I will say right up front I know nothing about watches. I have an old Bulova that belonged to my Dad that I recently had restored. My problem is I don't know the model. It's not a real problem it's just a nagging question. I had the watch restored because it was a possesion my Dad prized very highly. It is also something I can pass to my son, and he to his. I thought it was a 1950 Cadet from info I found here. However, when I sent it in to be restored the watchmaker mentioned something I had not paid attention to. My watch has some scrolls on the lugs that are not present on the Cadet. I hope someone here can help me nail down the model of this watch. The date code is L0 on both the case and the movement. The case serial number is 1650347.
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The first thing I noticed was the lugs which look really nice. A model I have not come across before either. I am betting the crystal dimensions are the same as a cadet also so that won't be any help. The only hope is that someone comes up with the original advert. Great watch.
In reply to I did the restoration of this by vintagebulova.com
NICE ONE!
I also like the lugs on the "MAXIM," or "RODERICK?!"
Hmmm... I'm inclined to think it's the "ROD..." as he's listed in the 1950 BB catalog... and the "MAX" isn't until 1951+ in the Perfit, etc. No way to know for sure yet, w/o an ad+ but I'd wager it's one of the two, and 80%+ on the RODERICK???
GREAT WORK, Jay!!
:-) Scott
Maxim CMT278-10 RMU83 MT2087, 88, 89 203 MB209/2 205
Roderick CMT278-10 RMU83 MT2089 204 MB209/2 205
In reply to While NOVA- Novice's watch by dcgc53
In reply to GOOD POINTS... Is yours also by WatchCrystals.net
Yes the date codes on my watch are L0 on both the case and the movement. I know this watch was never tampered with except by my Dad. It quit running and he put it away. For some reason he would not take the watch to the jewelers to try to get it fixed. After many years he attempted to fix it himself. Once he had it apart, he could not put it back together. He put all of the parts in a cigarette celophane, rolled it up and put that inside a old penny match box and put it away again. He passed away in 1984 and I found the watch along with some other personal possesions. I then put the watch away for another 25 + years before I decided to get it restored. When I sent it to Jay it was just as I found it and he made it LIKE NEW. Here's the pix I sent Jay when telling him about the watch..jpg)
There is no way that the dial and hands on that black example are correct for the watch. Check out the bad fit of that crystal.
Jay
Yeah, I agree it needs work. It was only presented as another example of the same case.
Maybe Jay would be willing to fix up mine as well.
dcgc53 - since you're new to watch collecting, you may not know that sometimes watches get tampered with along the way, and sometimes not in a good way like yours. People use whatever dial or hands or crystal they have handy rather than the appropriate ones. The end result is a inauthentic, often very unattractive, mess. My watch is the same model as yours, but mine needs to be put to rights--and it will be so eventually.
NOVA...
Always up for putting a Bulova back to fighting shape. Especially a rare bird such as this one. The case on your looks really good, everything else can be fixed.
Jay
I'd like to know the correlation between an ill fitting Crystal and the Dial and Hand combination on NOVA'S Watch?
Obviously whoever fitted the Glass wasn't competant enough to a refurb.
Dial and Hands may very well be original as the numerals are laid in the exact positions as dcgc53's unknown.
Hands are correct for a 10BC and coincide with the Black 'War era' Dial (1950 being the 'Korean War' era).
Original to the piece is My call.
Yah...
Lisa needs a (NOS) style mineral glass crystal (vs. that aftermarket, molded acrylic... is it?)
Then a better "redial" from International Dial, Kirk Dial, etc.
And perhaps another pair of hands, IF those are incorrect?
And that watch will (already) look GREAT again!
:-) Scott
P.S. Also just spotted another one, on eBay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/MIB-MENS-1951-L1-VINTAGE-BULOVA-15j-FANCY-GOLD-TONN…
It's kinda like buyng a new car. Before you buy it you never see one on the road, and then after they are all over the place.
Jay