# Review of the Bulova Moonwatch (Bracelet Edition)



## kiosai

My Review of the Bulova Moonwatch

In October 2015, shortly after Dave Scott's personal Bulova Chronograph that was worn to the Moon was sold for a cool $1.6 million (Link), Bulova announced that, due to their new-found moonwatch heritage, they will be releasing a Bulova Moonwatch Re-Edition, albeit beating with a modern UHF quartz movement (Link)










This proves to be an affordable alternative to the more prevalent moonwatch, released by another commercial entity, whose price inflation in recent years knows no bounds.

I shall provide a short review of the Bulova Moonwatch that comes on a solid metal bracelet (Model #96B258). This is a new version first announced at the recent Baselworld in March 2016 (Link) and is different from the leather and canvas straps version (Model #96B251) announced in November 2015. I had seen the number "1500" being brandished about in the forums, but I still cannot confirm if Bulova meant it to be a limited edition, or if the 1500 quantity belongs to one model only, each model, or cumulatively both.

Let's start the review with a little unboxing.










The watch is shipped on a standard black wooden Bulova presentation box, protected beneath the standard cardboard box with inventory barcodes and the RRP.










Once the box is opened, your heart will be set racing by the moonwatch sitting right smack in the middle on a cushion, in sharp contrast with the blingly steel bracelet. Bulova tags it proudly as one of its own UHF quartz movement.










Taking the closer look at the watch dial, it is entirely framed by the tachymeter scale and protected behind a flat crystal. 3 sub dials can be found symmetrically at the 3, 6 and 9 positions, functioning as 1/10 second counter, running seconds and 1 hour counter. The sub dials are set deep into dial with circular grooves, giving out radial rays of light when reflected correctly. The date window is at the increasingly popular 4:30 position surrounded by rectangular applied indices with a brushed silvered finish and filled with white lume. The hour, minute and central chronograph second hands are slim, lengthy and painted white, filled with an equally white lume material. While some may lament the lost opportunity for Bulova to put "vintage lume" into this watch, I do not find the white lume displeasing me at all.

The Bulova UHF movement is new to me, and I find the running seconds at 2Hz an unique feature. My brain simply can't decide properly if it is a quartz or an auto as I am looking at something split right in the middle. End of the day, I can only describe the running seconds hand as smooth. I shall not comment further on the movements of the various hands and leave you with the review video by Mr Ariel Adams of ABTW below.






Other items included in the box include the big money card - a certificate of authenticity certifying your watch as an "authentic replica (???)" of the moonwatch worn by Dave Scott in the Apollo 15 mission during 1971. This card can ensure high resale potential, should it end up to be a limited edition years down the road.










There is another booklet, trumpeting the "eminent collectivitiness" of the moonwatch I just bought. Nice touch. And also the standard Bulova UHF movement instruction manual, all found in the lower compartment of the box










The bracelet comes with solid end links that fits the lugs nicely. I see that Bulova did not went to replicate the bracelet design of "the other moonwatch" and stuck to its own, something I would describe as a mix of the popular Oyster and President styles.










Now for points of contention that I had came across so far, not from owners, but from "experts" who could form an opinion after looking at photos of watches. There is a mix of polished, brushed and bead-blasted surfaces as seen from the side profile view. It is a matter of design aesthetics, Bulova did not do design by committee, and I do not find the presence of 3 different finishes inducing a nauseated response from me whenever I look at it. In fact, the contrast between the finishes is indeed, quite well executed. But one's man's meat, is another's poison, YMMV.

Another "reason this watch sucks big time" I came across on the interwebs mentioned the high profile sapphire crystal, that could cause problems. Yes, I do agree that the sharp corners of the crystal looks unprotected and the whole thing may shatter when hit at the right angle, but I dun find it more fragile than any other automatic watches I own. I'm sure something will shatter too if I hit my, say Visodate, on something hard. I think owners would be fine as long as they dun treat the Bulova Moonwatch like a G Shock Mudman. The look and position of the crystal is part of Bulova's efforts to replicate as much as possible, the design of the original moonwatch.










