Bulova Men’s Watch 96B251 Review.
Hello, today I’m doing a Bulova 96B251 review. This is a limited edition stunning remake of the Bulova Moon watch that made history on August 2, 1971, during the Apollo 15 mission when it was worn on the moon. Today I take a closer look at this great timepiece. If you like this look of this brand you should read my full Bulova watches review.
(Click on any image to head straight to the product page for prices and specifications)
Anyway, I’ll get on with my Bulova 96B251 review below and you can find out the price on Amazon today, enjoy.
At the bottom of the article, I’ll show you some of my recommended places to buy this watch from
My Initial Thoughts On This Watch
I’m really excited to be taking a closer look at this timepiece, it looks awesome and has all the high-quality components to go with it. Bulova has reinvented the Bulova moon watch with this special edition watch that replicates the original timepiece but is updated with Bulova’s impressive ultra-high performance quartz movement. Yes, it’s fair to say the original was an automatic, but you really can’t argue with the sheer accuracy of the 262kHz frequency movement.
This special edition Bulova moon watch looks sleek and sophisticated, a sensible stylish choice in my opinion. They’ve really gone the extra mile with the detailing, the carbon style textured strap looks extra impressive. The dial is set up in a very nice manner with these small chronograph sub dials that take up less than others in the industry. Speaking of the chronograph function, the pushers look unique and is a key difference that sets this watch apart from many other chronograph timepieces. There’s a simple date display tucked neatly away at the 4.30 position which I think works quite well with the overall design.
The watch is very easy to read, as you’d expect from a watch that needed to be easily read whilst on the moon. The modern replica uses super-luminous hands and hour markers for excellent brightness in the dark. The anti-reflective sapphire glass also goes that extra mile to make your reading easier, avoiding any glare that you’d sometimes struggle with in a cheaper watch.
You’ll see from the packaging picture below that the watch comes with two easily interchangeable straps, along with a tool for ease of use. The first strap is the textured black strap that you see in most the images, the second is a black nylon strap with a nubuck leather patch that commemorates the date of the mission (DOM) as 08.02.1971; UHF 262 kHz also highlights the vibrational frequency of the quartz movement.
Movement
Perhaps one of the most notable features of this watch is the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) movement that Bulova have used. Bulova’s UHF watches offer unparalleled accuracy with a frequency of 262 kHz for precision timekeeping. The UHF movement vibrates eight times higher than a standard quartz watch, this results in higher accuracy to within 10 seconds per year and a continuously sweeping second hand, a really nice feature on a watch.
Type of glass
There’s an impressive sapphire glass in use on this watch. Sapphire glass is often found in high-end watches in the price range. It’s perfect for watches as it has a Mohs hardness rating of 9 meaning you’d need a diamond to scratch it. Sapphire glass offers the highest level of scratch resistance available. An added extra they’ve gone for on this timepiece is the anti-reflective coating, this means you won’t have to put up with a glare.
Size
The watch case has an approximate diameter of 43mm, this is classed as a large men’s watch but these days the 40mm+ sizing is extremely popular. The casing thickness is 14mm which is a little larger than average, but fairly common for the UHF watch range. You can find a side on image of the watch below.
Calendar
I mentioned the date display earlier up. I really like the way they’ve tucked it out the way, to be honest. It’s there if you need it, but it isn’t taking up too much room on the dial, and as you can see from the chronograph dials, they’re trying to make the watch feel more spacious and this date design fits in with that nicely. It’s a simple date function so you’ll have to adjust it for the varying amount of days in each month, as you have to do with most other watches.
Watch strap and clasp
There’re two straps available for this watch, you have the textured black leather edition, and the black nylon with the nubuck patch that I explained earlier. Personally, I prefer the leather edition with this awesome textured effect that really makes the watch stand out. The straps are easily interchangeable, though, and it comes with the tool to assist you so that’s great news. Both straps use a simple buckle style clasp that we’re all use to.
Water Resistance:
The water resistance rating is a good 50m, or 5ATM. 50m water resistance makes it suitable for swimming, white water rafting, non-snorkeling water related work, and fishing.
Features:
Brand: Bulova
Model: 96B251
Dial Window Material: Sapphire Glass with anti-reflective coating
Clasp Type: Buckle style clasp
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Case Diameter: 43mm
Case Thickness: 14mm
Band Material: Genuine Leather first strap, nylon secondary strap
Band Width: 22mm
Calendar: Date display
Movement: Japanese Ultra High-Frequency Quartz Movement
Water Resistance Rating: 50m
Conclusion
This watch is truly very impressive. With inspiration from an iconic moment in space exploration, paired with modern advanced highly accurate movements we get this stunning timepiece that offers very reasonable value for money. Bulova are an extremely reliable brand I recently featured this as one of my best 9 Bulova watches. Overall I’d give this watch a 9/10 and highly recommend checking it out.
I Hope you found this Bulova 96B251 review useful and enjoyable, comment below and let me know what you think of it.
Where to buy the Bulova 96B251
I like to stick to listing retailers that I’ve actually had experience buying from in the past. Below I’ve listed some of the top places to buy this watch from, check all 3 for the best price.
- Buy on Watch Shop
- Buy on The Watch Hut Unavailable
- Amazon
Thanks for reading, find more of my watch reviews below.
