This watch takes strong design cues from the Tissot Heritage 1973 & Bulova Lunar Pilot of 2016. The hours, minutes and milliseconds markers from the former and the 1970s tonneau case shape from the latter with a tweaked pusher design.
The Tissot Heritage 1973 pays tribute to the F1 race drivers of the 1960s and ‘70s who risked life and limb in their quest for a place on the podium. That era of racing scourged with a high number of accidents and fatalities on the track, made the sport the epitome of 'absolute insanity'!
Bulova specially developed a watch for space travel, worn for the first time in 1963 inside the Mercury Atlas-9 capsule that orbited the Earth. Then on August 2, 1971, during the Apollo 15 mission, their moon pilot chronograph was worn on the moon by Mission Commander Colonel Dave Scott. Customized for astronomical conditions, the electronic-powered Accutron Astronaut, could precisely track time and ensure that no one ran out of oxygen, water or battery power in the portable life-support-system backpack. It was also used to back up the on-board timers for the critical re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. It is recorded that although used by Colonel Scott as a backup watch to the team's custom Omega Speedmaster, it proved indestructible while the Omega's crystal reportedly popped off.
Bulova and NASA shared 46 missions together (mid-1950s - 1970s), and Bulova’s innovative Accutron technology was used in all instrument panel clocks and timekeeping mechanisms for space exploration. The Bulova Lunar Pilot Archive Series pays tribute to that piece of remarkable history when Bulova played a noteworthy role during the height of the U.S.A.’s Space Race with the Soviet Union.
Accutron Astronaut watches also became standard issue for the pilots of the U.S. Air Force’s X-15 experimental rocket-powered aircraft program and eventually for CIA pilots in their Lockheed A-12 supersonic jets.
Now to the homage - Pagani Design's tonneau, 42.7mm dia. case (including crown and pushers) is smaller than the Bulova's 45 or 43.5mm case options. This watch wears small, thanks slim case, downward facing lugs, 47mm lug-to-lug length (and female end links in the metal bracelet). It is suitable for 6" wrists too.
The upper section of the 316L stainless steel case is entirely brush-finished with a high-polish bezel ring and underside for contrast. The outer edges of the bottom of the case do feel a bit sharp. The screw-down rear case is solid without an exhibition window.
The dial is matt finished with a printed minutes/milliseconds track. The hour indices appear applied as they are lumed. Lume has also been partially applied to the central hour and minute pointers. The position of the bold minute and hour pointers is clearly visible at a glance.
The sub-dial pointers at 3 & 9 o'clock, and the tip of the chronograph (central) seconds pointer, should have been a vibrant red instead of the rather pale orange.
The colour-coded sub-dial at 6 o'clock displaying running seconds, breaks the mould of uniformity as seen on a sprinkling of other chronograph watches - the Seiko Dress Chronograph SSB405P1, the Victorinox Swiss Army Alpnach and the Shinola Runwell Sport Chronograph to name a few.
The trusty Seiko VK63 meca-quartz has been professionally tested for accuracy in the range of +/-15 to 20 seconds per month. The chronograph features firm pushers with snap-back resetting and perfect alignment of the central chronograph seconds pointer.
Water resistance is a matter of debate - claimed at 100 metres, many are of the opinion that the vintage style pushers will be the cause of that claim falling far short.
I love leather straps colour-matched with the watch dial as they provide nice continuity. This perforated, 20mm leather strap with red stitching, does just that! It is a bit stiff but of good quality and lends a sporty appearance to this elegant watch. The customary PD-signed, brush-finished buckle, rounds off overall good aesthetics. With quick-release spring bars, one can wear a range of after-market straps to suit. A chainmail strap looks pretty good too!
The double domed, AR-coated, sapphire crystal is 'crystal clear', offering an exceptionally clear view of the dial and its contents at very acute angles too.
The PD-1782 is a piece of work. It is elegant and vintage yet sporty and contemporary, especially when worn with leather, velour or denim belts. It is an amalgamated impression of two diverse fields - racing and space. I think these attributes make it quite rare in the PD line-up and a strong reason why every enthusiast should have one.