Bulova 1946 American Clipper

Submitted by plainsmen on July 21, 2012 - 2:53am
Manufacture Year
1946
Movement Model
10BAC
Movement Date Code
Triangle
Movement Jewels
17
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
6509701
Case shape
Round
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Another of the unknown "Pan-Am"

1945 Unknown Bulova
Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova Watch
Bulova Watch
Bulova Watch advert
el tel
Posted July 21, 2012 - 5:26am

I have a 1946 version of this unknown with a 10BCC movement. It has a red second hand and is in excellent condition . The watch is quite small with the dial  20cm diameter and it has been variously described as an airline watch. there appears to be a number of these around but it is yet to be identified.

terry

Geoff Baker
Posted July 21, 2012 - 5:44am

Customized dial. I think this is a knock off of the Gruen Pan Am in a mid forties military case.

I do like it a bunch, but......Non Conforming.

el tel
Posted July 21, 2012 - 5:53am

I wonder whether with regards to the date of mine (1946) that Bulova had a substantial number of military watch cases left over after the 2nd world war and came out with a ' fashionable ' dial to accomodate them ?

terry

vintagebulova.com
Posted July 21, 2012 - 6:11am

I have seen many of these and they were definately a production model, not a customized dial.  The case is too small to be military.  This particular example is missing the mechanism that drives the sweep second hand.

Jay

http://vintagebulova.com™

el tel
Posted July 21, 2012 - 6:38am

Jay , as you say the case is too small for a military watch . The watch above has a dial 20cm diameter as against 25cm for the one military watch I own of the same era. The dial suggests is was made for an occupation which required a 24 hour dial which I guess would preclude a medical use and suggest something in the travel industry as suggested earlier ? I would love to find the identity of this watch as it was one of the first Bulovas I bought.

terry

plainsmen
Posted July 21, 2012 - 10:28am

Yeah I think it was production as well.  I've had 3 or 4 of these myself.  There's just to many out there for it to be custom I'm my opinion.

Reverend Rob
Posted July 21, 2012 - 11:08am

Based on an ETA 900 ebauche, some had sub seconds, some centre. The patina on the dial looks right for the age, various companies used these well into the 50's.

bourg01
Posted July 21, 2012 - 12:53pm

definately a production model, not a custom dial. I think this was a boy's watch and was the 1st Bulova to adorn my Son's wrist Thx to Dad. My boy has the sweep seconds model. The subject watch looks to be the same but has some parts missing.

bobbee
Posted July 21, 2012 - 1:59pm

Case is the same as for Air wardens and Nighthawks, so probably a man's watch, centre seconds mech probably been taken to use on a 10AK possibly? Also Minute hand gold, Hour hand blued.

mybulova_admin
Posted July 22, 2012 - 3:58am

Unknown for me.