I thought sure I knew what I had when I won this... now... no clue.

Submitted by plainsmen on August 12, 2011 - 12:07am

So when I found this old boy I thought WOOT!!  A LONE EAGLE IV !!!   Wrong...

Look at that movement... 9AT in a double stamped 1929 - 1930 15 Jewel.... Swiss?  Hrmm...

And YES I have seen a case stamped like this before... but am I correct ... is that a DATE STAMP on the outside of the case next to the Bulova showing 1929?!

Anyway... this goofy thing still looks danged near exact to the LEIV...  except maybe broader of case/dial?

OldTicker
Posted August 12, 2011 - 7:54am

Is there anything stamped inside the caseback Jerin??

mybulova_admin
Posted August 12, 2011 - 8:40am

I don't think that its a date symbol on the case. Anything match this design in 1929...let's check.

mybulova_admin
Posted August 12, 2011 - 8:54am

Nothing like this case in 1929, so my thoughts are that this watch gas had a movement and dail transplant at some point as the dial isn't that of the LE IV either.

vintagebulova.com
Posted August 12, 2011 - 10:08am

Does the 9 series movement fit snugly in the case back?

 

Jay

vintagebulova.com

shooter144
Posted August 12, 2011 - 11:08am

 

 

simpletreasures
Posted August 12, 2011 - 11:50am

In reply to by shooter144

Couldn't have said it better myself, Shooter ;-p

Elgin Doug
Posted August 12, 2011 - 2:21pm

What if it's 1940 instead of 1930?  Would a Swiss 9AT make more sense then? 

The case looks like the Commentator, especially with the additional crease on the stepped-out sides.  The dial's wrong, but it could be a later addition or unknown variant, though it seems to fit the bezel well.

plainsmen
Posted August 12, 2011 - 6:44pm

Actually fits pretty perfectly into the case.  No looseness at all.

Wayne Hanley
Posted August 13, 2011 - 1:19pm

Plains

The case & the bracelet match the Lone Eagle IV ads from 1933 to 1935. However, all of the aforementioned LE IV ads call for 17 jewels. The fact that your 9AT 15 jewel movement is clearly marked with an square shield manufacturing date of 1929 & an Omega symbol = 1930 release date, is definetly a mismatch year-wise. I have a 1931 LE III with a 9AT, but it's a match.

Bulova 1935 Vintage Advert

Geoff Baker
Posted August 14, 2011 - 5:45am

For my money, it's an LE IV with a replacement mvnt. Everything about it IS the watch in the ad above, until you pop off the back. It even has the ORIGINAL bracelet, that I think was made for this watch.

Here's my question, would Jerin be committing a crime by dropping a period '34 mvnt into this case and calling it a 4? I say not.

gb

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted August 14, 2011 - 7:52am

gb,

Everything is, until the back is off.

The inside caseback is not stamped in the traditional Bulova fashion. The stamp next to the word 'Bulova' on the outer back is the manufacturers mark of Keystone Watch Case Co as the Watch Case is a Jeweler replacement, not Bulova original.

To answer Your question IMO it would be a huge crime.

 

shooter144
Posted August 14, 2011 - 10:16am

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

I would bet that fully 10% of the watches from this era have proper replacement mvmts in them....their is no way to differentiate between the factory installed mvmnt and a proper replacement . If its a crime to do this, its a crime to redial, re hand re band...must I go on? If its a correct  mvmnt replace it.

Geoff Baker
Posted August 15, 2011 - 7:17am

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

 ........that having been said, the crime then would be calling it a Bulova to begin with!

Interesting story on Keystone ( yup, that mark is a keystone alright, any resident of PA would know that). Never knew of these blokes, puts this watch in a whole new light. A replacement CASE that's a ringer for the original, attached to a matching bracelet.......who'd a thunk it?

Thanks Mark. I guess thats why we have these talks.

plainsmen
Posted September 18, 2011 - 3:53pm

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

I think I'm going to have to disagree that this is not a Bulova Original case.  I have now seen at least 5 of these cases with that Keystone Watch Case Co BULOVA stamped.  All from around 1935 +/- a few years.

I'm believing more and more that Bulova must have made a deal with this company and that they supplied Bulova with cases for that time period.

I've now found a AMBASSADOR case stamped with that symbol next to the Bulova.  I believe these were made for Bulova... and Bulova used them originally.

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted August 15, 2011 - 11:09am

Always a pleasure Geoff.

: )

Shooter,

The issue is the Case, not the movement.

shooter144
Posted September 18, 2011 - 7:54pm

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

Yes , but the question was would it be criminal to put a correctly dated proper mvmnt into it and call it good....before the keystone case issue was noted. But if its criminal at least the right cops are involved !!!! The Keystone Cops LMAO

Geoff Baker
Posted September 18, 2011 - 8:32pm

In reply to by shooter144

Shooter.....you need something to do? Wash my car, will ya?  ;)

shooter144
Posted September 18, 2011 - 8:47pm

In reply to by Geoff Baker

Hey I am shining up a case as I type !!!!

Geoff Baker
Posted September 18, 2011 - 9:04pm

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

.......sooooooooo sorry I started this thread

so very, very sorry

Wayne Hanley
Posted August 14, 2011 - 4:31pm

I don't have an LE IV. You may have a good point there Fifth. Can you show us a pic of how your LE IV is stamped in the traditional Bulova fashion? Or one that you have restored?

 

 

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted September 18, 2011 - 9:25pm

No, but I own plenty of other models that are Wayne.