ALL ORIGINAL: Rose Gold Filled "Driver's watch" model, 10AK 21 Jewel movement, black stylized Arabic hour markers, cobalt blue hands and sub- second hand at six o' clock. Circa 1942... This fine timepiece is perhaps still for sale on eBay, and was just restored by master watchmaker and eBay UK reseller " el-ooose." I also have over 1500 watch crystals for this and about 200 other Bulova models... My Best :-) William
William,
What data do you use to name a Bulova watch? If you have the dimensions of the crystal, is that converted to a crystal number, and then possible models that the crystal can fit? Very interesting & I would love to get a copy of that data.
What is the correct way to measure a crystal? If I have a watch with the crystal missing & don't know the model name, how can I determine what crystal to order?
Thanks
Wayne
Hi Wayne,
I tried to define most of what you're asking here in the Forum, under my Watch Crystal Replacement" tritiste' :-) Hopefully you reviewed those posts, as well???
The most usful tools are a PHYSICAL copy of any most 1940- 1970 crystal catalog... and "digital calipers," so one can simply (and very accurately) guage the crystal proportions in both dirrections... either while still on the watch, or once the crystal is removed. The catalog is mainly useful to better understand the various (20+/-) fancy shapes and sizes, the names of the shapes, and the subtle difference between various curvatures, etc. I deal with "G-S & BB" brand terms, as they are the acrylic and glass crystal standard, for vintage "New Old Stock," watch crystals...
However unless one has a LOT of free time to immerse themselves in "crystal speak," I advise taking a photo or more of the watch/es and emailing them to me, along with the dimensions of the bezel opening, where the crystal seats... (See my forum post for my emails, and more info.) Then I may well already have the ID and part no/s. to locate a suitable replacement? Or perhaps even identify another Bulova model, such as the others I first posted here, I've ID'd in the last week... (More forthcoming, when "TixnTox" and "El-Ooose" soon relist newly ID'd/restored watches for sale, on eBay!
My Regards :-) William
I just acquired one of these--same movement and year as your customer's. It supposedly takes the same crystal as the Westchester, Surgeon, Carrel, Blackhawk, Beacon, and Chief, i.e., G-S CMS390. I can confirm all of those except the Chief--unless that's what this is.
I don't believe this to be the Westchester, as we now have an ad that shows the Westchester as a completely different model with a concurrent date.
I suspect this watch was named on crystal specs alone, and the ID didn't pan out once we actually found the Westchester ad.
We now have ads for five of the six models listed above. So, that leaves the Chief for this one?
In reply to I'm thinking there's a newly by FifthAvenueRes…