Hexagonal Case measures 29mm lug to lug x 24mm wide non inclusive of the Crown while using Calipers.
Sterling Silver Dial shows Black printed Arabic numerals and Bulova Signature. Hour and Minute Hands are Modern style.
14K American Standard Case.
Cabochon Sapphire Crown.
Fully Serviced 1/2011 by My Bulova Graduate Watchmaker Mr. Richard Hostetler Jr.
* Vintage display ad Dated 1922.
One possibility for having a later movement vs case is that the movement may have been replace at some point shortly after purchase. These things are delicate and don't bounce well. So a jeweler may have simply replaced the entire movement rather than spend the additional time repairing.
Just a thought.
155 is my call.
The subject watch is 16 jewel. Minor, but the ad above (158) and the 155 ad both state 15 jewels. We see a 16 jewel in this 154 example. I'm starting a general forum post on American Standard Cases Revisited to get general discussion out of this specific watch record.
The Bulova Watch Co. movement signature (w/ serial number) suggests this movement was produced after Bulova changed their company name from Bulova W Co some time in early 1924. I think a safer production date would be 1923/1924 (unless we are assuming the movement has been swapped/replaced and we are somehow dating the case). The first digit of case serial number in these early American Standard cases often begins with a 1, so this may not be the best way to date these watches to year vs giving a date range based on company name change and supporting ads.
Are we giving American Standard cases w/ movement containing the older Bulova signature the range of 1919-1923?
In reply to Not a 155. This 1923 ad has by bobbee
Agreed. The date is very difficult to pin down on these early ones, but 1921 may be too early, possibly 1922-23, but it's all speculation with them when they're this old and there is no documentation to verify much, even jewel counts and plating are subject to change from watch to watch sometimes!
We have pretty well nailed down a movement production of post 1923 for movements with the newer Bulova Watch Co. signature....so we may be assuming a movement swap for this one for the 1921 date, as the case SN relationship is not as strong in these 1919-1923 estimated cases...if it is even greater than random. I think we will see many of these Am Std cases beginning with 1 for case SN during this period... (c1919-1923).
Update to 158 as I think I'm seeing a pattern in the model naming.
153 - 14K Gold Filled
154 - 14K Solid Gold, 18K Gold Filled
155 - 14K Gold Filled
156 - 14K Solid Gold, 18K Gold Filled
157 - 14K Gold Filled (maybe)
158 - 14K Solid Gold, (19K Gold Filled - maybe)