The polished signed crown and chrono pushers deserve praise. The pushers are of a not often-seen design that does wonders in preventing the chrono buttons from being accidently activated or digging into your wrist. I think you are not likely to enjoy traditional tall chrono pushers after this.










The back of the bracelet comes with a butterfly clasp with a small signed Bulova logo. Resizing is straightforward with pins and 2 half links are provided for microadjustments. The action is smooth, the bracelet is solid and no discomfort whatsoever.










On the engraved caseback marked a series of words, dates and symbols that describes the Apollo mission. Only to be marred by a protective sticker that says "Japan Movement. China Band". I was cracking my head on which band from China actually jams in Japan. >_< Once removed, it's a beautiful case back. Other details include the WR at only 50m, stainless steel construction, model number, sapphire crystal construction and serial numbers.










I have posted a picture of the lume performance of the Bulova Moonwwatch a few days ago. Here is it again. Being a company under Citizen, I am not surprised by the similarity of it with the standard Citizen blue lume or blue coloured C1 lume. It is not BGW9, pls do not expect that level of performance.

IF intensitylume(BGW9) = intensitylume(C3)
THEN intensitylume(Bulova Moonwatch) = intensitylume(C1)

Ditto for lume longevity.










The moonwatch on bracelet is versatile enough for both formal and informal looks. Fitting under a shirt cuff is not a problem.










Which brings me to the next point, can you change the straps on the bracelet model? 
Yes, the lug holes for the bracelet version do look to be at a different position, closer to the watch case, compared to the strap model. 
But does it prevent you from installing aftermarket straps?










Nope. I dun think so. That said, care must be taken on the selection of straps. I happen to have a generic thin canvas NATO and thin leather strap lying around, both at 20mm width and they went onto the moonwatch without a hitch. The key word here is "thin". I've drawn a line on the approximate location of the springbar. The gap is so tight that the NATO strap cannot be mounted using the normal way of pulling through, but rather require the removal and reinstallation of the springbars. If you know what you are doing and with the correct straps, the flexibility of different looks is all yours.

Yes. I am talking about mounting a leather strap onto the bracelet version. Look at the model number 96B258 on the caseback. Juz dun attempt to mount the leather strap from the strap version onto this, I doubt their thick leather straps or canvas can be mounted onto this. Not the smartest move by Bulova, but I can live with it.










One watch, three different looks. Yes, the bracelet version is more expensive. But trust me, you are going to have a less painful headache hunting suitable 20mm straps for this version, than finding a nice compatible metal bracelet for the other version.

Some may find this to be an expensive quartz watch, I find it an attractive point of entry for a watch with a classic design. Grab them while stocks last. 










By: kiosai


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## BenchGuy

Good review. An appealing watch in many respects. I ponder Bulova's description as an "authentic replica". At the minimum it differs from the original in that it sports a quartz movement... I need to look up the buyer of the "original" Bulova Moon Watch (lol) so I can arrange to make a detailed comparison...I'm sure there are other deviations from the original design. If any other manufacturer was producing this watch it might be called a counterfeit...come to think of it another manufacturer is producing it...Citizen (but they own Bulova...so another shade of gray...but a different shade of gray applies to the "other" Moonwatch, whose current version sports a different movement than the watch originally approved by NASA...so Omega is not exactly "guilt-free" in their marketing campaign). That said...the Bulova is a handsome watch...excepting the raised sapphire crystal...which is sure to be a headache...I hope Bulova's warranty division is stocked up on these. I would own one except for its size...or I should say my wrist size. It will be interesting to see where marketing on this creation goes...this is not the first company that has used past success to market their own "knock-off"...but it is a slippery slope...it is difficult to actually "create" a collectible. This is not intended to start a dispute...its just contemplative food for thought. Congratulations to all of you who have scored one of these...I should think you will enjoy them for years to come. Maybe I'll get a close up look at one someday...a flush fitting domed sapphire crystal would be an interesting proposition. Best regards, BG


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## Pee Dee

Excellent review, thanks for taking the time. I've been enjoying mine as well for 2 weeks now. It's quickly taken over the rotation as my go to daily work watch. I've been trying to search the Web for info regarding expected battery life on this particular movement. Any ideas?


