburst cutting which isn't present original. Look at the Bulova branding on the matte stainless steel models, it's stylized to Bulova's current logo not the early 70s logo. However the black PVD model has a more era correct branding and no date window which is closer to the original. Odd that they did the more correct dial on the least correct case. I would find it more suitable the other way around. On the second sub dial at the 6 o'clock position the 262khz movement is noted also. *All the above stuff is super minor. The dial on both matte and PVD watches look really good and both have a really nice clean conservative vintage feel. I own both the matte and PVD. Now let me nit pick the case! The front of the case is the only part Bulova really nailed. With the pusher bars, raised crystal and bezel, and the utility styled contours the case looks amazing! The crown is messed up because they slapped a Bulova tuning fork on it which wasn't on the original. Simple "BULOVA" lettering would have at least been era correct, the original moon watch crown was blank. There are four pivot screws visible from the back which aren't visible on the original but so what... It's on the back. On that note the case back is a cutesy wootsy looking commemorative Apollo 15 theme. I'd rather have it blank and the effort be spent on giving the watch a screw down crown and even slightly better water resistance. Both watches are very accurate as advertised. Bulova did a great job with the movement. Unfortunately all this goes right out the window every 6 months when the user has to change the time due to Day Light Savings. The accuracy is missed because a hour advance isn't featured on the 8136 movement. All this said it's a very nice watch. Clean, masculine, and conservative look at a fair price. I would recommend either watch. If you get the matte model with the two bands plan on shopping for a nice band because both are childish, cheap looking, and ugly. The leather band on the black PVD model is really nice though.
I am amazed at the quality and craftsmanship that went into this outstanding watch as a watch collector I am particularly impressed with the Percision of the quartz movement which to my understanding is the most accurate in the world I guarantee at this price point you won’t find anything else with this type of quality and historical significance I recommend the pull of the moon lunch
I am so impressed with this watch, I actually purchased both the strap version and bracelet version. 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. You can read the background of the genesis of this watch on the Bulova website, so I won't repeat it all here, but the short version is that this is a commemorative version of a backup watch that David Scott took up with him on Apollo 15 and had to press into real service when his Speedmaster failed. Thus it is the only privately owned watch to have been to the moon. 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.
I previously owned a Speedmaster Professional, bought preowned in 1988 for $375. Love that watch. However, in 2014 it needed over $800 in repairs, including a cleaning. I ended up selling it for almost $2,000 on eBay. Over the years I had upgraded to an OEM Omega Skeleton Back and Bracelet. I always intended to buy another Speedmaster Professional, but happened upon the Bulova Lunar Pilot “Moon Watch”. Wow, what a revelation! This is one incredibly beautiful, magnificently made timepiece. You can tell that a lot of thought went into the design of this watch. The dial is multi-layered with vibrant white hands. The lume is average, but the white hands make time easy to read in almost any light. I love the elongated chrono pushers look great and have a real tactile feel. The blast-beaded case is comfortable and wears much smaller than its 45mm. The signed stem is oversized and precise. The Bulova Precisionist 262 khz movement is the most precise movement I've ever had on a watch. Although the Speedmaster Professional's Lemania movement is a piece of mechanical art, it wasn't the most accurate. This Bulova movement is a gem. The sweep-second chrono hand sweeps exactly like a quality manual or automatic movement. Plus the movement is totally hackable and I've yet to see any gain or loss of seconds. I own the bracelet model, and the quality is on par with watches costing 10-15 times more. Not quite sure how Bulova does it. After having this Bulova Moon Watch for a year, buying a Speedmaster Professional is no longer on my radar.