Bulova Lunar Pilot - Time to Buy the Original Version?
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 10 сен 2024
- The Bulova Lunar Pilot, model number 96B258, is being replaced by a newer version. Is now the time to buy the original? This video looks at the pros and cons of this moon watch and its appeal.
This watch can be found on my JomaShop/EricsEverydayWatches Top 15 Watches landing page. This is an affiliate link. If you use it you will not be charged anything extra. But I will get a small percentage of the sale.
www.jdoqocy.com...
the lunar pilot is the epitome of watch. legibility, accuracy, style and presence. Bulova have a far more relevant and important story in space and flight than the other moon watch does.
I own both a speedmaster professional "2020 Tokyo olympic" and a lunar pilot 43mm the smaller more correct one . the lunar pilot is an incredible watch and I prefer the larger size , but it was not a Bulova that designed the watch nor was it a Bulova that was taken to the moon , it was a universal Geneve with the Bulova logo on it which is why Bulova lost the contract, seems a certain 4 star general was trying to pull the wool over the governments eyes and trying to get an edge in for the company he was president of. and to say it was in anyway more accurate than the omega is silly, of course this quartz version is, in fact this new quartz version is much more accurate than the original Bulova "universal Geneva" lol .....its a quartz my grandaughters dora the explorer watch is more accurate .l the current speedmaster professional is 10 times the watch the lunar pilot is, as much as I love the design , its still just a miyota movement vs a Swiss made mechanical ...
I really enjoy mine and will never sell it. It's the most accurate and legible chronograph I own. One more downside is weak lume, but then again, it's not a dive watch.
Hi Jim. Thanks for watching. I agree the lume is not the greatest, but it’s enough to be usable. Enjoy your watch 👍
I had to get the new Silver and Blue version last month. Just today, decided to order the meteorite version. I absolutely love these moon watches!
14:49 Thank you, very well done. A beautiful watch. I owned an Omega Speedmaster and sold it, hated the manual winding and the accuracy was nothing to get excited about. It did have a 12 hour register which was nice, but otherwise a very over rated and over priced mechanical that would cost a small fortune to have serviced. Just bought a Bulova Lunar pilot - very happy and guilt free.
I’ve had mine a good few years now, it really is terrific value for money. Accuracy is exceptional, finish is very good and the design is top notch with the variety of depths on the dial adding interest. My only criticisms are the underwhelming lume, the lack of any AR coating on the crystal which detracts from the wonderful dial sometimes, and the brushed finish on the bracelet which would look so much better if it were bead blasted. Those minor gripes aside, if you think it would fit your wrist you won’t regret buying one. It’s a very respectable watch indeed.
I totally agree. The good thing is that I have it already. It’s so goddamn big but also very beautiful. The movement is outstanding. Minus 5 seconds per year with my watch. I almost never wear it but I love it! A watch for enthusiasts. 🎉🍾🍰🕐🍰☕️🍸🍸
Oh, how I love this watch!
I have a thin, 6.5’ wrist and I don’t think I could pull it off.
But, boy, is it beautiful!
And so accurate.
And the story behind it makes it even more desirable.
I guess I’ll just stick to watching it in the jewelry store window.
A beautiful review, as usual.
Grazie!
Hey LIS. I agree,I think this watch is beautiful. But it doesn’t fit everyone. Too bad the new version is only a couple of millimeters smaller. Thanks again for watching. I have a video coming out next Monday where myself and 9 other reviewers compete to find the best watch under $120. I think you may enjoy that video.
@@EricsEverydayWatches looking forward to it!
In the meantime I have my eyes on a citizen gmt eco drive on the Italian equivalent of Craig’s list.
It’s as new, not a scratch.
42 mils , 48.5 lug to lug, full stainless steel case and bracelet; and a quality milled stainless steel clasp. Ever heard about it?
@@lislearnitalianwithsongs sounds like good specs. Do you normally wear a 42mm watch? I have a 7inch wrist and generally go for 40-42mm. What’s the model number? Love the fact it a GMT.
@@EricsEverydayWatches I used to wear smaller watches up until a few months back, when I bought a Casio Marlin, with the Marlin, just for collecting purposes.
I tried it on, and Albeit being big, it did fit.
Then I got a citizen CA0797 As a present, and I thought about changing it, but I didn’t want to hurt the feelings of the person who had given it to me.
Yet, even that watch , despite being a 43 mil, fits somehow on my thin wrist.
Maybe I have a thin but Flat wrist…
The gmt eco drive promaster is the bj-7100-82e
@@lislearnitalianwithsongs I haven’t seen that GMT in person but it looks like a nice watch online. I typically don’t go for the big stainless steel bezel, but that’s just a personal choice. I am sure you will enjoy it if you get it.
Nice review. I’ve the dateless black coated version and it wears visually slimmer on my 7.5” wrist. I think the case being black helps reduce its visual bulk.
Hello Kevin. I never thought of that but it makes sense. Thanks for watching my video.
