![]() ![]() I have recently begun to develop a theory regarding certain "markers' that may help us identify the date-at least with a reasonable degree of certainty-of these very early watches. So, the lists may be incomplete and even inaccurate to the extent that they contain information on movements that are not on-hand and available for examination and verification. However, it is important to note that all such movement lists are based on observations of examples rather than any official Bulova documentation. For one such movement list visit Bulova Movements. Consultation with online movement lists may provide at least ballpark information regarding the date of the watch. Of further assistance in determining the date of these watches may be the movement caliber, if one is printed on the movement. Post-1923 movement showing "BULOVA Watch Co." signature Below are examples of the two movement signatures seen in early Bulova watches, with the example on the right becoming the standard signature after April 1923. Narrowing down the date beyond that with certainty may not be possible based on current information. Co." on the movement, and with an "American Standard" only case signature, pre-dates April 1923. So, we may further extrapolate that any watch without a movement date code, with "Bulova W. Moreover, that change corresponds nicely with the introduction of movement date codes. That is, any watch movement with the signature "Bulova W. Bulova Company to the Bulova Watch Company, thereby providing an important date reference for these watches based on the movement signature. This change quite likely coincides with the April 1923 re-incorporation of the J. ![]() Co.", rather than "Bulova Watch Co.", as seen on slightly later models. Specifically, very early movements read "Bulova W. For a detailed analysis, and examples, of Bulova case signatures through the years, Bulova Case Signatures.Īdditionally, a very early movement is likely to bear a different Bulova signature than the signature seen in later models. The case signature begins to include the Bulova name around 1924. Rather they bear one of the "American Standard" case signatures. Very early Bulova models do not have "Bulova" stamped on the case. There are, however, several clues that can be of assistance in at least narrowing down the date. ![]() Therefore, determining the date of one of these early models is difficult and often impossible to accomplish with absolute certainty. ![]() (For a list of those codes, visit Bulova Date Codes.) Additionally, the case serial numbers on those early watches tend to begin with "1" or "2" and appear to bear no correlation to the date the watch was made. For example, movements made prior to 1924 do not bear the standard movement date code found on watches dated 1924 through 1949. Watches manufactured prior to 1926 are difficult to date with certainty. Below are images showing the two patent dates that often cause confusion. Those designs were used on many watches produced over a number of years, and the applicable patent date in no way indicates when any particular watch was produced. In point of fact, those patent dates apply only to certain aspects of the case design and indicate only when those general designs were patented. Many observers of Bulova watches are confused by the sometimes seen patent dates stamped on the inside of some Bulova watch cases, and they misinterpret such dates as the time of manufacture. These codes and the manner in which they should be interpreted is the subject of this article. Rather, the date must be "de-coded" using symbols, serial numbers, and two-character codes placed on various parts of the watch. In general, for all time periods, it is important to understand that Bulova watches never provide an obvious date of manufacture anywhere on the watch. Those three date ranges are differentiated by the presence or absence of certain case and movement markings as well as the nature of any such markings, as explained below. For purposes of assigning a date, Bulova watches break down nicely into three basic groups: 1) pre-1926, 2) 1926 through 1949, and 3) 1950 and beyond. ![]()
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