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.
I've always been a big fan of vintage Bulovas. To see them recreate some of their historic pieces is nothing short of fantastic. The build quality of the watch is great as is the finishing. While the movement is not technically accurate to the original, the choice of using their 262 high frequency movement is a respectable one that gives the watch great reliability as well as prominence in the market.
