Bulova 1949 Groom

Submitted by 1955mercury on January 6, 2015 - 11:03am
Manufacture Year
1949
Movement Model
10BH
Movement Date Code
49 (A9)
Movement Jewels
17
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
1149853
Case shape
Square
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Crystal details
21.2 mm X 21.2 mm
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

This one is a 1949 Playboy. It's been put up in storage for quite a while and I should have cleaned it a little before posting the pictures, but I didn't. It could also do with a new crystal. It's on my "to do" list. The case is 10k RGP with a stainless back. The dial has been refinished.

 

 

 

Bulova watch
bobbee
Posted January 6, 2015 - 2:13pm

Nice watch buddy!

The 1948 Playboy had a font and hands change and became the Groom in 1949.

Nice ads found by Jerin in the forties ads thread.

 

 

plainsmen
Posted January 6, 2015 - 2:31pm

Haha... we all have to settle down sometime. Groom.

William Smith
Posted January 6, 2015 - 2:50pm

I wonder how far into 1949 the Playboy settled into married life?  The Playboy ad above is from November 1948, while the Groom ad is from Dec 11th, 1949.  Could go either way on this one.  If it was a 1950 watch, I'd have no problem with Groom.  

William Smith
Posted January 6, 2015 - 3:44pm

Checking the January 1955 Bulova price lists "all offered models" section indicates that the Groom and the Playboy are two different models, as evidenced by the different unique Bulova model numbers.


While the Groom may not have been originally offered until sometime in 1949, it looks like the Playboy was still around then too.  I believe jewelers could order some/most/all of these models from Bulova in January 1955, however some models may have had production discontinued, but there could have been some models left in stock at Bulova OR Bulova was noting the current price of models which may no longer be produced OR in stock at Bulova, but could have been in stock at the jewelers outlet.

Now I gotta try to figure out if subject watch is a Groom or a Playboy, or guess.  I can't necessarily use date of production to distinguish between the two, as they co-existed.
 

bobbee
Posted January 6, 2015 - 3:53pm

Ha, check out the ads Will.

Different dials and hands, I did say so, you old fart. :-)

 

William Smith
Posted January 6, 2015 - 4:03pm

Yea I see now, although blurry. With the index hands and the smaller stylized numerals in what I think we call a "dress dial" subject watch is more like the Groom.  ...and the pictured bracelets are slightly different, although that may not come into play.

1955mercury
Posted January 6, 2015 - 4:14pm

In reply to by William Smith

Ignore the band on it. It's not original. I don't think those one size fits all bands were even being made in 1949.

William Smith
Posted January 6, 2015 - 4:27pm

In reply to by 1955mercury

yea bands are the first thing to go or be changed.... I was thinking about the point of sale difference to warrant the difference btwn the two models (and their prices) and wondering if the diff bands pictured in the ads would be part of the differnece

bobbee
Posted January 6, 2015 - 4:54pm

Probably, I did not notice the band so much as the dial/hands change. I have noticed that later on in time Bulova used this band change a lot, sometimes changing the nme or variant letters, sometimes not. Very confusing sometimes.

1955mercury
Posted January 6, 2015 - 5:04pm

I'm convinced now that it's the "Groom" and not the "Playboy".  Both have the same case and use the same crystal, but the distinction is between the dial and hands.