Bulova's Sleeper-Hit Moon Watch Is Marked Down for Prime Day
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For many watch enthusiasts, there is only one moon watch: The Omega Speedmaster. But that's not the whole story. Though Omega was indeed tapped to produce the government-issued watches famously worn by the intrepid souls hurtling out into the void of space, there was another watch that went on a lunar expedition. It was made by Bulova, and worn by astronaut Dave Scott on the surface of the moon during the Apollo 15 mission.
As the story goes, Scott's Omega was damaged, forcing him to switch over to his backup, which was given to him by Bulova in the late '60s or early '70s. He wore that Bulova chronograph to walk on the moon, and as the first person to operate a lunar rover. Flash forward 34 years, and Scott decided to auction off the watch, fetching a whopping $1.6 million for it in 2015. Bulova's production model—not a direct recreation but a new design heavily inspired by Scott's moon watch—released in 2016.
If provenance isn't your thing (though, considering the story behind this particular watch, I have trouble believing you aren't at least a little into it), there's also the look of Bulova's Lunar Pilot Chronograph to recommend it. The all-black dial with the hyper-legible white markings is a true classic of understated chrono design (and, yes, remarkably similar to the look of the Speedmaster). And though the 45mm size sounds daunting, the stubby lugs and the overall balance of the case and strap mean that it wears like a significantly smaller watch. Oh, and don't forget about the functionality: Bulova's high performance quartz technology is orders of magnitude more accurate than standard quartz movements, which are themselves already far more accurate than mechanical ones. Traditionalists may balk, but if you're looking for something that'll tell you the right time now and in a year, this is it.
Also, and this is crucial, the Lunar Pilot is priced very nicely, especially compared to its Swiss-made counterparts. The suggested retail price of $675 is often undercut on spots like Amazon, but right now it's more enticing than ever. For Prime Day—and for a limited time only—you can score one for yourself for a mere $375.11. Like the backstory behind this impressive timepiece, that's something you just can't ignore.
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