Have owned and worn the Lunar Pilot SE on the provided leather strap for about a year.
It's the watch i use to set my automatic and manual watches.
Boy howdy the action on that watch is just as smooth as Canadian whiskey❤️👍
Now I feel like I need to try some Canadian whiskey 😁😁
Eric this is my grail watch too. I got mine a couple of years ago and absolutely love it.
Great macro shots, very well done. Love the lunar surface photos behind the watch, too. Excellent review.
Thanks Philip. I really appreciate you saying that. 😁
I recently traded my original Bulova Lunar Pilot for a blue/white 43mm version, love both.
Can’t go wrong with the lunar Pilot. 👍👍
Great vid…you had me laughing at times. Great point about this watch being affordable by the every day man. Looking foreword to getting a copy of this watch soon…
I love the Bulova Lunar Pilot! I own the 96B258 (stainless steel bracelet), 96B251 (strap and nato) and 98K112 (Snoopy)
Wow. I haven’t met anyone who has all three of those. That snoopy version looks great. Do you notice the size difference?
It’s a kick ass watch for sure, even if it didn’t have the cool history. Good video!
Hey Ned. I couldn’t agree more. 😁 thanks for watching.
Fantastic filming Eric, captured the beauty of this watch.
Thanks Troy. I put off reviewing this watch for a long time because I wanted to make sure to do it justice.
Great video. I have an 8 inch wrist and the Lunar Pilot looks great. It’s my go to travel watch and I really enjoy wearing it.
Hello Alex. Thanks for watching and subscribing. I appreciate it. Enjoy your watch. 👍👍
It’s a fantastic watch. I had my no date version bead blasted to more accurately resemble the original. Winning! 7.25 inch wrist
Wow, I bet that looks great. That would really complete the look. 👍👍
What does that cost? That’s pretty cool
Not really sure why people complain about the case and bracelet not matching. We celebrate a mix of brushed and polished all the time, and to me this is a tool watch version of that. It just adds visual flare without adding a dressy look, and reflections. I think we should embrace the mix.
That’s a fresh take on it. Love that approach. 👍
@@EricsEverydayWatches shall we call it “tactical two-tone?” LOL
@@visiblemode tactical Two tone, it is. 👍👍
That video was put together very well. Thanks for that. A great presentation, and I have seen a lot done for this watch. I have this version but with the non-metalic straps. Love the history behind it, the look of it and I love the accuracy of the watch too. Thanks again for the video.
Thank you for the kind words skycrafts5140. That really means a lot. I appreciate it. 👍
Thanks for this helpful review! Kind regards from Germany, Frank
Thanks for watching Frank. I appreciate it. 👍
I have mine on a StrapsCo distressed leather strap and it’s very comfortable and visually impressive.
If you have a 7 inch or bigger wrist, get it.
It’s my understanding that the NATO strap version has different spacing for the spring bar holes. Because of the different spacing the original equipment Bulova steel bracelet will not fit the NATO strap watch.
Hi David. I bet it looks great on a leather strap. Great idea. 👍👍
Can you tell us which strap exactly ?
Ps your photography is absolutely amazing!
Epic watch 😊
That’s for sure 👍
Love this watch! My everyday goto watch!
It’s still one of my favorites. All around a great watch.
Digging that Johnny Cash brother👍❤️👍
Good review, and I think you are right, I have seen better deals on this since the new version came out.
Hello D Underhay. Thanks for watching. I’ve already seen at least one person selling their version one to buy version two. I expect their will be more deals to be had.
This watch is a bargain. Firstly the 60 minutes seconds counter hacks which is crucial when it comes to chronographs. For me it's a deal breaker. Secondly, it is probably the most accurate quartz movement ever made, and you get it for less than 600 bucks. That's is a steal. That said, for VFR pilots with a minimal instrument panel, the Seiko chronograph with the 7-T-92 movement, although less accurate-- but accurate enough, is more suitable as it makes the use of the chronograph more convenient. It has a 12 hours totalizer with the an outer dial of 60 and an inner dial of 12 hours just like in the old German Luftwaffe Flieger watches. All that the pilot needs to do is push the B pusher to record the ATA and then push the B button again until reaching the next checkpoint, and so on for the entire duration of the flight. The watch catches up with the time. it works like a flyback. Although it is true that the time that it takes to fly a distance between checkpoints doesn't normally exceeds 60 minutes when executing a VFR flight plan. A Seiko chronograph with 10 BAR water resistance should cost around 150 bucks. There is no excuse as to why a quartz chronograph 's minutes counter is limited to only 60 minutes.
I have the black coated version on a nato leather strap looks 👌 I called it my grail watch too
That’s great!! I love to hear this is someone else’s grail watch too 👍👍👍
Hi Eric good review sure no doubts about this lunar pilot it's a steal at this price I'm going for the new 43mm seize the actual seize that col Dave Scott wore on his wrist. not sure if you are aware Bulova have done a snoopy style it looks absolutely stunning like to see you do a review on it some time all the best from the UK.
