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Bulova Archive Series 98A335 Luna Pilot Black Hole Watch - Limited Edition - W09420
Ref. 98A335
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.The original Lunar Pilot traces back to the backup chronograph Commander David Scott wore on the lunar surface during Apollo 15 in 1971 — and the "Black Hole" name carries a second meaning beyond the obvious aesthetic: it references the deliberate erasure of Bulova's name from early NASA mission records, a piece of corporate history the brand has since reclaimed. This limited run of 6,000 pieces is also the first time the modern Lunar Pilot has come down from its traditionally large 43.5mm and 45mm proportions, and the difference in wearability is substantial. At 41mm with a 48mm lug-to-lug span and properly fitted female end-links, it sits on a range of wrists that the older versions simply could not accommodate. The dial uses Musou Black paint, which absorbs 99.4% of visible light — the result is a surface with almost no perceptible depth or reflection, so the grey-lumed hands and applied indices appear to float against nothing. In darkness, the 12 o'clock marker is enlarged relative to the others and the Bulova name itself is luminous, giving enough orientation to read the watch without hunting for it. The NP20 movement runs at 262 kHz, eight times the frequency of a standard quartz, which produces a chronograph sweep that moves continuously rather than stepping — the practical difference is visible at a glance. The deployant clasp is stamped with Bulova's historic tuning fork emblem, a quiet acknowledgement of where the brand's precision engineering began.
- Reference
- 98A335
- Brand
- Bulova
- Collection
- Archive
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case thickness
- 13.05mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Black PVD
- Case shape
- Cushion
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- NP20
- Functions
- Chronograph, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 48mm
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 Back in Stock (3,629), Stainless Steel Watches (3,600), Chronograph Watches (1,400), Sports Watches (882), All Black Watches (363) and Limited Edition Watches (229).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 48mm lug-to-lug keeps the 41mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Bulova's more premium watches
Bulova Archive Series 98A335 Luna alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 98A335 | R32280203 | L37504126 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,250 | £1,350 | £1,300 |
| Case size | 41mm | 41.5mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 150m | 100m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
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 48mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16.5cm (6½ 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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