Thoughts on Bulova Moonwatch?

micks_address

Hi folks,
Thinking if buying a second and Bulova 2015 strap version moonwatch. The watch itself had an interesting story:

https://wornandwound.com/review/moon-watch-bulova-lunar-pilot-chronograph-review/

Also it's as about as close as I'll get to a speed master looking watching for a couple if years..anyone have one and have thoughts on them?



Thanks,
Mick

Mandzhalas

micks_address wrote: »

Hi folks,
Thinking if buying a second and Bulova 2015 strap version moonwatch. The watch itself had an interesting story:

https://wornandwound.com/review/moon-watch-bulova-lunar-pilot-chronograph-review/

Also it's as about as close as I'll get to a speed master looking watching for a couple if years..anyone have one and have thoughts on them?



Thanks,
Mick

I was considering one myself, but its bloody massive

Wibbs

It's an interesting backstory indeed Mick A. Bulova got very irritated that Omega got the nod for the "space watch". Their Accutrons had already made significant inroads in space flight, being used as clocks on early satellites and onboard the various NASA manned missions, including the Apollo command and descent modules. And they used this extensively in their advertising at the time. They had also been the choice of test pilots on the rocket powered X missions, like the X 15. Well, being electric they were the future and more accurate than mechanical watches. So they pulled out all the political stops to lobby the US government to use one of their watches.

Unfortunately they didn't have a chronograph in their lineup, which put the kibosh on that. So they went to Universal Geneve who they had bought out/into in the 1960's and grabbed one of their prototype chronos(one other showed up in some fancy auction in the early nineties and sold for a couple of grand. That guy made a helluva investment).

Now the US government had a rule around "Buy American", the rule that Bulova had tried to use as leverage, and that stated at least half of anything with that label was made in the US. Omega got around that by getting cases and such made in the States and then sending it back to Switzerland to be assembled and covering the 50% rule in theory if not in spirit. Bulova didn't bother and just stuck a Bulova sticker on the internal Universal Geneve prototype and gave it and a stopwatch to astronaut Dave Scott to bring with him to the moon on Apollo 15.

After one EVA moonwalk, his Omega Speedy lost its crystal so he strapped on the Bulova in its place and out he went onto the moon. When I first heard of this TBH I thought "eh yeah, I believe you, thousands wouldn't", but it wasn't the only time an Omega had pooed itself on an EVA and Scott comes across as a straight shooting kinda guy. He got embroiled in a minor scandal when him and his crew carried stamps to the moon for a dealer and hadn't logged it, but that turned out to be an error somewhere and he and the crew returned any money they got for it. And those guys were government employees who didn't get nearly so well paid as we might imagine today. And he never mentioned the watch after they came back, nor seemed to have any contact with Bulova either.

The watch survived his EVA in fine form anyway and he brought it home and stuck it in a safe for 30 odd years. Sold it a few years ago for nearly two million quid IIRC. Then Bulova jumped on the publicity and brought out the reissue. I seem to recall Dave Scott subsequently sued them? For using his name without his permission or something?

But yeah one helluva backstory. A reissue of a Bulova that was really a rebadged Universal Geneve pretending to be American, carried to the moon off the books and swapped out for an Omega and then stuck in a safe(with added moon dust and original strap) for decades.

micks_address

Wibbs wrote: »

It's an interesting backstory indeed Mick A. Bulova got very irritated that Omega got the nod for the "space watch". Their Accutrons had already made significant inroads in space flight, being used as clocks on early satellites and onboard the various NASA manned missions, including the Apollo command and descent modules. And they used this extensively in their advertising at the time. They had also been the choice of test pilots on the rocket powered X missions, like the X 15. Well, being electric they were the future and more accurate than mechanical watches. So they pulled out all the political stops to lobby the US government to use one of their watches.

Unfortunately they didn't have a chronograph in their lineup, which put the kibosh on that. So they went to Universal Geneve who they had bought out/into in the 1960's and grabbed one of their prototype chronos(one other showed up in some fancy auction in the early nineties and sold for a couple of grand. That guy made a helluva investment).

