Reissue of the Bulova Moon Pilot Chronograph worn by David Scott during Apollo 15, it is a watch that does not leave you indifferent as much by its history as its atypical design. The watch is well finished for the price and its high-performance and precise Quartz is very pleasant to use. I am a fan of space conquest and this model is a good alternative to the speedmaster or a springboard while waiting to have the means to have the "real Moonwatch". Its imposing diameter can however be a hindrance because it will not be suitable for all wrists.

I present to you my Bulova lunar pilot reference 96a299 purchased in January 2025. This is the version I was waiting for, the one that is probably the closest to the original worn in 1971 by NASA astronaut Dave Scott who commanded the Apollo 15 mission, the fourth landing mission on the Moon. At the beginning of the trip, he wore the Omega Speedmaster on his wrist. But Scott, along with other astronauts, had received a prototype chronograph from Bulova to test (reference 88510/01), which he had chosen to wear as a reserve. Indeed, after two laps on the lunar surface, he noticed that the glass of the Speedmaster had come loose. For his third EVA outing, Scott put the Bulova on his wrist. When I opened the box I said Wow, the dial of this Bulova lunar pilot is simply magnificent, there is a really impressive depth, the design of the case but especially the originality of the wing-shaped push buttons gives it a really atypical and retro 60s look. I come back of course to the dial which is for me the most beautiful success of this watch which of course recalls the Omega moonwatch. The thick glass which protects the integrated tachymeter bezel then the 3 different levels allow it to have a very beautiful relief. For the rest the visibility is excellent, indexes and hands are very effective and finally the watch is ultra precise thanks to the movement equipped with a 3-pin quartz crystal with a frequency of 262 kHz, 8 times higher than that of standard quartz, allowing precision and a loss of a few seconds per year. I would have preferred that Bulova keep the satin finish of the case of the original version and of course a mechanical movement rather than quartz which would be more faithful and even more legitimate, certainly the price would not be the same but we would still be far from the prices of the speedmaster. This can be a very good alternative to the Omega, but even more compared to a moonSwatch that I owned and quickly resold because their quality-price ratio is really not good. Last little remark, I have a small wrist but frankly the 43.5 it goes on the other hand the metal bracelet is a little too long even by putting it on the shortest too bad 😉 See you soon!

Omega's legendary moonwatch is not the only one to have gone to the moon. It will undoubtedly remain the first but as few know, another watch has also been on the moon. Indeed it was on August 2, 1971, Commander David Scott was the 7th man to walk on the moon during the Apollo 15 mission. On his wrist, unlike all the other astronauts who took on this role, he wore a Bulova Moon Pilot Chronograph. The one in my possession is obviously a modern reproduction, which can be easily found at a very affordable price unlike its big sister at Omega. It is rather large, we are more on a 43/44 I would say. It is equipped with a nylon strap which I find does not necessarily highlight it and which makes it a little chip. Otherwise the watch itself is of very good quality. It is part of my collection dedicated to space history and watchmaking.

The Bulova Lunar Pilot is a historic watch, worn by astronaut David Scott during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. After a problem with his Omega watch, Scott used a Bulova Chronograph, making it the only American watch to be used on the Moon. In 2015, the watch sold at auction for $1.625 million. In 2016, Bulova reissued this model as the Lunar Pilot, combining vintage design with modern technology, symbolizing space exploration and innovation.

The watch that also went to the moon 😉 the last watch I bought and honestly zero regrets !!! I was afraid because of its size of 45mm, I who am used to wearing much more contained watches, but its fairly small horns make it sit perfectly on my wrist, its high-performance Quartz caliber of + or - 10 seconds per year is absolutely incredible as is the history of this watch with its lunar anecdote 😉 a big resemblance to the Omega moon watch but which keeps its own identity with its very original pushers and its sapphire crystal which protrudes from the box. If you want a moonwatch with a very cool and accessible story, don't hesitate, it's the perfect watch 👍

"But yes, I tell you, I know what I'm talking about, go ask him, it's a MoonSwatch, 1000%, you can trust me, have you seen what I have here?" This happy owner of Daniel Wellington is convinced that I'm wearing a Speedmaster in BioCeramic, it's June April 2022 and the MoonSwatch Hype has never been so high. However, I am wearing a watch whose brand is unknown to this expert, Bulova. Two years after the first man on the moon, two new astronauts will return there, during the decisive Apollo 15 mission, on August 2, 1971. This is the first mission carried out with the lunar rover, which allowed the crew to travel nearly 30 km during 3 spacewalks. The Bulova chronograph was then a backup watch, in case there was a problem with the Speedmaster. And it was David Scott, after realizing that the glass of his Omega had disappeared, who would wear it. The Bulova Moon Watch was then used as a real time control instrument, avoiding any lack of oxygen, water and battery. It also helped preserve the onboard timers during entry into the Earth's atmosphere: a real space chronograph! This Lunar Pilot has a quartz movement developed by Bulova, the caliber 8136. As you might expect, the chronograph used in 1971 was mechanical - and let's not lie to ourselves, it would be really nice to have such a piece with an automatic movement. However, it is a high-performance quartz displaying a running frequency of 262 kHz, also mentioned in the counter at 6 o'clock. Thanks to this high frequency, the fluidity of the seconds will hypnotize you. It also provides an incredible tolerance of about 10 seconds... per year! So I see you coming. If the new pieces released in 2023 in 43mm are too big, what are we going to do with a 45mm? I think I've reached the maximum size my wrist can wear there, but its presence is incredible. Perfectly readable, it's always a pleasure to wear a watch that has also been to the Moon, for less than $400. So yes, it is in the shadow of the Speed, considered an alternative......... to the MoonSwatch. So, don't hesitate, come, join the dark side of the Force.

Hello, it took me a while to decide to take the plunge...telling myself that it was better to wait for a speed to acquire a moonwatch....What a mistake ;) this watch is great to wear even in 45mm! what I prefer is its super readable dial and with an incredible level of finish for its price. I have quite a few watches and much more expensive ones and I love this watch which gives me a lot of pleasure and that's what counts...I even hesitate to take the gold version