The Bulova Lunar Pilot Black Hole 98A335 is a men's limited edition chronograph that takes one of watchmaking's genuine space-programme icons somewhere considerably darker. This is the first Lunar Pilot offered in a 41mm case — a noticeably more wearable proposition than the 45mm original — finished in matte black ion-plated stainless steel and set off by a bright polished bezel and matching pushers.
Beneath a flat sapphire crystal, the six-hand chronograph dial is coated in Musou paint, which absorbs 99.4% of visible light, so the dial reads as genuine void with only a gunmetal-tone tachymeter scale, a slim matching handset and luminous applied markers breaking the surface. Three recessed, circular-grooved sub-dials handle the timing: a 1/20-second chronograph counter at three o'clock, running seconds at six, and a 60-minute chronograph counter at nine. It arrives on a matching black ion-plated three-link stainless steel bracelet with a push-button deployment clasp.
Driving it is Bulova's proprietary HPQ movement, a high-precision quartz calibre resonating at 262 kHz — eight times the frequency of a standard quartz watch — which delivers accuracy measured in seconds per year rather than per month, and produces the smooth sweeping chronograph and running seconds hands you would normally only associate with a mechanical movement.
The Lunar Pilot line traces directly to the Bulova chronograph worn on the lunar surface during Apollo 15 in 1971, and this release, limited to 6,000 pieces worldwide, is the collection's most uncompromising interpretation of it. Rated to 100 metres water resistance and protected by scratch-resistant sapphire, it's a men's 41mm black chronograph watch that sits as comfortably under a shirt cuff as it does on a weekend, and it ships in a dedicated Black Hole presentation box with a travel case and a Bulova clock.
What we love about this watch: The Black Hole (98A335) is the first Lunar Pilot to come in 41mm, which quietly solves the one thing that kept the original off a lot of wrists. The Musou-painted dial is the real event, though — photographs genuinely struggle with it, because there is almost nothing there for a camera to find. Pair that with HPQ accuracy, a flat sapphire crystal and a global run of just 6,000 pieces, and this is a limited edition that actually earns the label.
Ships in 1-3 Business Days from Sydney with Australia Post Express. Sydney customers can pick up on the same day from our Alexandria showroom an hour after placing the order by choosing Click & Collect as the delivery option.
3 Year warranty from Bulova Watches(Australia). StarBuy are Authorised distributors of Bulova Watches. All Bulova Watches are shipped in Bulova original packaging released for Australia. All Bulova warranties are registered online on the Bulova Warranty Portal directly by StarBuy on behalf of the customer. After purchase and shipping by StarBuy, an email is sent by Bulova registering the warranty directly to the buyer. A link to the online instructions manual is also sent within the email. Bulova no longer supply any hard copies of the warranty booklet or the instructions manual.
