The Lunar Pilot is one of those watches that collectors love and complain about in equal measure. The history is real, the price has stayed reasonable, and the design has earned its place in the conversation about affordable space-flown chronographs. The case size has always been the sticking point. At 43.5mm, the standard Lunar Pilot wears big on most wrists, and Bulova fans have spent years asking for something more wearable. Bulova just answered with the Lunar Pilot Black Hole.
Price: $1,650
Where to Buy: Bulova
The Black Hole edition trims the Lunar Pilot down to a 41mm steel case, the smallest Lunar Pilot Bulova has shipped to date. Thickness lands at 13.05mm with a 48mm lug-to-lug and a 20mm lug width, which puts the proportions firmly in daily-wear territory for most wrists. The case itself uses black ion plating with a sandblasted matte finish, with a polished bezel ring and pushers in the same finish that catch the light against the otherwise muted surfaces.
A Dial That Swallows Light
The “Black Hole” name isn’t marketing flourish. Bulova built the dial using Musou Black, a specialty coating that absorbs 99.4 percent of visible light. In practical terms, the dial reads as a flat void rather than a surface, and the matte case treatment carries that same depth across the bracelet. Grey Super-LumiNova handles the markers and hands, which keeps legibility intact without breaking the monochrome effect.
A Quartz Movement Built for Precision
Inside the case, Bulova fits its proprietary NP20 high-precision quartz movement, which runs at 262 kHz. That’s the same high-frequency quartz technology Bulova has been pushing as its calling card on the modern Lunar Pilot, and it delivers accuracy well beyond what standard quartz watches manage.
A sapphire crystal sits over the dial, and water resistance is rated to 100 meters, so the watch can handle daily wear, the occasional pool day, and travel without much thought.
A Box Set Built Around the Theme
The Black Hole arrives as a full presentation rather than a watch in a pouch. Bulova ships the limited edition in a dedicated box that includes a matching travel case and a Lunar Pilot travel clock done in the same blacked-out aesthetic. The whole package leans into the theme rather than treating the accessories as filler. For collectors who already own a Lunar Pilot or two, the box set gives this version a reason to sit on the desk when it isn’t on the wrist.
Heritage From the Apollo 15 Era
The Lunar Pilot’s design lineage traces to the Bulova chronograph prototype that astronaut Dave Scott wore on the lunar surface in August 1971, after his issued Omega gave out during the Apollo 15 mission. That history is what gave the modern Lunar Pilot its hook when it returned to Bulova’s lineup in 2016, and it’s still the reason this watch keeps showing up in conversations about NASA-adjacent timepieces. The Black Hole edition leans on that heritage without redoing the dial layout, which means the connection to the original lunar prototype is preserved even as the proportions and finish go in a new direction.
Price: $1,650
Where to Buy: Bulova
Pricing and Availability
The Bulova Lunar Pilot Black Hole is available now under reference 98A335, limited to 6,000 pieces worldwide, and priced at $1,650. (Caseback says 5,000 but 6,000 pieces will be available.) That sits above the standard Lunar Pilot lineup but still under the price of most space-themed chronographs from Swiss competitors. Whether the smaller case and Musou Black dial are worth the premium will come down to how badly you’ve wanted a 41mm Lunar Pilot. Bulova fans have been asking for years, and this is what the answer looks like.
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(as of April 29, 2026 07:04 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
