Possible 1957 Bulova 23 'O'
Case is 10KT Yellow RGP (as engraved inside) dated to 1957 - L7. It is the same style case as the G, GW, and OW. It is running on a 1956 - L6 10BPAC movement. It has the black sunburst dial with luminous hands and markers.
My reasoning for the 'O' variant designation is based on the ads provided and the 1958 pricelist. In 1955 the variants GW and OW do not exist, they were in the new model section of the 1958 pricelist. In that same 1958 pricelist the variants G and O no longer exist (appear to have been replaced by the *W). I cannot find an ad for an O variant, but based on the 1962 ads stating/showing OW as the matching black dial (w/ luminous) to the G/GW, as well as the 1958 pricelist showing OW as black...O would have been the black dial match to the G, or so my theory goes.
1955 ad for G 1962 ad for GW/OW 1962 ad for OW (courtesy of watchophilia) Here is a current non-variant identical model, possible variant match update to this one, if assigned
I would give the watch 3 ticks as the "OW", as the "JW" and "XW" variants are seen only two years later than subject watch in Lisa's sales catalogue:
http://www.watchophilia.com/vintage-advertisements/a1950-1959/a1959-sales-book/
As the "OW" slots in the middle of these, we can say it is also on the market already in 1959.
The "G" white dial has "hash" markers all the way around the dial, and if the "O" was the black dial version, I would expect it to have these also.
Your watch matches the 23 "OW" exactly, dial/hands/case/lugs.
Edit- the "OW" variant is actually displayed in the 1959 catalogue on Watchophilia's Ads Forum, linked to above.
In reply to I would give the watch 3 by bobbee
I agree that this watch matches the OW; but I see the OW variant as a NEW addition in 1958...do these only get listed once in the year they are introduced, or is it possible the 'OW' was also new in 1957 (year of this watch)(no pricelist to verify from)? Since the GW and OW appear to be identical, except for dial color and being luminous, then I am saying the G and O would have been the same.
The dial difference between the G and O or GW and OW, besides white and black, is that the black was offered as luminous. This was listed in one of the '62 ads I referenced.
In reply to I agree that this watch by Andersok
If we are going along with the premise that watches may have been stockpiled before actual release, this will work for any watch.
Maybe the early 1958 price list has those watches as "new", but whose to say they had not already been released in 1957?
Sticking rigidly to dates, unless we have proof of another kind, may lead to being too "fixed" in our outlook. Some flexibility is needed if we are to go forwards with our subject, as I seem to be slowly coming to see. A year or even two either way isn't going to kill us, they're only watches after all.
This site has suffered in the past because of many of us being unable or unwilling to change our point of view, and give in to the new or "different", and we need to broaden our horizons.
Here endeth the boring s***. :-)
In reply to If we are going along with by bobbee
[quote=bobbee]
If we are going along with the premise that watches may have been stockpiled before actual release, this will work for any watch.
Maybe the early 1958 price list has those watches as "new", but whose to say they had not already been released in 1957?
Sticking rigidly to dates, unless we have proof of another kind, may lead to being too "fixed" in our outlook. Some flexibility is needed if we are to go forwards with our subject, as I seem to be slowly coming to see. A year or even two either way isn't going to kill us, they're only watches after all.
This site has suffered in the past because of many of us being unable or unwilling to change our point of view, and give in to the new or "different", and we need to broaden our horizons.
Here endeth the boring s***. :-)
[/quote]
The year or two in either direction can make the difference in variant assignment. We have seen a non-variant model be assigned a variant in the following year w/ no other changes to the entire watch. This usually happens when other variants are released. Its one solid method to distinguise between variants, which have no other difference than "year (or month) of release.
Question: Whose to say they had not already been released in 1957? Answer: The "new models" section of the Official Bulova Price lists which came out monthly. We can go with the premise that watches may have been stockpiled before actual release, but I believe this would only apply to manufacture date, not date of first release. Bulova had to have some way for dealers/distributors to "ask" for said watch, and IMO that would have been the monthly price lists/supplements.
That ad you list as from 1962, the Watchophilia one, is identical to the one in the 1959 catalogue from the same source Ken.
This means that the 1959 sales catalogue was already showing "old" 1958 models, so maybe the price list is already out of date at the time of printing?