case manufacturers used by Bulova

Submitted by donegd on May 11, 2015 - 9:58am

Hi could anyone pleae enlighten me about any case manufacturers that Bulova may have used during the 30s and 40s. Did they ever use a company called "Commordore  Case Manufacture Co." This company was formed in New York in 1939 .

My reason for asking this question is, l have a ladies cocktail watch which has a 5AB 17 jewelled bulova movement . The movement has the o mark for 1945 , and looking thtough the ads in the db the watch looks very much like the "Janet". The crown is also marked Bulova. The case is not marked Bulova, but has mark that is a large C with a smaller C inside that and with a dot inside the smaller C.  This l believe is the trade mark of the Commodore company. Along side this trade mark is the words 10k rolled gold plate.

Regards

Donegd

 

bobbee
Posted May 11, 2015 - 10:08am

Bulova used many case manufacturers-mainly in the earlier years and mostly for solid gold/platinum/iridium ones-but in the thirties were making their own. If not Bulova marked somehow, I think this is a recase.

donegd
Posted May 11, 2015 - 10:17am

Hi bobbee

That was my assumption , it was just everything about this little watch says Bulova except for the case back.

Reverend Rob
Posted May 11, 2015 - 10:47am

The case makers Bulova purchased from also made cases for other companies, and successful cases were copied by stilll other casemakers. You will find very distinctive looking cases that appear to be very similar on Bulovas and other watch company products. Gruen, Longines, Bulova, and many others that have now become extinct realized the value of a popular case design, and they basically stole from each other, although I don't have any evidence that this was illegal, or that there were any lawsuits in regards to this. This is a common practice even today, where there are many watch companies that produce a vaguely 'Rolex Datejust' style of case, which is in itself borrowed from earlier designs by other companies, not the least of which is Harwood.

As Bob mentioned, without the Bulova marking, it is very likely a re-case, and may fit quite well, because a lot of watch companies that were Etablisseurs, that is, they assembled their watches from ebauches supplied by movt makers, used the same types of movts, so the interior of the case will be basically designed to fit a certain well known and used movt.

Do you have a picture, George?

donegd
Posted May 11, 2015 - 10:56am

Yes but l cant seem to be able to upload it . There is no ad pic logo showing