In or around Christmas of 2016, I bought the Bulova Special Edition Moon Watch. Am not going to jump into the history of the watch as I feel that it has been covered in other fora and/or blogs. What I am going to present is my own personal opinion on the watch so that those interested in the piece would be more informed before purchasing one.
How it wearsFirst and foremost, the variant I bought is the one on the metal bracelet. Metal bracelet comes with solid end links. It wears comfortably and I am in fact looking to purchase the nato strap that goes with this piece. The bracelet to me is reminiscent of the Seiko Sumo bracelet. It is bottom heavy. It comes with a butterfly clasp with the signed Bulova logo which when closed has an almost flushed finish and is done very well.
A picture of the clasp when closed is as below;
The case diameter for this piece is a hefty 45mm. A picture of it on my 7 3/4 inches wrist is as follows;
A word of caution; because the chrono button is design as such, the watch looks, wears and feel much larger than its original dimension ala Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Novelty series. It will wear like a 46.5mm to 47mm watch. The chrono button is designed in such a way that it is would not be accidentally activated nor digs into your wrist despite the size.
Thickness of the watch stands at 13.5mm. This is mainly due to the sapphire crystal on the watch. The crystal is not flushed with the case. This makes it susceptible to chips and dings if the watch is knocked at an angle. Photo of the crystal is as below;
FinishingThe case and bracelet is a mixture of blasted and brushed stainless steel. After about 2 months of wear, the watch has yet to show visible signs of wear which is impressive. The work done on the dial is very impressive. The dial has a three dimension/ layered finish which I absolutely love. In addition to that, readibility is excellent with the black and white contrast. A peeve that I can agree with most on the numerous fora on the Internet is the "262Khz" on the dial. I would think that the watch is better without it. A picture of the dial is as below;
One part which could be improved upon is the anti-reflective (AR) coating on the glass. Legibility can be an issue under certain lighting.
MovementPersonally for me, my pet peeve is the ticking second hand on a quartz watch that puts me off from owning one. I would prefer a digital display for a quartz watch as opposed to an analog one. For a long time I was only interested in the Seiko Spring Drive for its sweeping second hand. For the Bulova Moon watch, there is still a non-sweeping second hand but it is not prominent. The hands only sweep when the chrono is engaged. Am also not sure on the amount of wear on the gears and movement arising from this higher beat. Since the watch is relatively new, I will update later on the service costs and costs of a new battery.
ConclusionMost would recommend this watch based on its link to history of being worn on the moon etc. Personally, I would think that the tag and moniker "Moon Watch" will always remain and be synonymous with the Omega Speedmaster Professional. I would however recommend this watch for the following points;
1. It is a very handsome piece.
2. It is a versatile piece being able to be dressed up or down.
3. It is comfortable.
4. It is affordable.
5. It is something different to what others are wearing.
6. It is also a Moon Watch.
Thank you for reading.