Hello nigelbowler1601. No, I didn’t know there was a snoopy version. Thanks for letting me know. I’m definitely keep an eye out for it. Sounds fun. 👍👍
You make a really good video here brother I like all the moon stuff you have there pictures and all looks really cool and that bracelet is superb❤️👍
I love the bead blasted case which is how the actual space watch was. But this variant has the new font type Bulova logo and a date. Those two differences are just too apart from the original for me.
I get that. If you want something that’s closest to the original as possible you won’t be a fan of the added date window. Personally I like having the date but I do wish they would have used the original logo.
@@EricsEverydayWatches I ended up getting the non-date variant which has the original logo, but it has the polished case. I plan on getting the beadblasted one and switching the cases. I wish they would just make a model that is true to the original.
@@ricardodiaz6187 I wish they would do a bead blasted bracelet to match. I have no idea why they never did. Seems like an obvious thing people would want.
I will take the Bulova and its ultra precise movement any day over the Omega Professional and put eight thousand plus in the bank.
Facts
Omega I suppose is probably pretty nice I’ll never know I can’t afford to buy one and I certainly couldn’t afford to service one if I did buy one just to have it cleaned and tuned and lubed would cost at least $1000 like a Rolex or something along those lines probably,,,,swatch made the knock off the swatch moon watch and that seem like a pretty fun idea at first but it almost kind of seems like swatch is in cahoots with jewelry shops/buyers /scalpers. I’ve talked to swatch about this and they really don’t care and they promised to sell them online and now they won’t???maybe they’ll get cheaper later on down the road but right now the cheapest you could get one is probably $450 and that would be for a used one on eBay I’ve seen them go higher than that brand new. I think swatch really let us down there. I think I’ll be very happy with my lunar pilot and Citizen/Bulova didn’t price gouge or cheat anyone to bring these watches to market they look high-quality and very substantial and very affordable👍
Id rather have this than the moonswatch plastic fake omega
Subscribed. Great review!
Thank you speedmaster67. I appreciate that.
unlike Omega this watch is not made by a cheap watch company.
I'm looking to buy this watch, love the history behind it. To be honest i like the polished version a lil better. ( No date version ) i was looking to get this but it seems it's a limited adition so i was wondering of anybody knows if they going to restock it since i'm not sure it really is a limited edition or should i just get the date version ? The only reason i like the polished version a lil more is because it looks a lil nicer to me.
Hi Lorenzo. Thanks for watching. I get that. The polished version is more uniform in its look. I’m not sure which country you are in but I’m the US, Macys had it for $421 (www.macys.com/shop/product/bulova-mens-chronograph-lunar-pilot-archive-series-black-polyester-strap-watch-45mm?gbraid=0AAAAAD-Tw4IA34XwyreZCxdKnNONUmxZc&ID=8023702&pla_country=US&CAGPSPN=pla&trackingid=469x1054048205&m_sc=sem&m_sb=Google&m_tp=PLA&m_ac=Google_Watches_PLA&m_ag=Bulova&m_cn=GS_PLA_Watches&m_pi=go_cmp-17329594511_adg-137434895896_ad-599801049346_pla-1660845430271_dev-m_ext-_prd-42429566682USA&gbraid=0AAAAAD-Tw4IA34XwyreZCxdKnNONUmxZc&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2v-gBhC1ARIsAOQdKY1pb11ipmW4p6wgvUJWm9HKu7_PX3ajVgPJ3Pt4BqOjTkM9W7pJOVwaAi8JEALw_wcB) and Amazon currently lists that 96A225 model for $440 ( but it’s sold by a 3rd party). Hope that helps.
@@EricsEverydayWatches thank you for the reply ! I'm from Belgium. I'll check it out. In the meanwhile i bought a Tag Heuer formula 1 today so i need to wait a lil. Maybe by that time i can get it here in Belgium. Thanks !!
Did you actually slander David Scott by saying he took a bribe to wear a certain watch?
Hi there, I just bought the leather strap version and I'm a bit worried it will be too large for me. I've got 6.5/6.75 inches wrists and I feel like it is too big. I'm only 15 so I still have a bit of time for my wrists to develop but It is seeming fairly large whilst using a measuring tape. Do you think it would look a bit odd if it came off the sides of my wrist a bit?
Hello weasley2998. There are no absolute rules. The only thing that really matters is you like it yourself. There are a lot of people who wear watches that are really large on them. It’s personal preference. If you love it, that’s the only thing that matters.
It is such a classic watch and one that I love. But like many. It’s too big for me.
I'm fortunate I have an 8 inch wrist
Fortunate, indeed. 👍
It’s an awkward shape and size. Bought one tried it sent it back. Should be 40 mm
Hello RondelayAOK. It’s actually slightly larger than the original watch worn on the moon. It’s a shame they didn’t make it around 42mm. It would have appealed to a lot more people. Thanks for watching.
Cringe 😂