Now the US government had a rule around "Buy American", the rule that Bulova had tried to use as leverage, and that stated at least half of anything with that label was made in the US. Omega got around that by getting cases and such made in the States and then sending it back to Switzerland to be assembled and covering the 50% rule in theory if not in spirit. Bulova didn't bother and just stuck a Bulova sticker on the internal Universal Geneve prototype and gave it and a stopwatch to astronaut Dave Scott to bring with him to the moon on Apollo 15.

After one EVA moonwalk, his Omega Speedy lost its crystal so he strapped on the Bulova in its place and out he went onto the moon. When I first heard of this TBH I thought "eh yeah, I believe you, thousands wouldn't", but it wasn't the only time an Omega had pooed itself on an EVA and Scott comes across as a straight shooting kinda guy. He got embroiled in a minor scandal when him and his crew carried stamps to the moon for a dealer and hadn't logged it, but that turned out to be an error somewhere and he and the crew returned any money they got for it. And those guys were government employees who didn't get nearly so well paid as we might imagine today. And he never mentioned the watch after they came back, nor seemed to have any contact with Bulova either.

The watch survived his EVA in fine form anyway and he brought it home and stuck it in a safe for 30 odd years. Sold it a few years ago for nearly two million quid IIRC. Then Bulova jumped on the publicity and brought out the reissue. I seem to recall Dave Scott subsequently sued them? For using his name without his permission or something?

But yeah one helluva backstory. A reissue of a Bulova that was really a rebadged Universal Geneve pretending to be American, carried to the moon off the books and swapped out for an Omega and then stuck in a safe(with added moon dust and original strap) for decades.

I've read how some people say Bulova just copied Omega but apparently they were following the brief NASA gave to them.. I'm curious about the high frequency movement as apparently it sweeps like an automatic

Wibbs

It's actually a more practical "moonwatch" too, the pushers being way easier to use in a pressure suit. The moon watch itself was pretty much useless on EVA's anyway. Too small and too hard to operate should they need to. Indeed about the biggest reason NASA left the choice of wristwatch out of their plans until the last minute(and even the it was hardly a priority) was that the astronauts were surrounded with time, onboard and from ground control. It did prove useful on Apollo 13 for timing a burn, but any stopwatch would have worked, but it was a handy backup should internal timers go screwy. IIRC Neil Armstrong left his Omega in the lunar lander because a clock had crapped out. Ironically almost certainly a Bulova Accutron. So Buzz Aldrin's was the only Omega worn outside on the first mission to land.

Wibbs

micks_address wrote: »

I've read how some people say Bulova just copied Omega but apparently they were following the brief NASA gave to them.. I'm curious about the high frequency movement as apparently not sweeps like an automatic

From what I recall M, NASA's brief was pretty simple and vague enough. You get the distinct impression their heart wasn't really in it to the degree it's stated since. Basically a Chronograph wristwatch that will keep an acceptable rate under various conditions it might face in space. "American made" being another criteria, or at least 50% American made. They only tested a tiny handful of watches too, out of the many many models they could have tested. It was more of a spare time side project than anything. They had much bigger fish to fry overall.

A more practical and useful "Moonwatch" if they had designed it from the ground up would more likely resemble a 1930's bomb aimers watch.



Basically a big feck off stopwatch mounted on the wrist with a dirty great button to start, stop and reset it with pressurised gloves in a vacuum. Normal hours and minutes? If there's no emergency you already know Earth time, if there's an emergency you don't care about Earth time. You just need to time short events if required.

2shea

I think it's a nicer watch then the Speedy. Only problem is it's too big!

micks_address

2shea wrote: »

I think it's a nicer watch then the Speedy. Only problem is it's too big!

yeah ive seen a few pictures on 6. inch wrists and it does look big, i have 7.5 inche wrist so it might work.. im tempted to pick up secondhand and see how i go

I like the Bulova Lunar, have come close to pulling the trigger on the steel band one a few times. I posted a deal when they were around e300 a few months ago.

I wouldn't be mad about the raised crystal.

micks_address

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I like the Bulova Lunar, have come close to pulling the trigger on the steel band one a few times. I posted a deal when they were around e300 a few months ago.

