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Bulova Celebrates Apollo 15 With New Chronograph

Bulova celebrates Apollo 15 with the 50th Anniversary Lunar Pilot Limited Edition, a new quartz chronograph from the storied brand.

Bulova will make 5,000 50th Anniversary Lunar Pilot watches.

Bulova has a long history with NASA and has been involved in multiple space missions. The watchmaker specifically celebrates Apollo 15 because on August 2, 1971, Apollo 15’s mission commander David Scott made lunar history while wearing a Bulova chronograph. You may recall that the original watch sold for nearly $1.6 million at auction in 2015.

The Bulova Chronograph Worn by David Scott on the moon sold for nearly $1.6 million at auction in 2015.

Bulova notes that its partnership with the U.S. space mission ran from the mid-1950s until the 1970s. To learn more about Bulova’s links to U.S. space exploration, visit the digital Bulova Museum.

New case

Bulova’s celebratory release replicates the style and dial layout of Scott’s watch from Apollo 15, with technical updates. The new model is cased in a new and larger 45mm titanium case, and includes new gold-tone accents and pushers.

Inside, Bulova places proprietary high frequency, high precision quartz movement, which boasts a frequency of 262 kHz, eight times the frequency of traditional quartz watches. This is the movement, with its apparently ‘sweeping’ seconds hand, that Bulova inserts into its Precisionist collection, which Bulova debuted in 2010.

The watch’s retro-styled dial includes the original Bulova logo and dial layout with a sapphire crystal. A sharp-looking grey leather NATO strap holds it to the wearer’s wrist, and the watch is water resistant to fifty meters. On the screw-down case back you’ll find an engraved image depicting a moon walk and the watch’s limited edition number. Bulova will make 5,000 50th Anniversary Lunar Pilot watches and will package each with a storybook and commemorative NASA coin. Price: $995.

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The Watches

Luminox Expands Bear Grylls Collection

To emphasize its broad collection of adventure watches, Luminox launches the Bear Grylls Limited Edition Rule of 3 Sea Series watch (333 pieces for the world) that includes a special removable sleeve on the strap with the ‘Rule of 3’ emblazoned on it.

The new Luminox Bear Grylls Limited Edition Rule of 3 Sea.

For the uninitiated, the Rule of 3 states that an adventurer can not survive without air for 3 minutes, shelter for 3 hours, water for 3 days and food for 3 weeks. This accounts for the extra-large numeral 3 on the dial in its appropriate position.  

The new watch joins others in the Luminox Bear Grylls collection. However, unlike the existing models in this collection designed for the Luminox Land and Air series, this new model is the first in the collection designed with nautical (Sea) wear in mind.

Luminox cases the watch in a carbon composite called Carbonox and features a uni-directional bezel set with a blue, orange and white dive-timing sector. The watch is water resistant to 200 meters.

Of course, the watch is also set with luminous materials called Luminox Light Technology designed to be visible in low or no light conditions. Each timepiece is individually numbered, and a special certificate comes with each watch. Price: $545.

 

Specifications: Luminox Bear Grylls Limited Edition Rule of 3 Sea Series 

Case: 42mm by 14mm Carbonox with crown protection, uni-directional turning bezel, steel screw-in caseback, hardened mineral crystal. Weight: 76 grams. Water resistant to 200 meters.

Dial: Black with orange and white hands and luminous material; date.

Movement: Ronda quartz 515 HF 6 with 50-month battery life.

Strap: Black genuine rubber w/ stainless steel buckle.

Price: $545.

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The Watches

Updating Classic Designs

In recent months my inbox has been a repository of reminders about classic American watch design. And while plenty of digital missives arrive from the encouragingly high number of youthful watch designers active across the United States these days, I’ve been especially impressed by the retro-design regimen currently underway at Accutron.

Accutron’s Legacy collection transports us back decades with its studied re-introduction of dials and cases that truly met, and in many ways help define, the Swinging Sixties and the Space Age. The collection’s aerodynamic curves, electrical references and rampant asymmetry are a treat to both the eyes and the wrist. And by retaining vintage sizes Accutron enhances the nostalgia, setting the imaginative dials within their proper proportions.

The newest version of the Accutron Date and Day Q.

A stylish reminder of Accutron style from this era can be found in the Accutron Legacy Date and Day Q, a Legacy release that echoes the original 1971 streamlined ‘flying saucer’ 34.5mm oval case design and 4 o’clock crown.

