Bulova 1953 Academy Award

Submitted by Wayne Hanley on March 4, 2011 - 7:28pm
ZZ
Manufacture Year
1953
Movement Model
7AA
Movement Jewels
21
Movement Serial No.
None
Case Serial No.
8053103
Case shape
Rectangle
Case color
Yellow
Crystal details
21.9mm L 17.7mm W Concave Glass
Watch Description

This watch was originally thought to be a possible Academy Award model. However, there is no proof. There is a color picture of 7 Academy Award models that confused me & most of our members that made the comments below.   Lessons Learned:  One picture is worth a thousand words, one erroneous picture can mislead thousands of people.

Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova Watch
plainsmen
Posted April 12, 2011 - 9:12pm

Haha... pending two forms of ID... hehe.. like we're getting a passport or something.  Lest we forget that ID of the 1941 LONE EAGLE "A" that ROCKED THE WORLD!! Hahaha...

OldTicker
Posted April 12, 2011 - 9:42pm

In reply to by plainsmen

LOL,

I haven't added it as a Lone Eagle "A" yet, just waiting for the right ad to come along ;-)

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted April 12, 2011 - 10:08pm

Not to be sceptical, but...

Can We name all of the varaints shown in this group shot or are they questionable as being positively identified 'ACADEMY AWARD' watches?

afterall, anyone can throw a 'Curtain Dial' into a Case.

lol

 

NOVA
Posted April 13, 2011 - 9:20am

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

Check out this thread in which you pointed out a curtain dial on a lady's watch.  The watch was advertised as "Her Excellency", not an AA.

WatchCrystals.net
Posted May 13, 2011 - 10:10pm

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

Hey Mark,

I think I've also requested more "input" from those with the ads and timepieces. Even referred several to this website... I'm beginning to think they don't want to comment? I did my part, me thinkst!?

And even Lisa's legal critique lends to my "reasoning," for once!?! (Wink...)

 

:-)  Scott

 

 

NOVA
Posted April 12, 2011 - 10:52pm

It's one picture, presented by one person about watches we know nothing about.  Some are ID'd in the database as AAs based on confirming evidence, some are not. 

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words--other times, not so many.

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted April 13, 2011 - 8:21am

Daphne,

The F.T.C. stipulation, which was agreed upon required Bulova change the way its 'ACADEMY AWARDS' line of Watches were being advertsed, nothing is noted about using the Name, in fact Academy Awards products lost its bid for a Patent.

One fix to the F.T.C. 'agreement'  would be to simply stop advertising them, another would be to change the Dial design....to plain or even checkerboard perhaps?

No ads would be found of the re-designs (if that indeed happened) or any of the existing known 'ACADEMY AWARD' Watch designs post 1951.

Theory, Yes.

NOVA
Posted April 13, 2011 - 8:55am

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

I am aware of what the FTC stipulation did and did not state, as I pointed that out above, and I also pointed out that we have no evidence that Bulova was required to stop selling AAs at any time by any entity.  All we know, at this point, is that they couldn't keep advertising the AAs the way they were doing prior to the FTC stipulation.  That was exactly the point I made earlier in this thread.  All the rest is speculation at this point.

My working theory is that they quit making AAs altogether--changed the dial and called them something else.  Your theory apparently is that they changed the dial and quit calling them anything--so, does your theory make them AAs or nothing at all?  We may need a new category in the database if we go with your theory. . . "No Name" or "Unadvertised". . . "Off the Record"????

 

P.S.  In regard to "Academy Awards losing its bid for a patent", I think that requires some clarification.  The entity that sued Bulova for trademark infringement was issued trademarks for "Academy Award" and "Oscar", but those trademarks were later cancelled after it was revealed that the company was a sham, did not use "Academy Award" or "Oscar" in any legitimate business, and registered the trademarks for the sole purpose of suing companies like Bulova.  That company was not the actual Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which does, and did in the 1950s, hold trademarks for "Academy Award" and "Oscar".  That's why Bulova paid them for use of the terms.

mybulova_admin
Posted April 13, 2011 - 8:56am

This is all the AA ads I can find....anyone have any more.

Bulova Academy Award Ads

WatchCrystals.net
Posted May 13, 2011 - 10:28pm

In reply to by mybulova_admin

And WHY are so many models LISTED IN dozens of period 1950s+ watch crystals catalogs... IF say G-S or American Perfit, etc. DIDN'T actually have the watches to SELL REPLACEMENT CRYSTALS for??? Afterall... they passed on MANY watches (they didn't even MAKE crystals for low production runs,  which would mean they didn't "tool up" for unproven releases, in haste) and almost certainly got many of their model IDs from the watches purchased as soon as the first "testers" hit their friendly neighborhood jewelers. Or Bulova, etc. had them design the plexi or glass!? (I don't know WHO made the stock glass+ for US watchmakers, but I can guess...) 

Hereafter's the crystal replacement list I made from the catalogs, again:

 

:-)  Scott

 

Academy Award "A", "J" (50) Academy Award "AA" , "N" (50) Academy Award "B" , "H" (50) Academy Award "BB" , "CC" (50) Academy Award "C" , "G" (50) Academy Award "CC" (50) Academy Award "D" (50) Academy Award "DD" , "EE" , "FF" , "GG" (50) Academy Award "E" , "F" (50) Academy Award "GG" (50) Academy Award "H" (50) Academy Award "KK"( 50) Academy Award "L" , "M" (50) Academy Award "LL" (50) Academy Award "NN" , "PP" (50) Academy Award "O" (50) Academy Award "P" (50) Academy Award "Q" , "T" , "V" "X" (50) Academy Award "QQ" (50) Academy Award "R" , "W" (50) Academy Award "S" , "Z" (50) Academy Award "W" (50) Academy Award "Y" (50) Academy Award "YY" (50) Academy Award "Z" (50) Academy Award "ZZ" (50)