I wouldn't be mad about the raised crystal.

Yeah I wonder about the raised crystal. I've also read that the bracelet version and strap versions are different. That if you buy the bracelet version it's hard to fit straps to it unless they are really thin, and the official bracelet won't fit the strap version.. something to do with the pin placement..seems mad they would have made two versions

micks_address

micks_address wrote: »

if you buy the bracelet version it's hard to fit straps to it unless they are really thin, and the official bracelet won't fit the strap version.. something to do with the pin placement..seems mad they would have made two versions

Yep, that is true by all accounts. Seems odd but I assume they have their reasons.

With the raised crystal it seems like it's just begging to have a big chunk chipped off. I'm picturing whacking it side-on off a doorknob or something... which is something I confess I do the odd time

Just a bit too proud for my liking. I would still buy the watch though.

Lorddrakul

I've looked at these several times, as alas, a Speedy is way out of my watch buying budget.

I like the heritage, and I like the style, but I can confirm the bracelet lug holes are different to the strap version, which makes no sense.

A mate was looking for recommendations last Christmas and I directed him to the Amazon deal and he had his delivered for just €300! I was sorry I didn't avail of the same deal.

The black PVD version is also nice, though I prefer the date window inclusion.

I like a bigger watch and the size seems OK for my just about 7" wrist.

It is tough to get them here and any retailer I've seen with one, no matter what the version seems to be looking for €500+ for them, which is crazy. The online deals seem to be the way to go and an eye on Amazon turns up deals every now and then. They don't seem to come up second hand that often, and tend to have strong prices when they do.

I think I'll definitely get one at some point.

Birneybau

Have one myself and a Speedy Pro. Switch them around. Incredibly accurate watch.

TBH, I'm a lot less precious with the Bulova :pac:

I actually grabbed my Bulova when someone on the bargain watch thread said H Samuel on Grafton Street were selling everything half-price and I basically booted it up from my office and got the last one. €375 iirc. Still selling them at full whack.

2shea

micks_address wrote: »

yeah ive seen a few pictures on 6. inch wrists and it does look big, i have 7.5 inche wrist so it might work.. im tempted to pick up secondhand and see how i go

I'd imagine on a 7.5 inch wrist it would wear ok.

Thirdfox

Might be interesting to some - it's why Omega had to change the text on the back of its Speedies from "First and only watch worn on the moon" to "First watch worn on the moon" (I'm a speedie owner myself but I did get a Bulova moonwatch commemorative edition for 250 euro when H. Samuel on Grafton street closed down).

My Bulova has since been gifted to my sister's godfather - the commander of a Chinese rocket launch centre in China so there's a little bit of space nostalgia for everyone involved

micks_address

New di-modell Rallye strap

Deep Thought

Thirdfox wrote: »

My Bulova has since been gifted to my sister's godfather - the commander of a Chinese rocket launch centre in China so there's a little bit of space nostalgia for everyone involved

Really...thats amazing

micks_address

Still think the watch wears big

2shea

micks_address wrote: »

Still think the watch wears big

Sorry nicer then a speedy speedy still fantastic especially the manually wind. As I said before I'd look at the manual wind movement all day it's a piece of art

micks_address

OmegaGene wrote: »

Looks a bit tight on your wrist
The watch wears big because of the style of the lugs I think blending into the case

Yeah I could loosen strap a bit usually takes a while for them to break in. Have to say much happier with the strap.. what a difference they can make to a watch

2shea

micks_address wrote: »

Yeah I could loosen strap a bit usually takes a while for them to break in. Have to say much happier with the strap.. what a difference they can make to a watch

Putting a silicone strap on my Seiko Sumo and Samurai have changed them totally for me. Making them much more wearable watches (lighter and more comfortable) also I think a diver always looks better on a rubber strap.

2shea

micks_address wrote: »

Still think the watch wears big

It does wear big as it's a big watch, but you can pull it off. Looks good on you. I'd imagine even better in real life as wrist shots always make the watch look bigger then it is on the wrist for some reason.