Frequently Asked Questions
The Archive Series is Bulova's line of faithful reissues drawn from its own 150-year design archive — Bulova was founded in New York in 1875, making 2025 its 150th anniversary. The headline pieces are the Lunar Pilot (the chronograph based on the watch worn on the lunar surface during Apollo 15 in 1971), the Oceanographer "Devil Diver" (the 1970s 666-ft dive watch, now offered in three-hand and GMT versions), and the Mil-Ships (a reissue of the 1950s prototype dive watch Bulova built for US Navy evaluation). Each model recreates the original case shape, dial and typography rather than reinterpreting them.
It depends on the model, and this is the single most important spec to check before buying. The Lunar Pilot is quartz — but Bulova's High Precision Quartz, which runs at roughly eight times the frequency of standard quartz and is accurate to within seconds a year, which is why a quartz chronograph could meet space-grade demands. The Oceanographer Devil Diver and Mil-Ships are mechanical automatics, self-winding off your wrist's motion. If you want the moon-watch heritage with set-and-forget accuracy, choose the Lunar Pilot; if you want a traditional mechanical movement, choose the divers.
The Archive Series runs larger than a typical dress watch, reflecting the 1960s–70s tool-watch originals. The Lunar Pilot chronograph is 43.5mm (with a 45mm version and a smaller 40mm "Mini Lunar Pilot" for slimmer wrists), the Oceanographer sits around 41–44mm, and the Mil-Ships is the boldest of the three. The number that matters most for fit is lug-to-lug — if your wrist is under ~16.5cm, favour the 40mm Lunar Pilot or check the lug-to-lug spec on the larger divers before ordering.
Yes — its lineage traces to a Bulova chronograph actually used on the lunar surface during Apollo 15, making it one of very few watches with authenticated moon heritage. Versus the Omega Speedmaster, the trade-off is clear: the Speedmaster is a hand-wound mechanical at a luxury price point, while the Lunar Pilot delivers comparable heritage and superior everyday accuracy through High Precision Quartz at a fraction of the cost. It's the heritage-collector's value choice rather than a luxury-status purchase.
Bulova is a respected American-heritage brand with over 150 years of horological history, now part of the Citizen Group — which gives it the engineering and movement pedigree of one of the world's largest watchmakers while retaining its own US design identity. Every Archive Series watch sold by Starbuy is brand-new, authorised stock supplied through official channels, carrying the full manufacturer's warranty — important, because grey-market Bulova watches circulate online without valid warranty cover.