Bulova watch - 1941 or 42? What model is it?

Submitted by notacharger on April 3, 2011 - 9:54am

I've got a Bulova watch, movement number is 10BE, which indicates 1941, I believe.  However, it's stamped with the "T" symbol, which indicates 1942.  The movement says "15 jewels"  The band says something like "Bellavance Inc 1/2 ounce" on it.  Case serial number is 3108453.  Don't know where to find the movement serial number.  Does anyone know what model this is, and whether or not the band could be original?

 

www.mybulova.com/watches/1942-cambridge-2098


FifthAvenueRes…
Posted April 3, 2011 - 10:26am

1942

notacharger
Posted April 3, 2011 - 10:32am

Thank you.

 

Any ideas as to the band, or what metal the watch and band are made of?  Is this a rare watch?  I don't even wear a watch, so I know nothing about them.

plainsmen
Posted April 3, 2011 - 10:46am

For the most part these were mass produced watches.  There are thousands of these out there still I'm sure.  You should be able to read the back of the watch and find it's probably gold plated.

The watch with the band in that condition would probably fetch a Benjamin if polished up nicely.

(after reading what you have about the band is could be solid... which would be worth a nice penny) Before you sell it you might want to have a jeweler look at the band.

notacharger
Posted April 3, 2011 - 10:46am

Thanks.  It belonged to my grandfather. 

plainsmen
Posted April 3, 2011 - 10:46am

That's how I started collecting... my grandfather's watch.

notacharger
Posted April 3, 2011 - 10:54am

I don't think I could ever bring myself to sell it, though I don't wear it (band is too small), and I don't have a son to pass it down to, and I can't imagine that any man who marries one of my daughters would be worthy of me giving him my grandfather's watch, lol.  It pretty much sits in a jewelry box.

 

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted April 3, 2011 - 11:07am

I doubt the Watch would have came originally on the Bellavance flex band, the markings on the back are possibly'1/20 GF Tops' which means the top sections only are Gold filled the rest will be Stainless Steel. The band looks 1950's.

Nice Watch with sentimental value - priceless.

notacharger
Posted April 3, 2011 - 11:19am

I looked at the band again.  I *think* it says 1/2010KGF on it.  I'm not sure about the zero between the 2 and the 1, only because the numbers are small and I can't get a good angle with the magnifying glass.  The rest I'm sure about.  As you described, it's gold on top and stainless on the underside.

shooter144
Posted April 3, 2011 - 1:57pm

In reply to by notacharger

The band is  filled ( a process of bonding a thin sheet of specific karat gold to a base metal by solder and heat and then rolled under heat and pressure to form thin sheets used to make the jewelry)...back in the day to be considered a specific 'k'  fill, the gold content had to be a certain percentage of the total weight of the  fill piece, in this case 10k minimum and 1/20th by weight gold fill to the actual plated piece (usually in watch bracelets, only the top piece was fill, the remainder was stainless)
A good description is found here http://www.milkywayjewels.com/gf_figs/gold_fill_article.html

notacharger
Posted April 3, 2011 - 2:03pm

Awesome info.  Thank you.