Every watch enthusiast knows the story of the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch.
In 1965, the chronograph beat out contenders from Rolex, Longines and Hamilton to become the only watch to pass NASA’s battery of tests and become qualified for space flight. Four years later, Omega made history as the first watch worn on the moon when Buzz Aldrin stepped on the lunar surface with a Speedy strapped to his wrist during the Apollo 11 mission.
This backstory, along with the watch’s versatile and agreeable good looks, has made the Speedy a must-have piece for countless collectors. Practically every watch collector wants a Speedmaster, but not everyone can get one. Why? Because the Speedy is expensive, and is getting more so all the time. The current Omega Moonwatch starts at a pricey $7,400 for the most basic version.
But there is another option for collectors on a budget. Bulova has its own moonwatch, the Lunar Pilot, and it has quite the backstory of its own. It’s based on a Bulova prototype that accompanied astronaut Dave Scott on the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, and he actually wore it on the lunar surface after the crystal popped off his NASA-issued Omega. As a result, the Bulova is the only privately owned watch confirmed to have been worn on the moon.
In 2016, Bulova created a modern-day version of the watch called the Lunar Pilot, which was made available to the public for the first time. Featuring similar looks to the Speedy (if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it), a 45mm case in stainless steel and a proprietary high-precision quartz movement featuring a smooth chronograph sweep and accuracy within 10 seconds per year, the watch represents a ton of value at its sub-$1,000 price point.
And right now, the Lunar Pilot is offering even more value than usual, as Amazon has three special-edition versions of the watch currently on sale for Black Friday. Savings range from 10 to 44 percent off Amazon’s usual prices, which already came in well below Bulova’s SRPs, making these deals too good to pass up.