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## tornadobox

Thanks for the review! As my desire for the Omega Speedmaster Grows, my interest in the Bulova moon watch does as well. Love the history on this model!


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## nevada1995

Thanks for your review and take on the watch. I recently purchased the 96b251 leather/nato combo. I can't believe that I'm saying this but I was so let down by this effort from Bulova. The watch was so uninspiring to me, the 20mm strap too small and just lacked the punch I have come to expect from Bulova. I returned the watch today. And for the first time there was several quality issues (1/10 dial did not reset correctly and the large second hand reset correctly either), again have several Bulova's never has any issues. Maybe, my expectations were too high, it does look better on the braclet. The value/looks proposition was not there. Just my 2 cents. Wanted to like it, sad.


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## Cunningham1

nevada1995 said:


> Thanks for your review and take on the watch. I recently purchased the 96b251 leather/nato combo. I can't believe that I'm saying this but I was so let down by this effort from Bulova. The watch was so uninspiring to me, the 20mm strap too small and just lacked the punch I have come to expect from Bulova. I returned the watch today. And for the first time there was several quality issues (1/10 dial did not reset correctly and the large second hand reset correctly either), again have several Bulova's never has any issues. Maybe, my expectations were too high, it does look better on the braclet. The value/looks proposition was not there. Just my 2 cents. Wanted to like it, sad.


I had to manually reset those hands myself (chronograph and 1/10). They were way off on my Bulova but youtube saved me.


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## minuteman62

Wonderful write up and pic presentation. Does anybody know what the weight of the watch is with the metal bracelet?

* No worries, I ordered a metal bracelet 96B258 version and will get it tomorrow. I will find out how it is when it comes in. It will match up well with my Astronaut collection, My Omega Speedmaster pro and then the Bulova Moon watch. Should be an interesting Trio!!!


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## minuteman62

Just received the Moon watch with metal bracelet. Nice looking watch. FYI: It weighs 6.47oz out of the box or 183.4grams. That's one heavy watch!!!! The Speedmaster Pro weighs about 1.2oz less.


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## how2collect

Very good looking watch and great write up!


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## Burgs

You can get the bracelet version on eBay now for $418.


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## minuteman62

After wearing mine for a week or two I will say I enjoy it. I don't own many watches that are very accurate so its nice to have one. I have done a side by side of an Accutron Astro and then an Omega Speedmaster. I enjoy all three in different ways and wouldn't give a preference. They are all unique. I used a bunch of credit cards points and bought the Moon Watch at a great price $360.00. I have no complaints.

Astro & Moon watch


Moon Watch & Speedy Pro


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## Burgs

Minuteman62,

THANK YOU for taking the time to photo the comparisons with the Astro & Speedy Pro, they are very instructive. Both great looking watches for sure!


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## the5rivers

Great watch. Been wearing the bracelet version since I bought it and got a great price to boot. 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk


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## Quazi

Cunningham1 said:


> I had to manually reset those hands myself (chronograph and 1/10). They were way off on my Bulova but youtube saved me.


I also had to reset my hands.. keep in mind that the instruction manual gives you good instructions on how to do this.. and suggests that its the first thing you should do once you receive the watch.

over all.. I think the fit and finish is VERY nice.. better than any of my other watches.. (but I mostly have cheaper watches).


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## how2collect

While the bracelet version does look good, I'm not too sure if I would get over having different finish on the bracelet vs watch.

Did anybody pick up the strap version instead?


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## Mr.Argyle

Excellent review! I should be receiving mine tomorrow and I think I got an excellent deal on it so i will give it a go!


