- TYPE A-11
- SPEC. NO. 94-27834
- SERIAL NO. AF42 15844
- PART NO. 10AKCSH
- ORDER NO. W535AC-31412
- Bulova Watch CO.
Movement has a "O" indicating a 1944 movement.
Watch runs great, keeping very good time. The watch dial is in excellent condition, as well as the "crystal" and second hand. Suspecting these have been replaced but only a suspecion. I have yet to see another Bulova Type A-11 with a 1942 case listing.
Slightly Higher Res Images on IMGUR
1944 Military Issue A-11, similar watch
1944 by movement date code
Hello rareauldtimes, welcome to myBulova. This is a nice auld (old) Military Issued A-11 Bulova watch. My guess is that the dial and hands have been refinished. Based on the amount of wear on the case I'm surprised the case back doesn't show more age, perhaps it's the lighting in the photos.
I think we date these to the case as opposed to the movement date code, at least we did the one Jaroslav linked above. If so, I'd tag this a 1942 Military Issued type A-11.
In reply to Hello rareauldtimes, welcome by Geoff Baker
Geoff & Jabs, thanks for both of your replies. I was really curious on what to definitevely date this watch, seeing that the movement date and the serial being different. I haven't been able to find any information to determine either way which would be the "correct" date due to this inconsistency. With that said, I truly appreciate your thoughts as you have much more experience!
The case back does look as good as the pictures show, a few scratches and a little knick by the AC in the serial number but its in great shape compared to the rest of the case. Safe to assume that is It's probably been replaced therefor; making the true indentification of the watch likely in a just a "can't know for sure" sort of conclusion.
I wonder if the AF42 serial was the production date or the order date? That could be a very enlightening question!
I am really pleased with the watch and being able to wear a working peice of history is pretty cool. I just ordered a NOS WW2 era band for it. However, until it arrives it still looks good with a honey brown leather strap!
The AF42 may indeed indicate the case is 1942.
We have plenty of AF43 listed as 1943 and AF44 listed as 1944.
Could it be that simple. The 10AK is a very common movement so replacements could have always been used, limiting the accuracy of dating.
Just my 2 cents not being that knowledgable with these military models.
Just found this:
Elgin, Waltham and Bulova all made the A-11 from 1941 on. Hamilton, then the leading US watch maker, made a similar type of watch which was not subsumed under the A-11 designation, though the watches were very similar. Lumed versions of the A-11 were produced as well, as were occasional white-dialed versions. The USAAFs version was marked with the U.S. Army specification no. 94-27834, or its subsequent iterations 94-27834-A (2 November 1942) and 94-27834-B (22 February 1943). The U.S. Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics specified lumed dial and hands for their version of the A-11; the watches were marked FSSC 88-W-800