14k Gold Filled Rose Gold. Case, Dial and movement signed Bulova. Blue spear hands and sub sec hand. Dots of silver and dashes of gold for numerals. Black seconds track. Lugs pivot. Dial is rose gold colored. This watch has been discussed before and is supposed to be a Conrad. Needs a crystal and I would prefer a glass one.
In reply to JP's Movement is Dated 1942, by FifthAvenueRes…
In reply to So what are we talking here, by JP
Well Mark has opened another worm can. The caseback could have been swapped out! I've quite a few of these with severe wear through on the caseback. So it could have gone either way, movement or caseback.
Darren, Bulova was using both movements through the mid 40's as evidenced by my 1946 using the 8AE and a 46 Knickerbocker I have using the 8AH. Though the Knickerbocker is a different watch it is the same size as the conrad, just different lugs.
We should only see the 8AH in watches manufactured after 1943, (1944-48) whereas the 8AE was in use from 1932-49.
The 8AH is an ETA 1000 ebauche, whereas the 8AE is a Bulova thing entirely. To swap the two movts would require completely different casebacks. I'm still checking, but I also believe the balances are interchangeable up to a point which would have suited the production.
So, 1942-45, is this an unheard of spread? It was wartime, after all, and many strange situations and delays were likely.
Subject Case SN suggests 1945. Four of the 7 Conrad in DB are 1945 or later, and all four of those have the 8AH. The three earlier examples all have the 8AE. This is consistent w/ what Rob says above. But if the 8AE and 8AH require different case backs to hold the movements, then there must have been two different case back "sizes" in 1945 (or what ever you would call it), as subject 1942 8AE movement looks like it fits 1945 subject caseback fine.
In reply to Subject Case SN suggests by William Smith
Apparently I didn't explain it very well but that's what I was pointing out. Also the fact that JP's serial # is HIGHER than the later '45's with the "newer" 8AH movements. I say newer meaning that it appears that the Conrad used the 8AE earlier and then switched over to the 8AH.
Hmmmmm. Well what we have here is beyond me and I just don't know where to go. Rob, are you saying it is not uncommon for the 8AE to be in my watch or that maybe it needed a better case back due to wear through and may have been swapped out?? Sorry to put you fine gentlemen through all of this mess but I really would like to know what it's all about and if it is legit.
In reply to Hmmmmm. Well what we have by JP
JP Your 1945 case back seems to hold the 1942 movement just fine. I don't see any spacer other than what's there in other Conrads. It sounds like you have a 1945 Conrad w/ an earlier movement which takes a slightly different caseback then those other 1945's. Just interesting to me that the two mvnts take a slightly different case back according to Rev Rob.
1945 Conrad from me!