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## JL219

how2collect said:


> While the bracelet version does look good, I'm not too sure if I would get over having different finish on the bracelet vs watch.
> 
> Did anybody pick up the strap version instead?


I did. Love the ease of changing leather straps on it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## how2collect

JL219 said:


> I did. Love the ease of changing leather straps on it.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm pretty sure I'm going to get the leather one.
I went in to take a look at the one with a steel bracelet today and couldn't get over the 2 (IMO) very different finishes between the bracelet and watch.


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## cold_beer839

The strap version seems to be more expensive than the bracelet version. Any ideas why?

I have the strap version inbound.


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## how2collect

cold_beer839 said:


> The strap version seems to be more expensive than the bracelet version. Any ideas why?
> 
> I have the strap version inbound.


You mean on eBay? Retail? MSRP?
I think the MSRP on the bracelet is supposed to be ~$50 more.

If the strap is more expensive, could it be that they made less of those? It seems that listings online are of the bracelet and people post about the bracelet more.


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## drthmaul

Awesome review. 
Thanks!


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## dzilla

Thanks for the review and the pics next to the speedy! I've been trying to decide between the two and this is super helpful.

Has anyone tried an aftermarket bracelet on the leather strap?

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


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## WalkerVanRanger

dzilla;[URL="tel:31037202" said:


> 31037202[/URL]]Thanks for the review and the pics next to the speedy! I've been trying to decide between the two and this is super helpful.
> 
> Has anyone tried an aftermarket bracelet on the leather strap?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk


I'd like to know if anyone found a few good straps to replace the bracelet with too


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## wongthian2

Excellent review! Just got mine this afternoon in Japan. Even on my 6.5 inch wrist the watch feels great! 
thickness comparison by blingmeister, on Flickr

on rail by blingmeister, on Flickr

the Omega 1992 Moonwatch for comparison...
speedie on desk by blingmeister, on Flickr


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## GMT Aviator

nevada1995 said:


> Thanks for your review and take on the watch. I recently purchased the 96b251 leather/nato combo. I can't believe that I'm saying this but I was so let down by this effort from Bulova. The watch was so uninspiring to me, the 20mm strap too small and just lacked the punch I have come to expect from Bulova. I returned the watch today. And for the first time there was several quality issues (1/10 dial did not reset correctly and the large second hand reset correctly either), again have several Bulova's never has any issues. Maybe, my expectations were too high, it does look better on the braclet. The value/looks proposition was not there. Just my 2 cents. Wanted to like it, sad.


The 20mm bracelet is a nod to the official NASA Spec where the original Velcro strap had those dimensions. It's all available in the official technical drawings. I also think 20mm suits the watch very well, even if it was defined by a NASA strap specification.
Thats a shame your hands were off, did you try the hand reset? Mine were off just a very small amount when the watch arrived...followed the reset and hey presto! Now they're perfectly alaigned and remain that way.
I also own a pre '97 speedy. This is the first Bulova I've ever owned. Personally I think the Bulova looks way way better than the speedmaster by a looong shot. The Bulova has a really lovely 3D effect on the dial which the speedy lacks, and Bulova have really captured the essence of the prototype watch that Dave Scott wore on the moon very well.
This watch is beautiful and I'm sure Bulova will get a lot of mileage out of the sales, something Omega now no longer have a monopoly on.....and who saw that coming?


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## cagliostro

Just received my moon watch bracelet edition and noticed my certificate of authenticity does not have a serial number written on it, nor does it have a space where the serial number would be (as in the pictures on the front page). Other than that the text is identical to the certificate on the pictures. Anybody received their certificate without a serial number on it? Thanks!


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## minuteman62

cagliostro said:


> nor does it have a space where the serial number would be (as in the pictures on the front page). Other than that the text is identical to the certificate on the pictures. Anybody received their certificate without a serial number on it? Thanks!


I just answered the question on amazon.;-) You did look at the back of the card? Right?


