98a285 archive series lunar pilot lr

Bulova sends 1971 Moon Rover timepiece for a second spin

Among the most celebrated of the watchmaker’s space missions came on August 2, 1971, when Apollo 15’s mission commander David Scott, the seventh man to walk on the moon and the first to drive the Lunar Rover, made lunar history while wearing his personally gifted Bulova chronograph.

Bulova has a rich and storied history with NASA as part of 46 space missions and a critical asset to the US space program from the 1950s to the 1970s.

Among the most celebrated of the watchmaker’s space missions came on August 2, 1971, when Apollo 15’s mission commander David Scott, the seventh man to walk on the moon and the first to drive the Lunar Rover, made lunar history while wearing his personally gifted Bulova chronograph.

This month the brand is celebrating 50 years since that mission with the creation of a 50th Anniversary Lunar Pilot Limited Edition timepiece.

Bulova’s contribution to the Space Race began much earlier than 1971.

The American company was first contacted by NASA in the 1950s because of its proven expertise in engineering and timekeeping and worked on missions for the next three decades.

Over the years, NASA utilized Bulova’s innovative Accutron tuning fork movement, allowing for watches, instrumental panel clocks and timekeeping mechanisms.

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Commander David Scott drives the Lunar Rover.

Crafted specifically for astronomical conditions — allowing it to perform flawlessly under extreme pressures, changing atmospheric conditions, fluctuating temperatures and gravitational shifts — the Lunar Pilot watch was used in space to track time so that no one ran out of oxygen, water or battery power in the portable life-support-system backpack.

It was also used to back up the on-board timers for the critical reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Bulova 50th Anniversary Lunar Pilot Limited Edition

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Bulova’s 50th Anniversary Lunar Pilot Limited Edition watch is a modern replica of the original timepiece that was worn on the moon by Commander Scott, updated with a special 45mm titanium grade-5 case and gold-tone accents and pushers.

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It uses a proprietary and highly accurate quartz movement operating at a frequency of 262 kHz.

It uses the original Bulova logo and dial layout with blue sapphire crystal with AR coating and comes on a supple grey leather NATO strap.

98a285 case back

The watch is 50m water resistant with a screw down case back featuring a lunar relief design with an individual limited edition number from zero to 5,000.

It is sold in special packaging with storybook and commemorative NASA coin for £795.

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