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Bulova Archive Series 96B251 Lunar Pilot Watch And Nato Strap - Special Edition - W0963
Ref. 96B251
Sits in Bulova’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Bulova watches we list, which start at £100.
Price range £100 to £1,250 across 120 Bulova watches in stock.When Apollo 15 landed on the Moon in 1971, David Scott wore a Bulova chronograph on his wrist rather than the issued Omega — a prototype that became one of the more quietly remarkable objects in the history of space exploration. This watch is the modern reissue of that piece, carrying an Apollo 15 mission engraving on the caseback and the same broad, purposeful proportions as its ancestor. At 45mm across and 53mm lug to lug, it makes no attempt to shrink from its origins: this is a large watch that wears like one, and it suits a wrist of 7 inches or more. The sandblasted matte finish keeps it from reading as showy despite the size, and the multi-layered black dial with high-contrast luminous hands and indices is immediately legible in any light. The chronograph pushers are elongated and flat in a way that feels deliberate, almost functional, and the date sits neatly between four and five o'clock without interrupting the dial's layout. The NP20 movement runs at 262 kHz — far above the frequency of a standard quartz — which is why the seconds hand sweeps rather than steps, and why the accuracy is measured in seconds per year rather than per month. It is a detail that most people will never investigate, but that an owner quietly appreciates.
- Reference
- 96B251
- Brand
- Bulova
- Collection
- Lunar Pilot
- Case size
- 45mm
- Case thickness
- 13.5mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed tachymeter
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- NP20
- Functions
- Chronograph, Date, Small seconds, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Fabric strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 53mm
Learn more about Bulova
Joseph Bulova, a Bohemian immigrant, opened a jewellery shop on Maiden Lane in New York in 1875 and moved into watch manufacturing in the early twentieth century, building a plant in Sag Harbor and later a substantial operation in Queens.
Bulova's instinct for firsts was commercial as much as technical. It ran the first national advertisement for a watch brand in 1926, broadcast the first radio commercial in American history — a time announcement — in 1926, and aired the first television commercial ever broadcast in 1941, paying nine dollars for the slot.
The engineering came too. The Accutron of 1960 replaced the balance wheel with a tuning fork vibrating at 360 Hz, driven electronically. It was accurate to within a minute a month, far beyond mechanical watches, and it hummed rather than ticked. NASA used Accutron timing mechanisms in spacecraft, and one was left on the Moon in the equipment package of Apollo 11.
Bulova also made an enormous contribution to American war production, supplying military timing devices, and founded a school of watchmaking for disabled veterans.
The company was acquired by Citizen in 2008. Modern collections include the Precisionist, with a high-frequency quartz movement producing a smooth sweeping seconds hand, and reissues of the Accutron and the 1970s Computron.
- 1875
- Joseph Bulova opens his New York shop.
- 1941
- Airs the first television commercial in history.
- 1960
- The Accutron tuning fork movement is released.
- 1969
- An Accutron timer is left on the Moon by Apollo 11.
- 2008
- Acquired by Citizen.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (3,600), Chronograph Watches (1,400), Watches 44mm and Over (977), Sports Watches (882), Limited Edition Watches (229) and Pilot Watches (55).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 53mm lug-to-lug keeps the 45mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Bulova's more premium watches
Worth knowing
- 50m suits rain and handwashing, not swimming
- 45mm is a large watch with real presence
Bulova Archive Series 96B251 Lunar alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 96B251 | 010-03014-03 | T1414171701100 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £499 | £520 | £520 |
| Case size | 45mm | 45mm | 45mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 100m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Fabric strap | Leather strap | Rubber strap |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Showering yes, swimming no. 50m covers splashes and brief immersion, but a swimming stroke generates well above the pressure that figure describes.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
Yes. It is quartz, so expect a battery change every two to three years at a jeweller.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 53mm, which suits wrists from roughly 17.5cm (7 inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
F.Hinds is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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