Modern tech meets archival style in the Maeving RM1S and the Bulova Lunar Pilot
You don’t need to look far to notice that vehicles are changing. Internal combustion engines are being replaced for silent electric motors in what is the biggest change to the industry since the dawn of the motoring age. Designs have changed too, with new vehicles often criticised for having a homogeneous look, making them hard to distinguish.
Some of the more inventive vehicles however are choosing to combine the latest technology with classic design that harks back to the golden age of motoring. There’s Morgan, which pairs modern BMW engines and gearboxes with its traditional exterior looks; and Longbow, which makes svelte, streamlined electric sports cars in the vein of Lotus. There’s also Maeving. The British brand’s motorcycles are entirely electric, powered by small rechargeable batteries you can remove and charge at home. But see one in the street and you’ll appreciate the throwback silhouette, with a look and feel that references classic 1970s cafe racers. Perhaps the most interesting contemporary machines have one eye on the past.
There are parallels in watches. Take the Bulova Lunar Pilot. Part of the brand’s Archive Series, the watch’s vintage-inspired design is directly taken from a Bulova chronograph worn by Apollo 15 astronaut David Scott during a moonwalk in 1971, after his NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster failed. A brilliant marketing win for Bulova, making it one of only two privately owned watches to have been worn on the Moon. The other being a Rolex GMT-Master worn by Apollo 14’s Edgar Mitchell. Unlike Scott’s (mechanical) original, the Lunar Pilot is driven using a proprietary quartz movement. With a frequency of 262 kHz, eight times greater than standard quartz, it’s incredibly accurate and will lose or gain only a few seconds per year, and, with a sweeping seconds hand, it still retains much of the classic feel of a mechanical movement.
Back on Earth and on the graffitied streets of London’s Shoreditch, with its throwback looks and modern battery-powered underpinning, it’s a watch that works perfectly with the neo-retro Maeving. This particular model is the RM1S, the most powerful bike the brand makes, with two 2.73 kWh batteries and a Brushless DB motor. It’s enough to propel it to a 70mph top speed, and is perfectly quick for nipping around city streets. Incredibly lightweight, it’s well suited for filtering between cars on the commute, and can leap away on a green light like a racing hound. It also looks the part, with a classic tank (which stores phones and wallets rather than petrol) and a simple frame designed by ex-Triumph and McLaren engineers. Classic motorcycle details include powder-coated bar end mirrors, spoked wheels and a bobber-style diamond stitched seat.
On the wrist the Lunar Pilot wears smaller than its 45mm case size would suggest. This is thanks in part to the rounded-lug profile case, which shrinks the inner of the black dial; and also the supplied black NATO strap, which secures it close to the wrist. Slim, elongated hour markers and pencil hands further the visual diet, while the sizeable chronograph pushers are easy to operate with gloves or without. Indeed, the Lunar Pilot is a comfortable all-day wearer. It’s also very easy to style. You can dress it up with an unstructured suit and a knitted polo for the office, or down with a waxed motorcycle jacket and selvedge denim on the bike. Combining modern functional efficiency with vintage-inspired looks, it – like the Maeving – marries the best of new and old.
The Bulova Lunar Pilot is priced at £499 and available from www.bulova.com
The Maeving RM1S is priced at £7,495 and available from www.maeving.com
