Bulova 1946 Cadet

Submitted by neetstuf-4-u on February 8, 2018 - 6:14pm
D
Manufacture Year
1946
Movement Model
10BC
Movement Date Code
Square
Movement Jewels
15
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
6542927
Case shape
Tonneau
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Just got this one; and the outside was so crud dirty that I couldn't see the engraving around crystal. By process of elimination, I believe this is a 1946 Cambridge. It was quite a surprize when the exterior cleaning was complete, and  case and face are nearly flawless. A couple little marks in crystal. Wound it up and although the movement is filthy, it's keeping excellent time.  Referenced ad is about 5 years prior to watch date, which may account for the difference in the second hand subdial track.

1946 Bulova watch
1946 Bulova watch
1946 Bulova watch
1946 Bulova watch
1946 Bulova watch
Bulova Watch advert
neetstuf-4-u
Posted February 8, 2018 - 6:37pm

This purchase was an ebay "roll the dice". It was described as a 1952 and accompanied by one fuzzy distant photo. I gave what it cost new, not knowing what the heck it was.

 

mybulova_admin
Posted February 9, 2018 - 8:27pm

This is one of those models that always has us guessing which one it is, as there are a few adverts that show the same watch with the same name.

Some state all gold plate, others state SS back, some have a different band. It's all very confussing and somewhat annoying.

We do know that the Cambridge in this shape was available as of 1941 with a SS back.

Case in point is this Cadet, which was produced for a few years covering 1946 and 1947. This advert s from 1947 and shows the Bulova Cadet "C" to be a match to the watch, "C" probably being this bracelet design.

Based on the movement and case year of 1946 and a match 1946 advert showing the watch, I would have to agree that its a Bulova Cambridge

 

mybulova_admin
Posted February 9, 2018 - 8:33pm

In 1947 the Bulova Cambridge changed to looked like this, possible to save the confussion caused with the Cadet model.

1948 Bulova Cambridge

neetstuf-4-u
Posted February 11, 2018 - 9:32am

In reply to by mybulova_admin

Agreed Stephen, this is a confusing one for sure. I looked at a lot of watches and ads, and it appears to me that all Cadets in this case by the ads had black as opposed to gilt numbers. I may be wrong but it's possible that some models in the database ID'ed as Cadets might be the Cambridge?

Geoff Baker
Posted February 10, 2018 - 7:48am

1946 Bulova Cambridge

jabs
Posted February 10, 2018 - 11:11am

Agree 1946 Cambridge

Andersok
Posted February 10, 2018 - 12:20pm

The Cambridge ad above is from 1942, several years before the subject watch, and no other Cambridge ads after that year. The Cadet series has ads as early as 1942. I'm still leaning more towards Cadet.

Reverend Rob
Posted February 10, 2018 - 2:06pm

Possibly the Cadet, still looking.

mybulova_admin
Posted February 10, 2018 - 11:58pm

This is why I hate this model style :-)

Now I'm rethinking my model ID after noticing the dial font is different from that of the red advert above to the subject watch.

Could it be that the Cambridge model pre-dates both the Cadet and Bruce models with the same case design.

I can now see that the Cambridge ads are only found in 1941 and 1942, the Cadet adverts seems to take over from there, then the Bruce (same shape case) coming in around 1945.

Variants around case engraved and not engraved, dial configuration and font all seem to play inti the mix.

Reverend Rob
Posted February 11, 2018 - 12:44am

In reply to by mybulova_admin

That's what I'm thinking, also, that the Cambridge is the older model.