Picked up at a live auction in beautiful condition.
Greg,
From what I've seen in 1952 the 'DUO WIND' namesake began to disappear from the Dial and the word 'selfwinding' appears. GJ has a similar auto that shows with 'DUO WIND' on the Dial on a Watch dated 1950 and then a 1953 model (same Watch) shows 'selfwinding'.
In reply to Greg, From what I've seen in by FifthAvenueRes…
Well hopefully this will help or confuse it more!
First ad is from the database 1952 Duo-wind, The resolution is not the best and you can't blow it up.
Its hard to tell what it says on the dial, but the lugs are the same. The second ad is 1953 Clipper with self-winding on the dial, but different lugs.
Dials look the same, case is different, so who knows!
Greg,
Confusing Yes, but not without reason - Case diameter and design come into play:
2 identical 'looking' Cases yet 2 entirely different designs. One has a back retained with a retaining ring, one has a removeable bezel. Diameters differ as do the movements inside. - Lugs identical!
Dials and lugs are only part of the equasion, case diameter and design also name the Model.
If this Watch has a snap on Caseback - 'DUO WIND '
...if not it's something else.
: )
In reply to Greg, Confusing Yes, but not by FifthAvenueRes…
admin,
Not that I'm aware of and 1950 is the first Year the auto's are seen, all named 'Duo Wind' on the dial...so far.
lol
52 +/- seems to be the Year of change for the autos, the issues are the different Case designs and there are a few to say the least:
Snap on caseback, Case with a removeable bezel, Caseback held by a retaining ring or Caseback that screws on....The lugs could possibly be identical on any of the given, as shown in the example above.
: )
Here's a humdinger - 1950 'Duo Wind'
Stainless Case, signed and dated, signed and dated movement, 'Duo Wind' on the Dial.
Caseback screws on ?
I'd been saving this one for a rainy day:
'DUO WIND' apparantly but which variant? I own 2 other 1950 'DUO WIND's with snap on Casebacks.
Regardless of the case variation, we are starting to see very similar watches with either 'Duo Wind' or 'Selfwinding' on the dial.
My question therefore is, does anyone think its plausable that Bulova started by releasing their new automatic movements as "Duo Wind's to highlight this new feature (even though it wasn't that new) and then later changed them to just plain 'Selfwinding' as they introduced this technology to more and more of their models, thus dropping the 'Duo Wind' name altogether.
Thus the 'Duo Wind' was an actual model name, whilst 'Selfwinding' wasn't, but only highlighted a feature of the watch.
If this is the case then there is a distinct difference between the two types of watch which will help with the ID.
Here is geezer's 59' Clipper in the database
Lume hands, lume dots, same dial, different case, I am thinking more towards the Duo-wind on this one, because it looks like a bigger case and the fact that it has the movement retaining ring, plus the L1 date stamp on the movement. The example that I posted above had a 10AUC, retaining ring and snap on case and it looks like this one is set up the same way.
They don't make it easy! ;-)
