Sponsored: Bulova Reimagines Its Iconic Lunar Pilot with a Striking Timascus Dial
Bulova’s Lunar Pilot remains one of the brand’s most recognizable chronographs, rooted in its role during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. The original model, worn on the lunar surface, has since become a cornerstone of the Bulova archive and a mainstay in the modern collection. As Bulova continues to explore this history through new interpretations, the brand now introduces a fresh variation that applies a contemporary material twist to the familiar design in the new Lunar Pilot x Budii Timascus.
This latest edition arrives as a collaborative release with Brazilian pop artist Thiago Rosinhole, whose work often blends playful futurism with space-age themes. For this special model, Rosinhole’s visual language is reflected not through character-driven artwork, but through the material at the center of the design: a vivid Timascus dial that brings an entirely new dimension to the Lunar Pilot’s historic silhouette.
The Dial
Timascus, a portmanteau of titanium and Damascus steel, is made by layering and forging multiple titanium alloys, then heat-treating them until swirling, woodgrain-like patterns emerge. The result is a dial that behaves like a piece of metallurgical art: iridescent in some light, matte in others, and always unique. No two dials share the exact same patterning, giving the Lunar Pilot Timascus its own one-of-a-kind expression within the broader collection.
The kaleidoscopic tones echo the futuristic color palette present in Rosinhole’s broader work, while the durability of the forged-titanium surface keeps the watch firmly grounded in Bulova’s engineering ethos. The Timascus execution feels both experimental and connected to the model’s spacefaring lineage, offering a contemporary material twist applied to one of Bulova’s most historically significant chronographs.
The Case
The Timascus edition is built upon the same architecture that defines the contemporary Lunar Pilot line, housed in a 43.5mm stainless-steel case with the model’s characteristic bevels, elongated pushers, and broad tachymeter bezel. The screw-back construction supports the watch’s durability, while the anti-reflective sapphire crystal offers clear visibility of the patterned titanium dial beneath. Luminous hands and markers maintain legibility across the multi-toned surface, ensuring that the material’s complexity doesn’t interfere with function.
On its caseback, the watch features an engraved illustration of Rosinhole’s signature Budii astronaut, a now-iconic character created by the artist that lends its name to the limited edition. The motif appears alongside commemorative Apollo 15 text, linking the collaboration to the Lunar Pilot’s spacefaring history while giving the edition a distinct visual marker that sets it apart within the collection.
A stainless-steel three-link bracelet with a push-button deployant clasp completes the case profile, keeping the aesthetic consistent with the tool-watch roots of the Lunar Pilot. With a 50m water resistance rating and a total weight of 173 grams, the watch delivers the solid wrist presence expected of the collection, pairing the experimental dial with the robustness that has defined the model since its spacefaring origins.
The Movement
Inside, Bulova equips the model with its NP20 High-Performance Quartz movement, a proprietary caliber built around a three-pronged 262 kHz quartz crystal—a frequency eight times higher than that of standard quartz watches. This elevated oscillation drives the movement’s hallmark smooth-sweeping chronograph seconds, a feature that visually separates Bulova’s HPQ technology from conventional quartz chronographs.
The movement’s heightened stability allows for accuracy within seconds per year, while the six-hand chronograph layout enables precise elapsed-time measurement without disrupting the balanced symmetry of the dial.
Pricing & Availability
The Lunar Pilot x Budii Timascus is limited to 5,500 pieces worldwide, with pricing marked at $1,650. The watch is available at authorized boutiques and via Bulova’s online store.
To learn more, visit Bulova, here.
