Thanks to OldTicker, this is being corrected to a "Coed".
The second ad from 1954 shows one that looks virtually identical to this one.
On the movement itself, just below the word Swiss, is what looks like L1, which would be 1951.
And, thanks to William Smith, what I thought to be a box and the letters MX, actually is BXW, an import code. I was looking at it upside down. . .
Mercurym I think the MX you may see is really the swiss import code on the balance cock and if you turn it upside down, you'll see BXW. So it's a 1951 mvne in a 1952 case. About the only thing I can be fairly sure of is that the movement wasn't placed in the case before 1952. Bulova using "last years" movements in "this years" cases happened quite a bit.
Ah, that makes sense. There have been a few times when I haven't been sure if I'm looking at something right-side up or not. Even the movement code on this watch had me turning the watch around a few times before I decided I had it right.
Time for new lenses. Every year a they get a little thicker. Soon enough I won't be wearing coke-bottle lenses, I'll be wearing a pair of telescopes.
Thanks for the info, William.
It does look white in the flesh. I'm not sure if it's white gold, or if the yellow gold plate has worn off. All the case says is 10kt Rolled Gold Plate Bezel. The gold-ish coloring in places is simply a reflection off of some other watches I had nearby, I think. This was a long way of saying that I think it's white gold.
Mercury There are 12 ads w/ Co Ed btwn 1948 and 1954. All close, but lugs are different. All w/ text say stainless back or no mention of back. 1950 ad states both white and yellow gold, but I bet that's an option not shown in the other ads. Shape morphs w/ time, but one of two 1951 ads is below
the 1952 ad looks similar to above- the1953 ad (below) says raised gold numerals, silver dial.
