This one really caught my attention, as the engraving on the case is still basically all there, and the dial is marked "Bulova". Case back is blank and the inside is marked "American Standard" with Globe, "Warranted 20 Years" and a s/n starting with "10".
Movement is one we seldom see (Bii) and is only 7 jewels. Marked "Bulova W Co." and it runs/keeps reasonable time.
I find one ad the the Db that appears to show this watch and it's dated 1921. Ad appears to show the same engraving and also face configuration. Dial also appears to be the same as this 1920 7J Rubaiyat, except the signature is "Bulova"
Watch is seen as received on a cool period articulated link lapel pin with swiveling double straight pin on back. It's cast - not stamped and although unmarked, I suspect it might be low carat solid gold.....
I'm making an educated guess on the year and leave final ID and age to those panel members better educated in the early ladies watches but this sure appears to me that it could be a 1920 or 1921 Hudson (Lady) Maxim and the earliest watch I've ever seen with a Bulova marked dial.
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Interesting note: This is only the third example of the movement documented to the Db. This watch in an unengraved case has been ID'ed as a 1921 Lady Maxim. It bears movement #67323 and case #1065174. Subject watch is #67244 and #1065246
In reply to I was watching this one. I… by JimDon5822
Still a very grey area accurately datiing these early 1920-1923 watches.
Whilst I have a list of some 150+ watches in this time period where the case serial starts with '10xxxxx', there is still no clear signals for which year they relate to.
For me I'd probably push this watch into 1921.
1921 Bulova Lady Maxim
In reply to Still a very grey area… by mybulova_admin
It is indeed very difficult to assign a name or model number to these watches by lack of ads. I would date this one to 1921. It is a year that I find 5 dial signatures: Rubaiyat, Bulova (like the subject watch), Lady Maxim, Bulova Precision (always in combination with a Marc Favre movement) and the majority without any dial signature. And yes, there are some Lady Maxim ads during this period, but that doesn't add up with the Rubaiyat and Bulova dial signatures. I think that Bulova just sold the various brands to different channels. By 1922 this came to an end when they decided to go for Bulova branded products only, starting the Bulova campaign in the Saturday Evening Post of October 1922. In conclusion: I would go for 1921 Unknown, since Lady Maxim is a brand and not a model, and the dial of the subject watch clearly classifies it as a Bulova branded watch. More in my book about this subject on page 52.
