Curved shape, Omega date mark (1940), bought 1999 in Palo Alto, CA for $250. "B-10K Gold Fill" on case.
Watch has a white face, appears yellow through amber crystal. Watch is 9.5/10 functional and aesthetic condition. Crystal size is an exact match for MX432, which corresponds to the "Palm Beach", the original designation of this watch.
However, in August, 2012, an ad surfaced which almost certainly demonstrates that this watch is the 1939 Marshall model.
Pix of the movement and inner case are available in the comments section.
Many heartfelt thanks to the denizens of MyBulova, who generously shared their time and expertise to help ID this watch!
EDIT 2012.08.09. Changed from 1939 Palm Beach to 1940 Marshall by request of owner. Will Smith
In reply to I would use "Palm Beach" as by OldTicker
And this is why we need a tentative id of some sort added to some of these so that we know what is and what isnt 100%, otherwise this watch is tagged, but not 100% and sooner or later people stop looking and its accepted. Then another watch comes along and is identified the same based on this id, and now we have 2 possible wrong id's. Nothing wrong with giving this a name but if its not 100% we need to ba able to show that it isnt. I think its better to have a tentative ID than to leave everything an Unknown as it give a new set of eyes a place to start. maybe its as simple as adding (?) to the names in the database to be used for possible id's ie double the DB of names....'Blackout' and 'Blackout(?)' 'Senator' and 'Senator(?)......
In reply to And this is why we need a by shooter144
In reply to And this is why we need a by shooter144
Sounds fair to me. I'm an art historian and our systems of identification are very similar. In many cases, there will never be any definitive proof of authorship. Still, with enough corroborating evidence and respected connoisseurship, we still make attributions. If/when further evidence comes to light, it is taken into consideration and attribution can be changed.
As for the watches, I like the idea of diversifying the categorization beyond a binary ID/Unknown system. Adding a designation of "tentative " or "(?)" or "unconfirmed" would help strengthen the quality of the data in the MyBulova database.
My $0.02. Thanks again for all your help! Cheers, N
In reply to A "Palm Beach," eh? I was by WatchCrystals.net
In reply to A "Palm Beach," eh? I was by WatchCrystals.net
Actually it IS almost certainly the "Palm Beach..." since the 1937 "Biarritz" is a 17J with slightly different lug tips... So I'd wager the BIARRITZ is a 1937 release... (or 12/36?) And the PALM BEACH is then a (for purchase) as of either 12/37, or more likely an early, mid or latter 1938 release???
:-) Scott