Greetings, my 92 year old father just gave me his watch that he says he bought in the early 50s. It's a rectangular case, has a Bulova marked crown, and the back reads 10k rolled gold Bulova. Also on the back there is a number 9528937. But the dial is marked Bulova "movement" and has blued hands. So I'm wondering if this is a real Bulova or a "jobber" watch or what. Wish I could post a picture but I can't get the file size down to what this site requires. Any comments are welcomed. Thanks Jim
These watches are the result of an aftermarket marriage of a dial, case and hands and a genuine Bulova movt. There were a few companies that made these and advertised them, but I seem to remember that Bulova had not authorized this and there were some legal issues they faced.
For the purpose of our records, we call these watches 'Non-Conforming' and we make note of what it is that makes them so.
The reason this happened was, a watch had become so well used or so old that the case and/or dial was damaged, corroded or brassed out, but the movt was still strong. Watchmakers would often either combine parts from several identical or similar watches and the customer would have a running watch again, looking good, to boot. There was no mind paid to whether many years hence they would be viewed as 'frankenwatches' or that the originality would be ruined for collectors. These were everyday items.
We have a thread elsewhere here on the subject, and here is an example of the type of product, by Theodore Kagen Corp:
And another:
Here is one I own that is all Bulova except the face and hands, which is what yours sounds like.
http://www.mybulova.com/watches/1930-non-conforming-8890
I love heirloom watches, the history is a huge part of the story and value. If your Dad bought it from a jeweler, it's possible the watch was a trade - in and had the face and hands replaced to "spiff it up" for resale.