Updated Bulova Classics

Bulova also understands the value its design archives. The Bulova Oceanographer ‘Devil Diver’, its Computron and Bulova’s array of military watches are prime examples.

Just recently Bulova notes that it is expanding its array of Bulova Classic designs with new versions of the 1948 Sutton and the 1960s Aerojet.

The newest Bulova Sutton reprises a 1940s design but with a contemporary dial aperture and case size.

Both these re-releases are automatic models powered by Miyota movements. The new Sutton automatic ($395) recalls Bulova’s President watch, circa 1948, though the new model offers an updated 33mm by 49mm case size and a contemporary dial aperture to expose the movement. Bulova is offering the watch with a white dial on a brown alligator grain leather strap or with a black dial on a black alligator grain leather strap.

My favorite among the recent debuts is the new Aerojet, reprising a Bulova design from the 1960s. Bulova unveils two new 41mm steel-cased versions featuring the Aerojet’s signature cross hair dial with a bi-color Day/Night indicator and vintage Aerojet logo.

The new Bulova Classic Aerojet reprises a 1960s design.

These come with colorful sunray blue or brown dials with a degrade effect. The blue model is available on a black distressed leather strap for $450 and the brown on a multilink bracelet for $495.

   

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The Watches

Junghans Trio Celebrates Max Bill Minimalism

 

Among the watches Junghans debuted this year to celebrate its 160th anniversary is this set of three 38mm Max Bill minimalist-style watches.

Each of the three steel-cased timepieces – a Max Bill Automatic, a Max Bill MEGA Kleine Sekunde (small second) and a Max Bill Regulator – come in their own case and are also housed in a special edition box. Each watch presents the time in its own manner, as delineated by each individual name.

A Junghans ETA-based automatic movement powers two models while the third, the small seconds model, is powered by a Junghans-built multi-frequency, radio-controlled movement. The small seconds model is essentially a perpetual calendar with time-setting precise to a second. Junghans offers an app to control the watch’s settings. 

Max Bill Regulator

As a reminder, Junghans released its Max Bill models in 1956, five years after the German-based watchmaker’s collaboration with the minimalist Bauhaus artist.

Max Bill MEGA Kleine Sekunde (small second).

All three models sport a similar color scheme: anthracite, beige gray and orange.  Junghans places luminous material at the top of each dial within the 12 o’clock index as well as on the hands and the interior lining of the orange strap. The case and the edging of the calf leather strap match in the dark steely anthracite, though the outer strap is beige.

Max Bill Automatic.

The Max Bill Bauhaus minimalist style is evident on the dial of each watch. Luminous twin dots at 12 o’clock integrate in the number 60 while thin hands, markers and font characterize the design over the white dial. Additionally, a special edition engraving is featured on the case back of each watch. Limited to 1,060 pieces worldwide

Junghans engraves the back of each special edition.

 Price for the set of three: $4,900.

 

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From Dash to Wrist

 

Porsche Design echoes its dashboard clock with a set of chronometers.

To complement the Sport Chrono Porsche Design clock designed for Porsche Panarama and the Porsche Taycan car interior, Porsche Design in the past year introduced a matching the Sport Chrono wristwatch collection.

The line, while not brand new, is impressive. It includes three models that closely match the automotive clock, complete with a small seconds subdial (above), plus one additional model boasting a flyback chronograph.

As with the clock, the operative word is chrono – for chronometer. While only one of the two models is a chronograph, both are officially certified COSC chronometers, with all the enhanced precision that certificate confers.

With its small seconds subdial at six o’clock as on the dashboard timer, the three-hand Sport Chrono Subsecond is 42mm titanium watch offered with either a black, blue or brown dial. Each dial comes with a color-matched rubber strap.

Inside these watches Porsche Design fits its estimable in-house developed Porsche Design caliber WERK 03.200.

The chronograph

While the Sub Second chronometer models feature closed case backs, the chronograph model boasts a clear sapphire case back. This wise choice offers a clear view of Porsche Design’s eye-catching caliber WERK 01.100, with its Porsche-centric P-Icon design.

Other classic Porsche Design features include an anti-reflective sapphire crystal, a leather strap made from Porsche interior leather and a titanium folding clasp with safety push buttons.

Prices: $4,750 (Sport Chrono Subsecond) and $6,150 (automatic chronograph). 

 

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