So when I found this old boy I thought WOOT!! A LONE EAGLE IV !!! Wrong...
Look at that movement... 9AT in a double stamped 1929 - 1930 15 Jewel.... Swiss? Hrmm...
And YES I have seen a case stamped like this before... but am I correct ... is that a DATE STAMP on the outside of the case next to the Bulova showing 1929?!
Anyway... this goofy thing still looks danged near exact to the LEIV... except maybe broader of case/dial?
Nope... same as that other one I had. I'll put it below. It's only stamped on the edge of the case.
What if it's 1940 instead of 1930? Would a Swiss 9AT make more sense then?
The case looks like the Commentator, especially with the additional crease on the stepped-out sides. The dial's wrong, but it could be a later addition or unknown variant, though it seems to fit the bezel well.
In reply to What if it's 1940 instead of by Elgin Doug
Plains
The case & the bracelet match the Lone Eagle IV ads from 1933 to 1935. However, all of the aforementioned LE IV ads call for 17 jewels. The fact that your 9AT 15 jewel movement is clearly marked with an square shield manufacturing date of 1929 & an Omega symbol = 1930 release date, is definetly a mismatch year-wise. I have a 1931 LE III with a 9AT, but it's a match.
For my money, it's an LE IV with a replacement mvnt. Everything about it IS the watch in the ad above, until you pop off the back. It even has the ORIGINAL bracelet, that I think was made for this watch.
Here's my question, would Jerin be committing a crime by dropping a period '34 mvnt into this case and calling it a 4? I say not.
gb
gb,
Everything is, until the back is off.
The inside caseback is not stamped in the traditional Bulova fashion. The stamp next to the word 'Bulova' on the outer back is the manufacturers mark of Keystone Watch Case Co as the Watch Case is a Jeweler replacement, not Bulova original.
To answer Your question IMO it would be a huge crime.
In reply to gb, Everything is, until the by FifthAvenueRes…
I would bet that fully 10% of the watches from this era have proper replacement mvmts in them....their is no way to differentiate between the factory installed mvmnt and a proper replacement . If its a crime to do this, its a crime to redial, re hand re band...must I go on? If its a correct mvmnt replace it.
In reply to gb, Everything is, until the by FifthAvenueRes…
........that having been said, the crime then would be calling it a Bulova to begin with!
Interesting story on Keystone ( yup, that mark is a keystone alright, any resident of PA would know that). Never knew of these blokes, puts this watch in a whole new light. A replacement CASE that's a ringer for the original, attached to a matching bracelet.......who'd a thunk it?
Thanks Mark. I guess thats why we have these talks.
In reply to gb, Everything is, until the by FifthAvenueRes…
I think I'm going to have to disagree that this is not a Bulova Original case. I have now seen at least 5 of these cases with that Keystone Watch Case Co BULOVA stamped. All from around 1935 +/- a few years.
I'm believing more and more that Bulova must have made a deal with this company and that they supplied Bulova with cases for that time period.
I've now found a AMBASSADOR case stamped with that symbol next to the Bulova. I believe these were made for Bulova... and Bulova used them originally.
In reply to Always a pleasure by FifthAvenueRes…
In reply to Yes , but the question was by shooter144
In reply to Shooter.....you need by Geoff Baker
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