Bulova 1972 Ambassador
7/10 votes
Manufacture Year:
1972
Movement Model:
unk
Movement Jewels:
30
Case Serial No.:
1- 389002
Case shape:
Round
Case Manufacturer:
Bulova
Crystal Details:
Flat Top Acrylic
Gender:
Mens Additional Information:
Not much doubt this is an Ambassador; the question is, how do we catagorize it? Medallion case back with serial number starting with "1 - " as well as clamshell say it's an International model. Every 30 jewel Ambassador in the database has a variation of this unique back as well as a similar s/n.and we have no ads for this configuration (30 jewel).
My thoughts are that 30 Jewel Ambassadors were all produced in Europe for the Non-US market.; hence, no ads in US publications. Face on this one is marked Swiss, and the 30 jewel movements for US watches were all US "in house" produced , and the top of the line. Face marking suggests movement was produced in Switzerland.
Case back is dated N2, which matches box style (which I have never seen in green or marked as this one is.) Watch is an open through the crystal and I'm not confident enough to open it up.
My thoughts are that similar Ambassadors with a 30 jewel movement and European style serial number should be called out as either "Ambassador - International (variant)" or "International - Ambassador (variant)". It seems they should get their own sub-catagory and be grouped together until we determine if they had European advertised variant letters.
"International Line" vs. "International LTD" also comes into play. Ad referenced is way off by date (1965 vs. 1972) but at least helps confirm the premise for my theory.
Panel thoughts?
Not For Sale
neetstuf-4-u
Posted May 26, 2018 - 10:16pm
I looked at that ad; face and hands are different as well as jewel count plus no luminous dots. There also appears to be a difference in lug shape, so this appears to me to be a completely different animal. I think the ad you show is "S" rather than "B". I don't think it's a "B", the initial ad was referenced for the "International" Ambassador aspect.
Geoff Baker
Posted May 27, 2018 - 10:01am
Remarkable find say I. I wonder where you got this one Bob? I remain convinced (with out any credible proof I add) that watches with this style case back are not made in the USA. Like "Scotch" having to be distilled in Scotland I think Swiss law required that a watch bearing the "Swiss" mark had to have been produced in Switzerland. This is the first clam shell of this variety I've ever seen and I think it adds to my theory. It makes sense that if Bulova were to import watches "Now available in America for the first time" that it would be the highest caliber, ie. 30 jewel. Finally, I note "waterproof" on the case back. That should not have been allowed in the USA post 1968.
I think the ID has to be "Ambassador", I think 'Bulova International" is the name of the European, or maybe the Swiss division of Bulova.
1972 Bulova Ambassaor
PS - will you please add a couple photos of the clam shell to this forum?
neetstuf-4-u
Posted May 27, 2018 - 1:56pm
Thanks Geoff, I thought so....eBay find (no one was watching) from a US seller. Good observation on the "waterproof". That detail got by me, you are correct. For the US market; post 1968 or 69, it would be marked "water resistant".
I'm on the same page as you regarding Swiss origin/production. The box pretty much clinches it and for me is the missing puzzle piece for the 30 jewel Ambassadors. High grade watches with no advertising in the US because they weren't available here?
My initial comment about perhaps breaking these out with a variant catagory was meant to maybe give the 30J Ambassadors a "place to live" because they really are unique to the line and up to this point have been a bit of a mystery.
There are currently 75 Ambassadors lumped into the no variant catagory, amongst them are 5 - 30 jewel models dated from 1965 to 1972, and there are 4 distinct designs not counting subject watch which makes 5 distinct out of 6. All 5 current (like subject watch) have the "1- xxxx" European style serial numbers with "Swiss" on face and 3 of those have the medallion caseback.
My point being possibly they should all be organized to aid in research, not to assign them a name without documentation. Perhaps a variant catagory under "Ambassador" like something as simple as "30" or "Swiss" instead of a letter? That way they would be together instead of lost in the "herd".
Just a thought.
Will add photos to the box thread as requested.
I'm happy to keep things simple and just ID this within the Ambassador series.
Here is a 1972 advert showing the same 'B' variant, although interestingly this one has a date window.