When people talk about the pioneering men and women who boldly went into space, a watch brand that comes to mind is OMEGA. The Swiss group continues to be the official partner of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) up until now. However, Bulova made a name for itself with the Lunar Pilot due to an unexpected turn of events.
According to reports, Dave Scott’s OMEGA Speedmaster conked out during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. Hence the seventh man to walk on the moon swapped it out for his personal Bulova Chronograph model 88510/01. It may have been an unauthorized accessory, but there were no alternative options at the time. Hence, the rest was history.
Bulova is paying tribute to the iconic silhouette with two Lunar Pilot variants. These are slightly smaller than the Special Edition Lunar Pilot Chronograph Watch under its Archive Series in titanium and gold-tone stainless steel, which is at 45 mm. These two, on the other hand, sport stainless steel cases that measure 43.5 mm x 13.5 mm.
Take your pick from the classic black or the other with its panda dial in cream and navy. Framed by tachymeter bezels, we can see the three snailed sub-dials positioned at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock. What seems like crown guards are actually pushers and are more noticeable on the blue version of the Lunar Pilot.
The chronograph functions run on Bulova’s NP20 High Performance Quartz movement. Personally, most of us would go for the black, but the cream/navy also has its share of fans here. The Lunar Pilot ships with a stainless steel bracelet and a leather NATO strap. At $895, it’s a classy timekeeping instrument with a fascinating origin story.
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Images courtesy of Bulova
