This is in the Military style with the enclosed case. The crystal is removed from the front giving access to the movement. I know we've been calling these Military but they're not stamped in the back so hopefully we can find a civilian name for this watch. I think this is a rarer black dial as I haven't seen a black dialed model of this watch until this one and numrous white ones. The crown is missing and it needs an extreme clean soon. This one will be taking a trip to Timemachines. I also have a white dialed one on the way and will post them side by side when I can.
The signature and serial number style on the case of the subject watch are very distinctive and match the markings in four watches that I own, i.e.:
- 1941 Watertite (reads "Watertite" on the dial, subseconds)
- 1942 Watertite (reads "Watertite" on the dial, center sweep seconds)
- 1947 Watertite (center sweep seconds)
- 1951 Magellan (center sweep seconds; believed to be Magellan rather than Watertite due to chrome plating and "Stainless Steel Back" inside the case versus "Stainless Steel")
I have not seen this style of signature (inside only sig reading "Bulova Watch Co. Swiss") along with the non-standard, inside the case serial number, in any other model.
The 1942 Watertite ad specifies a 17J movement, as do the later Watertite, Magellan/Seabee ads.