My Christmas present to myself. This beauty has just returned from a visit to Dr. Cosineau (Timemachines) where it received ' the works' treatment. Triangle date stamp with arrow indicates a 1927 Lone Eagle. I believe that both movement and case serial numbers fall within the 5000 range for the first issue. The new crown jewel of my collection! Nary a mark on the pristine case, new hand cut crystal and a wonderful new period strap and buckle.
Added 12/25/2014
Photos Updated 6/20/2020
In reply to I don't know why it took me by William Smith
Why 1926? Because that's when Bulova first offered the $1000 prize money. It makes sense that they also created a batch of watches to celebrate the moment at or around the same time, as attempts for the crossing were being made in 1926 also. It makes further sense why they chose to give each pilot who registered for the Orteig $25000 competition a Conqueror watch, possibly from the same batch of watches they had been sitting on since 1926.
Does this notion sound crazy or possible?
The only real advert we have showing what I believe to be from the original release is a exact match for 5000 edition. The telling factor is the spade hands. Theses hands are only seen on a small amount of Lone Eagles and they all have the same traits corresponding to what I believe are from the original release. 5000 is just a number, a number Bulova themselves marketed. The true number may have been more or less, in relatity it doesn't really matter, what matters if that there was an original edition release of this model and as far as I'm concerned it's what we currently list as the 5000 release.
In reply to Why 1926? Because that's by mybulova_admin
In reply to Correct me if I'm wrong, by Reverend Rob
In reply to I don't know why it took me by William Smith
I should mention that many notable watch companies have a fair amount of BS in their so-called 'official history', and some of it is downright scandalous. We are going by the recollections of men with the Bulova story, and errors are bound to happen, and also get bounced around the web. I was doing my own research and found a lot of cut and paste and parroting out there.
The watch with the engraving, the presentation watch, is not a Conqueror, it's a President. Is this the watch he got on the Memphis? Have we ever discussed why the change in model? Did Bulova Maybe think the President was a more expensive model and wouldn't sell as well? If so, this suggests a different bent to the sequence of events. Perhaps Bulova did not originally plan to offer for retail sale a "Lone Eagle" watch, maybe marketing quickly came up with the idea, and the model was changed from the President to the Conqueror. I do remember we speculated that perhaps they had more of the Conqueror model in stock, and anticipating a large run, decided to go with it.
Now, it is also possible they were ready and prepped for this, with boxes waiting to be printed and watches standing by, waiting to get a new name.
In reply to The watch with the engraving, by Reverend Rob
The Taub article says they gave each aviator who attempted the hop a watch.....that means pre flight not post.
Yes Lindbergh was given a Conqueror (pre-flight) AND yes he was also presented with an engraved President model by Arde Bulova (the same watch as presented to Byrd, a President model) post flight.
Two watches, one Conqueror and one President.
AND once again we see the same statement that is frabicated or incorrect as there is no way the company made $7,300,000 from sales of a $50 watch, that would mean they sold 146,000 watches, so this article also contains errors.