Watch came in a Dolly Madison cardboard box - as well as the blue & white display box with tag....
However, the markings on the inside don't match a Dolly Madison....not to mention the face of the watch is oval, and the case is square....
And the markings on the back of the case don't either.
All this, as well as an "S" marking on the band is incredibly confusing.
Can anyone help identify these things? I've gotten it narrowed down to, 5AD=1952, M3=1963.
In reply to Case is 1963. how are You by FifthAvenueRes…
You are correct, M3 = 1963. So we know to look in the early to mid '60's ads for the model.
But 5AD isn't the movement date it is the movement model. The movement should be dated similarly to the case with an M? if it is original to the case. Look on the back of the movement near the winding stem/crown.
Can you post pics of the dial removed from the case, and of the inside of the case back?
Darren
In reply to You are correct, M3 = 1963. by DarHin
Candid It's often confusing with Bulova....especially the ladies watches. Like others above said, a 23 Jewel 5AD movement date coded to MO (1960) in a M3 (1963) case. Case looks like the Leading Lady "D" in ad. So although it may be "cobbled", you can say it looks similar the Leading Lady D but w/ an oval dial, and you know more about the constituent parts. If that means anything other than "cobbled"
In reply to Candid It's often by William Smith
Thank you! Looking closely at others...and just from an artist's point-of-view, I could tell that the face didn't match the crystal (face oval, crystal square). I was looking through some of the ads and it could be a First Lady movement? Only saying that because it's one of the only women's watches that has 23 jewels, oval face, and date.
Wouldn't know which First Lady, though...since they are only coded that way because of case color (although, the stem is gold)...
I guess another question would be, where to get it looked at/fixed? Any jeweler, or do I ship it to a "specialist"?