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## Tom T.

minuteman62 said:


> I just answered the question on amazon.;-) You did look at the back of the card? Right?
> 
> View attachment 10190938


My watch did not some with the s/n printed on the COA card for some reason. I wonder why Bulova included the s/n on some but not others.


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## thedonn007

I am leaning towards buying a Bulova Moonwatch on the bracelet. Is there any reason why I should buy the leather version instead?


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## minuteman62

thedonn007 said:


> I am leaning towards buying a Bulova Moonwatch on the bracelet. Is there any reason why I should buy the leather version instead?


That's all about personal preference. Some people like metal bracelets some like straps. The Strap watch will be alot lighter so that is always a plus with the weight of this watch. Other then that, its what you like.


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## thedonn007

minuteman62 said:


> That's all about personal preference. Some people like metal bracelets some like straps. The Strap watch will be alot lighter so that is always a plus with the weight of this watch. Other then that, its what you like.


Thanks. I really cannot decide. Most of my watches have bracelets. I figured that I would be easier to buy an aftermarket strap to use with this watch, then to try to find a bracelet to put on the strap version of this watch.


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## minuteman62

thedonn007 said:


> Thanks. I really cannot decide. Most of my watches have bracelets. I figured that I would be easier to buy an aftermarket strap to use with this watch, then to try to find a bracelet to put on the strap version of this watch.


Very True! Then you would have both options plus some leeway if you decided to experiment with various straps. At least you would still have the original steel bracelet. I have done that and later ended up putting bracelets back on a watch or two. Keep your options open!


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## time-man

Be aware that if you decide on the leather band version, the watch's lug to watch-body spacing is different than on the bracelet version, and you will NOT be able to fit a bracelet onto a model that came with a leather band.

Take a look at this thread, and posts 2 and 3 of the second link:

https://www.watchuseek.com/f2/bulova-moonwatch-bracelet-vs-strap-edition-3986794.htmlhttps://www.watchuseek.com/f705/replacement-spare-bracelet-bulova-moon-watch-4305074.html


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## yankeexpress

time-man said:


> Be aware that if you decide on the leather band version, the watch's lug to watch-body spacing is different than on the bracelet version, and you will NOT be able to fit a bracelet onto a model that came with a leather band.
> 
> Take a look at this thread:
> 
> https://www.watchuseek.com/f2/bulova-moonwatch-bracelet-vs-strap-edition-3986794.html


True, and the opposite is also true.....very few straps will be able to fit the bracelet version as the spring bar holes are too close to the case to fit anything but a paper thin nato strap.


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## thedonn007

time-man said:


> Be aware that if you decide on the leather band version, the watch's lug to watch-body spacing is different than on the bracelet version, and you will NOT be able to fit a bracelet onto a model that came with a leather band.
> 
> Take a look at this thread, and posts 2 and 3 of the second link:
> 
> https://www.watchuseek.com/f2/bulova-moonwatch-bracelet-vs-strap-edition-3986794.htmlhttps://www.watchuseek.com/f705/replacement-spare-bracelet-bulova-moon-watch-4305074.html


Thanks. That is why this decision is even more difficult. I feel like the strap version of the watch is more authentic. I am not aware of any other watch that has different spring bar patterns for the strap and bracelet.


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## DontBlinkWRX

thedonn007 said:


> Thanks. I really cannot decide. Most of my watches have bracelets. I figured that I would be easier to buy an aftermarket strap to use with this watch, then to try to find a bracelet to put on the strap version of this watch.


I do this frequently.


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## Badfish179

I think you might be better off with a bracelet. Straps are subject to wear the bracelet will last a long time. In the long run the bracelet will be more economical.


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## thedonn007

Badfish179 said:


> I think you might be better off with a bracelet. Straps are subject to wear the bracelet will last a long time. In the long run the bracelet will be more economical.


Thanks, just when I thought I had my mind all made up to go with the strap version. I just missed out on a good price for a new bracelet version of the moon watch last night.


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