The Best Bulova Watches, From Lunar Pilot to Surveyor
Serdar D.Watch EditorFor most buyers, the best Bulova watches are the Lunar Pilot (96A225) if you want a chronograph with a Moon-mission story, the Surveyor 39mm (96B429) for an automatic with a sapphire crystal, and the Marine Star (96B431) for a 200 m sports watch. Smaller wrists should look at the Modern Millenia or Sutton.
Key takeaways
- The Lunar Pilot is based on the chronograph David Scott wore on the Moon during Apollo 15 in 1971, but its 45 mm case is large.
- Precisionist and High Performance Quartz movements run at 262 kHz, far above the 32 kHz of a standard quartz watch.
- Most of the Bulova automatics in this guide are rated to only 30 m, and the cheaper ones use mineral rather than sapphire crystal.
- The Marine Star gives you 200 m of water resistance and a sapphire crystal for less than half the price of the Oceanographer Snorkel GMT.
How to choose among the best Bulova watches
Bulova makes everything from Moon-mission chronographs to slim quartz dress watches, so the right pick depends on what you want the watch to do. Below, the picks are grouped by buyer type, along with the main trade-off on each spec sheet.
A little background helps. Bulova was founded in 1875 in New York City by Joseph Bulova and has been owned by Citizen Watch Co. of Japan since 2008. In 1960 it introduced the Accutron, a watch regulated by a tuning fork instead of a balance wheel.
The price ranges below come from Amazon US in October 2026. Prices change, so check the product cards for current pricing.
Lunar Pilot, the best chronograph with a story
The Lunar Pilot is based on the Bulova chronograph astronaut David Scott wore on the Moon during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971. If you want a chronograph with real history behind it, start here.
The Bulova Lunar Pilot (96A225) pairs a 45 mm steel case and black dial with a sapphire crystal and the High Performance Quartz movement. It sells for around $450 to $500.
Bulova Lunar Pilot 96A225, 45mm, Black Dial, Black Stainless Steel Bracelet
View productThe trade-off is size. At 45 mm wide and 15.5 mm thick, it's better suited to medium and larger wrists than slim ones. Water resistance is 50 m, enough for swimming but not for diving.
If you want more complications, the Archive Series 96B251 adds a moonphase and date to the chronograph. The 45 mm case is 14 mm thick, with a 22 mm lug width and a nylon strap, and it sells for around $450 to $500. For options beyond Bulova, see the best chronograph watches or browse our chronograph page.
Precisionist and High Performance Quartz, the best for quartz accuracy
Bulova's Precisionist and High Performance Quartz movements run at 262 kHz, far above the 32 kHz of a standard quartz watch. The higher frequency improves accuracy and gives you a seconds hand that sweeps smoothly instead of ticking.
The Precisionist 96B158 is the most affordable way into this technology in our guide, at around $250 to $300. It's a chronograph with a calendar in a 42 mm case just 10 mm thick, on a leather strap. The downsides are a mineral crystal and 30 m of water resistance, which covers rain and hand washing but not swimming.
The Bulova Icon (98B408) costs around $400 to $450 and fixes both weak points with a curved sapphire crystal and 100 m of water resistance. It has a moderately sized 40 mm case, a steel bracelet and a date alongside the chronograph. At 13.1 mm, though, it's thicker than the Precisionist.
Bulova Icon 98B408, 40mm, Black Dial, Black Stainless Steel Bracelet
View productBest automatic at a moderate price
An automatic watch winds itself from the motion of your wrist and needs no battery. Where the caliber is listed, these Bulovas use Miyota movements, made by Citizen in Japan. If you're torn between the two technologies, read automatic vs quartz first.
The shared trade-off: four of the five automatics in this section are rated to only 30 m, so treat them as everyday watches, not swim watches.
Classic Automatic and Military Hack
The Classic Automatic (98A187) is the least expensive automatic in this guide, at around $225 to $275. It runs on the Miyota 82S7 with a 40-hour power reserve and hacking (the seconds hand stops when you pull the crown, so you can set the time precisely). You also get an open-heart gray dial and an exhibition caseback in a 39 mm case on a leather strap. It works well as a dress watch, but the crystal is mineral.
The Military Heritage Hack (96A246) costs around $250 to $300 and uses the Miyota 8215, with hacking, in a 38 mm case, a good size for slimmer wrists. Expect an off-white dial, luminous hands, a leather strap and a double-domed mineral crystal.
Surveyor and Classic Surveyor
On paper, the Surveyor 39mm (96B429) is the best value among the automatics. For around $350 to $400 you get a Miyota 8215, a sapphire crystal, a green dial, an exhibition caseback and a steel bracelet. The 22 mm lug width is generous for a 39 mm case.
Bulova Surveyor 96B429, 39mm, Green Dial, Silver Stainless Steel Bracelet
View productThe Classic Surveyor (97B234) switches to a rose-gold-tone steel case, an aubergine dial and a deployant clasp for around $400 to $450. It keeps the sapphire crystal and exhibition caseback, but the caliber isn't listed.
Maquina
The Maquina (98A224) is the outlier: a full skeleton dial, sapphire crystal and 100 m of water resistance for around $350 to $400. The catch is size. A 46 mm case with 27 mm lugs is very large, and the caliber isn't listed either.
Best dive and sports watches
For serious water use, look for 200 m of water resistance, a screw-down crown and a unidirectional bezel. Two picks here have all three, and you'll find more on our diver watches page.
The Bulova Marine Star (96B431) is the value pick at around $350 to $400. It runs on the 262 kHz Precisionist movement and adds a ceramic bezel insert, sapphire crystal, date and yellow dial, all in a 43 mm case that's 12.1 mm thick, on a silicone strap.
