Bulova 1966 Clipper

Submitted by neetstuf-4-u on June 28, 2017 - 3:30pm
A
Manufacture Year
1966
Movement Model
11ALAC
Movement Jewels
17
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
1474789
Case shape
Round
Case color
White
Watch Description

 I am pretty confident this is a Clipper "A", all good and keeping time but appears to have a replaced crown. Caseback marked M6. Face Marked SelfWinding just as the ad in the database that I have included and is referenced here:  http://www.mybulova.com/watches/1967-clipper-5901

I think I can clear up the question of "Selfwinding" vs "Automatic" for this model, or maybe just make it muddier. In last photo above, note the two watches (both in my collection) are identical except for the date stamp, notation on face and serial number. Watch I am presenting to the database here is on left and an M6, the watch on right is M8. The watch previously documented is a 1967 Clipper with "automatic" on the face, but 1967 ad says self winding on face. That apparently puts the transition  from selfwinding to automatic mid year 1967, and any discrepancy in ad content showing this model after mid 1967 as Selfwinding  may very well be re-using old ads or drawings without an update; or using up dials in stock.

1966 Bulova Clipper A watch
1966 Bulova watch
1966 Bulova watch
1966 Bulova watch
1966 Bulova watch
Bulova Watch
neetstuf-4-u
Posted June 28, 2017 - 11:06pm

One other difference I failed to mention is caseback text. The M6 says "waterproof" and the M8 says "water resistant" and "self winding" in the same area instead, otherwise backs are the same. Could this be the transition between Clipper "A" and Sea King "BW" designation? If so, is 1967 the tipping point for the naming of the watch and "automatic vs. selfwinding" along with "waterproof vs Water Resistant" is indeed the difference between Clipper A and Sea King BW? The 1969 "BW" ad referenced in the 1967 Clipper posting I linked to refers to it as WR rather than WP, while the Clipper A ad states WP.

Geoff Baker
Posted June 29, 2017 - 5:10am

I'd say it's a match to the Clipper A advert. It was the late 1960 that the United States Federal Trade Commission ruled that the word 'waterproof' couldn't be associated to a watch. The enforcement year may have been 1968.

Andersok
Posted July 4, 2017 - 9:23am

Looks like a good match to the Clipper "A".

jabs
Posted July 4, 2017 - 12:04pm

+1