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Bulova Archive Series 98K112 Lunar Pilot Watch And Nato Strap - W09283
Ref. 98K112
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.On 2 August 1971, Dave Scott stood on the lunar surface at Hadley-Apennine and timed a geology experiment with a Bulova chronograph strapped to his wrist — the only watch to have been worn and used on the Moon. The Archive Series brings that case back at 43.5mm, the exact dimensions of the flight-issued original, correcting the slightly oversized 45mm versions that preceded it and restoring the proportions that make the elongated, low-profile pushers read as they should rather than as an afterthought. The NP20 movement running inside is no ordinary quartz substitution. Vibrating at 262 kHz — eight times the frequency of a standard quartz — it produces a sweeping chronograph hand indistinguishable in motion from a mechanical one, while keeping accuracy to within a few seconds per year. The white dial carries recessed blue sub-dials with circular grooved finishing, a blue tachymeter ring and period-correct Bulova typography; it reads as a deliberate reconstruction rather than a loose interpretation. At 171 grams on the bracelet, the watch has genuine presence on the wrist. The caseback carries engravings commemorating Apollo 15 specifically, and the watch ships with both the bracelet and a NATO strap, each with a quick-release system — which makes it unusually straightforward to switch between the two depending on whether the occasion calls for the full steel or something closer to what Scott actually wore.
- Reference
- 98K112
- Brand
- Bulova
- Collection
- Lunar Pilot
- Case size
- 43.5mm
- Case thickness
- 13.5mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- White
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Quartz
- Calibre
- NP20
- Functions
- Chronograph, Tachymeter
- Water resistance
- 50m
- Bracelet / strap
- Fabric strap
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Retailer
- F.Hinds
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 50mm
- Warranty
- 3 years
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 5 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (3,629), Stainless Steel Watches (3,600), Chronograph Watches (1,400), Sports Watches (882) and Pilot Watches (55).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
Strengths
- 50mm lug-to-lug keeps the 43.5mm 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
- 43.5mm sits at the larger end
Bulova Archive Series 98K112 Lunar alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 98K112 | VE2U00722 | YA101201 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £599 | £599 | £599 |
| Case size | 43.5mm | 44mm | 44mm |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m | 50m |
| Movement | Quartz | Quartz | Quartz |
| Strap | Fabric strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| This watch | Closely matched | 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 50mm, 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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