Bulova Marine Star 96B431, 43mm, Yellow Dial, Black Silicone Band
View productThe Oceanographer Snorkel GMT (98B407) is the most expensive pick, at around $800 to $850. The money buys a Miyota 9075 automatic with a GMT hand for a second time zone and a 42-hour power reserve, plus a double-curved sapphire box crystal and a fully luminous white dial in a 41 mm case. Choose it if you travel; otherwise, the Marine Star handles water use for less than half the price.
Best smaller and women's models
The Bulova Modern Millenia 32mm (97L175) is a two-hand quartz watch just 6.9 mm thick, with a domed sapphire crystal, a black dial and a gold-tone steel bracelet. It costs around $200 to $250.
Bulova Modern Millenia 97L175, 32mm, Black Dial, Gold Stainless Steel Bracelet
View productThe Sutton (96P249) is smaller still at 28 mm and 8 mm thick, with a pink dial, sapphire crystal and a steel bracelet with a push-button clasp, for around $250 to $300. Both are rated to 30 m, so neither is meant for swimming. For more ideas, see the best watches for women.
Bulova picks compared
| Model | Case | Movement | Water resistance | Crystal | Price range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lunar Pilot 96A225 | 45 mm | High Performance Quartz | 50 m | Sapphire | $450 to $500 |
| Archive Series 96B251 | 45 mm | High Performance Quartz (262 kHz) | 50 m | Sapphire | $450 to $500 |
| Precisionist 96B158 | 42 mm | Quartz | 30 m | Mineral | $250 to $300 |
| Icon 98B408 | 40 mm | Quartz | 100 m | Curved sapphire | $400 to $450 |
| Classic 98A187 | 39 mm | Miyota 82S7 | 30 m | Mineral | $225 to $275 |
| Military Hack 96A246 | 38 mm | Miyota 8215 | 30 m | Mineral | $250 to $300 |
| Surveyor 96B429 | 39 mm | Miyota 8215 | 30 m | Sapphire | $350 to $400 |
| Classic Surveyor 97B234 | 39 mm | Automatic, caliber not listed | 30 m | Sapphire | $400 to $450 |
| Maquina 98A224 | 46 mm | Japanese automatic | 100 m | Sapphire | $350 to $400 |
| Marine Star 96B431 | 43 mm | Precisionist | 200 m | Sapphire | $350 to $400 |
| Oceanographer Snorkel GMT 98B407 | 41 mm | Miyota 9075 | 200 m | Sapphire box | $800 to $850 |
| Modern Millenia 97L175 | 32 mm | Quartz | 30 m | Domed sapphire | $200 to $250 |
| Sutton 96P249 | 28 mm | Quartz | 30 m | Sapphire | $250 to $300 |
All but one of these picks come in under $500. To compare them with other brands, see the best watches under $500.
Specifications
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Case sizes | 28 to 46 mm |
| Movements | 262 kHz quartz, Miyota automatics, other Japanese automatics |
| Water resistance | 30 to 200 m |
| Crystals | Sapphire or mineral, depending on the model |
| Price range on Amazon (US), October 2026 | About $200 to $850 |
Pros
- Lunar Pilot: a sapphire-crystal chronograph tied to the Apollo 15 Moon mission
- Precisionist and High Performance Quartz: 262 kHz movements with a smooth-sweeping seconds hand
- Surveyor: a Miyota automatic with a sapphire crystal and a steel bracelet
- Marine Star: 200 m of water resistance, a ceramic bezel insert and a sapphire crystal
Cons
- Classic Automatic and Military Hack: mineral crystal instead of sapphire
- Automatics: four of the six in this guide are rated to only 30 m
- Lunar Pilot and Maquina: 45 and 46 mm cases are large for slim wrists
Verdict
If you want a story, buy the Lunar Pilot (96A225). For an everyday automatic, the Surveyor 39mm (96B429) strikes the best balance of sapphire crystal, bracelet and price, while the Marine Star (96B431) is the sensible choice for swimming and diving. Travelers can step up to the Oceanographer Snorkel GMT, and smaller wrists should go for the Modern Millenia or Sutton.
Watches we recommend
Frequently asked questions
Is the Bulova Lunar Pilot the watch worn on the Moon?
Not exactly. It's a modern watch based on the Bulova chronograph David Scott wore on the Moon during Apollo 15 in 1971. The 96A225 version uses a High Performance Quartz movement in a 45 mm steel case with a sapphire crystal and 50 m of water resistance.
What is special about the Bulova Precisionist movement?
Both the Precisionist and High Performance Quartz movements vibrate at 262 kHz, much faster than the 32 kHz crystal in an ordinary quartz watch. That higher frequency improves accuracy and gives you a smooth-sweeping seconds hand. In this guide, the Marine Star and Icon are both listed with the 262 kHz Precisionist movement.
Which Bulova automatic watches use Miyota movements?
In this guide, the Classic Automatic 98A187 uses the Miyota 82S7, the Military Heritage Hack 96A246 and Surveyor 96B429 use the Miyota 8215, and the Oceanographer Snorkel GMT 98B407 uses the Miyota 9075. Miyota is Citizen's Japanese movement-making arm.
Can you swim with a Bulova Surveyor?
The Surveyor 39mm (96B429) and Classic Surveyor (97B234) are both water resistant to only 30 m, which covers rain and hand washing but not swimming. For water use, the Marine Star and Oceanographer Snorkel GMT offer 200 m with screw-down crowns.
About the author
Serdar D.Watch Editor
View profileSerdar D. is the editor at BraveryWatch. He believes a good watch should be not just expensive but right. He gets deep into the details, then turns them into something that is genuinely a pleasure to read. He gives relaxed, useful advice through the eyes of someone who truly cares about watches.
