Omega
Speedmaster Professional
310.30.42 · 42mm · 50m
NASA-qualified manual chronograph. Worn on the lunar surface 1969-1972.
Both watches were on Apollo. One famously, one quietly.
Omega's Speedmaster ref. 105.012 was NASA's flight-qualified spec for Apollo 11 in July 1969 and remained the issued watch through Apollo 17. Buzz Aldrin wore his on the lunar surface; the Moonwatch became horology's most-discussed flight-qualified watch.
Apollo 15 (July-August 1971) was different. Commander David Scott's Speedmaster crystal popped off during the second EVA. He completed the mission wearing his personal Bulova chronograph. That Bulova surfaced from his estate at Heritage Auctions in 2015 and sold for €1.5M. Bulova reissued the watch the same year as the Lunar Pilot at €675 retail.
Spec sheet
| Attribute | Omega Speedmaster Professional | Bulova Lunar Pilot Chronograph |
|---|---|---|
| Reference | 310.30.42 | 96B251 |
| Case diameter | 42mm × 13.2mm | 45mm × 13.7mm |
| Case material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
| Movement | Cal. 3861 (in-house mechanical) | Bulova 262 kHz Precisionist quartz |
| Architecture | Manual-wind cam-switching chronograph | Quartz with smooth-sweep seconds |
| Beat rate / frequency | 21,600 vph (3 Hz) | 262,144 Hz (8x standard quartz) |
| Reserve | 50 hours | Battery (~3-5 years) |
| Antimagnetic | 15,000 gauss (Master Chrono) | Standard |
| Crystal | Hesalite (plastic) standard | Mineral |
| Water resistance | 50m | 50m |
| Retail price | ~€7,400 | ~€675 |
Mechanical vs 262 kHz quartz
The Speedmaster runs manual-wind cam-switching mechanical: NASA-spec preserved. The Lunar Pilot runs Bulova's 262 kHz Precisionist quartz: 8x the frequency of standard 32 kHz quartz, with a smooth-sweep seconds (most quartz watches tick once per second; the Lunar Pilot sweeps continuously). Different watch-buying philosophies entirely; same Apollo-era heritage applied differently.
Worn on the moon vs near the moon
The Speedmaster was issued to NASA astronauts and worn on lunar EVAs (Apollo 11-17). The Bulova that Bulova reissues was Dave Scott's personal watch, worn on Apollo 15 EVA after his Speedmaster crystal failed. Both are correct "watch on the moon" claims; only the Speedmaster was officially issued by NASA.
11x price gap
€7,400 vs €675. The Speedmaster's price is in line with its tier (in-house mechanical, METAS, hand-finishing, hesalite NASA spec). The Lunar Pilot's price is unusual for its heritage: most space-history watches cost more for marketing reasons. Bulova's pricing reflects quartz movement economics, not the genuine Apollo provenance.
Pros and cons
Speedmaster Professional · Pros
- NASA-qualified mechanical chronograph
- Apollo 11-17 lunar surface heritage
- Master Chronometer (15,000-gauss antimagnetic)
- In-house manual-wind Cal. 3861
- Hesalite-crystal NASA-spec preservation
Speedmaster Professional · Cons
- 11x the Lunar Pilot's price
- Manual-wind requires daily attention
- 21,600 vph standard beat rate
Lunar Pilot Chronograph · Pros
- 262 kHz Precisionist quartz (smooth-sweep)
- Genuine Apollo 15 heritage (David Scott's watch)
- €675 retail at Apollo-spec heritage
- 5-year battery, low-maintenance
Lunar Pilot Chronograph · Cons
- Quartz at any price discourages mechanical buyers
- 45mm case is bigger than the Speedmaster
- Mineral crystal (less scratch-resistant than sapphire)
- No NASA flight qualification
Verdict: which one?
If you want the NASA-qualified mechanical chronograph: Speedmaster Pro. The watch issued to Apollo astronauts.
If you want genuine Apollo heritage at €675: Lunar Pilot 96B251. The literal model David Scott wore on the lunar EVA.
These watches occupy completely different buying decisions. Speedmaster: mechanical-watch buyer with a heritage premium. Lunar Pilot: anyone wanting Apollo provenance without the mechanical premium. Both correct.
Common questions
Did the Bulova Lunar Pilot really go to the moon?
A Bulova chronograph did, yes. On Apollo 15 in 1971, commander David Scott NASA-issued Speedmaster lost its crystal, so he finished the second moonwalk wearing his personal Bulova chronograph. That watch sold for €1.5M at Heritage Auctions in 2015, and Bulova reissued the design as the Lunar Pilot the same year. The Speedmaster, though, was the watch NASA officially issued for Apollo 11 through 17.
Is the Bulova Lunar Pilot mechanical or quartz?
Quartz - specifically Bulova 262 kHz Precisionist movement, which runs at eight times the frequency of standard quartz and gives a smooth-sweeping seconds hand rather than the usual one-tick-per-second. The Omega Speedmaster Pro is manual-wind mechanical (Cal. 3861), which is part of why it costs roughly eleven times as much.
Why is there an 11x price gap between these two "moon watches"?
The Speedmaster ~€7,400 is in line with its tier - in-house mechanical, METAS Master Chronometer, hand-finishing, the hesalite NASA-spec crystal. The Lunar Pilot ~€675 reflects quartz-movement economics, not its heritage; it is unusually cheap for a watch with a genuine Apollo connection.
Which is bigger, the Speedmaster or the Lunar Pilot?
The Lunar Pilot is larger at 45mm x 13.7mm versus the Speedmaster Pro 42mm x 13.2mm. Both are 50m water resistant; the Speedmaster has the harder hesalite-or-sapphire crystal while the Lunar Pilot uses a more scratch-prone mineral crystal.
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