Bulova Watch Lookup Serial Number System#

Bulova Watch Lookup Serial Number System

BULOVA : In the 1950s Bulova incorporated a symbol system to date the watches they manufactured.Some of the rarest antique Bulova watches are the art deco ones from the 1910-1920s, which can be made of platinum and have real diamonds. An вЂAвЂ™ indicates a watch made in the 1940s and вЂLвЂ™ codes show a watch made in the 1950s.Determining the Authenticity and Identity of a Bulova WatchBoth companies went to a different serial number system and the date of manufacture is not determinable by these letter & number serials. Beginning in the 1940s, Bulova put serial numbers on the interior case of the watches. The era of the Bulova watch does not usually mean higher value, but it at least gives you a clue as to the style and quality of the interior works.

The most popular Bulova collection is the Accutron, with 8,719 listings in our database from the last 12 months.Search within r/Watches. Bulova watches typically sell for between 32 - 750. (Note, however, that some watches made in the late 1970s-such as LEDs, LCDs, and quartz models-may not have the Bulova signature on the movement, and they may not have a traditional dial, but those instances are limited and obvious.)Bulova is a American watch brand founded in 1875.

There may be instances in very early watches-such as those that apparently date to pre-1920-where the dial is not signed, but those rare examples are the only instances where a Bulova dial does not read 'Bulova'. The dial must be signed 'Bulova', or, if an Accutron, 'Accutron' or 'Bulova Accutron' (or Accuquartz). Read reviews for Bulova Mens Computron Archive Series Black Silicone Watch, 98C135. Read reviews for Bulova Mens Computron Silver-Tone Stainless Steel Watch, 96C139. Log in 4.7 out of 5 stars. Posted by 28 days ago IDENTIFY Bulova watch, no serial number 'Bulova P1' 4 comments.

There are many examples of these non-Bulova watches, sold as genuine Bulovas, on popular auction sites.Example 1: The word 'Movement' on the dial indicates a watch that was not made by Bulova The movement was in fact made by Bulova, but nothing else about the watch was. Here's an example of a watch with 'Movement' on the dial. Such verbiage is an announcement that the only thing genuinely Bulova about the watch is the movement-the dial and case were made my someone else. The dial should not read 'Movement' under the 'Bulova' signature.

That one exception is a very early line of watches-perhaps Bulova's very first line-called the 'Rubaiyat'. With only one known exception, a Bulova watch should be signed 'Bulova' in one form or another. Co.' (pre-May 1923) or 'Bulova Watch Co', or, in very early and very late models, simply 'Bulova'.

Information on Westfields can be found at Westfield by Bulova.Once it has been verified that the watch is fully signed, the other elements of the watch (e.g., dial, movement, hands) must be examined to determine if they are original to the case. It is important to be familiar with the information contained in that page, as anything outside of those specified parameters should be carefully considered.Please note that Westfields and Caravelles, which were made by Bulova, have their own signature parameters, which are not covered in this discussion. A detailed description of Bulova case signatures, as well as the signatures of other case makers that Bulova used, can be found at Bulova Case Signatures. The case signature can take one of many forms, but it will, with very few exeptions, include 'Bulova' somewhere on the case. The vast majority of Bulova made watches will bear some form of 'Bulova' on the movement.

Finding these numbers is not typical, so don't be surprised if they are not there. If these numbers match the first three digits of the case serial number, you know that the movement and case were intended to go together. In some older models from the 1920s and early 1930s, you may find a set of Roman numerals on the edge of the movement holder. If the dial has not been refinished, does it show signs that it has been in that case versus another case (e.g., is there a visible line fo dirt/wear on the dial that matches the bezel shape)? If not, the dial (and possibly the movement also) may have been taken from another case. Do the movement and dial fit the case snuggly, or do they rattle around? Rattling could indicate that something is simply missing-like the dust shield and retainer ring, or the screws that secure the movement to its holder-or it could indicate that the movement was not intended for that case. Determining the integrity of the watch as a whole takes practice, and an important part of that process involves verifying the date of the movement and case, which is addressed below.

These markings are particularly useful in early watches where the hinge is broken, leaving the back free, and in later models that have separate backs that snap on to the bezel. Below is an example of this phenomenon. In some, but not all models throughout the decades, the inside edge of the top of the case is hand-inscribed with the Roman numerals that match the last three digits of the case serial number. Similar to the last bullet, in some models it is possible to verify that the back of the case was intended to be paired with the top of the case.

This process is important to determine if the watch is genuine and authentic as well as to identify the model name. Note, however, that there are a couple of known examples where the outer track does not mirror the shape of the bezel in the original watch, as made by Bulova, but those examples are by far the exception rather than the rule (see 1930 Sky King and 1932 President without wandering seconds dial).Examples 3 and 4: dial does not belong to case, as evidenced by outer minutes track not following lines of the inner bezelThe next step is to identify the date of manufacture of both the movement and case. These are obvious examples the differences in lines and proportions can be much more subtle. Note the difference between the shape of the outer dial tracks versus the shape of the case bezels.

So, Bulova collectors must find another avenue for determining the model name assigned to each watch. Moreover, the current owner of the Bulova line of watches claims to have no records regarding models older than 1960, and, in some cases, older than 1980. Trends in hands and dials, and changes in those trends through the years, will start to become obvious as you spend time studying the examples.Bulova elected not to include any indication of the model name on the watch itself. By simply spending time looking at the watch posting for each decade, you can identify typical features for that time period. Learning the styles takes time, but Watchophilia offers a great place to start. Dials and hands changed styles through the decades, and you need to acquire a basic understanding of the various styles in order to know if all the elements of your watch work together as a cohesive unit.

Gilbert, Tom Engle, and Cooksey Shugart. For every watch in my collection, I have attempted to match the watch to a vintage Bulova advertisement or another reputable publication, such as 'The Complete Price Guide to Watches', by Richard E. They can be found here, on eBay, and elsewhere on the Web. The effort to gather vintage Bulova advertisements is ongoing. The most helpful of these is a vintage advertisement that clearly depicts the watch and gives complete details regarding its features.

Therefore, in early models, differences in jewel count between the only known advertisement and the watch have been noted, but where the movement date and case date are the same, the difference is deemed inconsequential, as the movement is assumed to have been an alternative offered at the original point of sale. In early watches, the advertisements very rarely show the same case with different jewel counts as bearing different names. So, in my view, the dial alone should not control the ID unless the advertisements clearly prove that a different dial signifies a different model, or model variant, in an otherwise identical case.Similarly, differences in jewel count may or may not be important. However, many dial variants are seen throughout the years, and many of those variations, especially in the early models, are not shown in the available advertisements. Some consideration is also given to the dial and the jewel count.

Bulova Watch Serial Number Lookup