Bulova 1929 Miss Liberty

2/10 votes
Model ID rating explained.
3
Manufacture Year: 
1929
Movement Symbol: 
Shield
Movement Model: 
6AP
Movement Jewels: 
15
Movement Serial No.: 
87612
Case Serial No.: 
9027874
Case shape: 
Tonneau
Case Manufacturer: 
Bulova
Gender: 
Ladies
Additional Information: 

Just bought this watch, the case and bracelet looks to be the 6-blue-sapphire "Miss Liberty" type of pre 1930 with two emeralds on the bracelet, but the movement itself is a bit of an odd one - I've looked through most of the adverts pre-1950 but couldn't find a similar style of a two-tone blue-on-gold dial with blue hands. 

The movement no. is either 87612 or 67612 or 87812. 

Not For Sale
Miss Liberty watch Bulova
1929 Bulova watch
1929 Bulova watch
1929 Bulova watch
1929 Bulova watch
JP
Posted December 17, 2012 - 7:42am

A beautiful watch. The dial may be a variant made to match the blue saphires. The bracelet in that filligre is spectacular.

My vote would be a tentative Miss Liberty.

William Smith's picture
William Smith
Posted December 17, 2012 - 4:35pm

Club 5000Panel Member

Note sure what I'm calling it yet- but I'm sure it's beautiful!  Still wondering when we are using non-conforming vs ID'ing a case.

Daca102090
Posted December 17, 2012 - 7:27pm

This looks like the Miss Liberty, band and all, with the exception of the dial.

A jeweler used a dial he had on hand to replace the worn one and at a significant savings to theowner that had it serviced.

We all know how much a dial refinish runs.

 

VerenaBerhan
Posted December 17, 2012 - 7:57pm

Thanks for all your answers and the lovely comments!

Daca, that was my first guess as well, but then again, I've looked through all of the 'pre-WWII- advertisements (the blue hands would indicate it's rather an old make, right?) and could not even find a simliar dial at all (the light numbers on the dark-toned circle *are* very odd)... it's a bit weird. 

BTW, being rather new to the world of antique watches, I have to confess I'm not too sure 'how much a dial refinish runs'. 

Daca102090
Posted December 18, 2012 - 3:22pm

Your watch looks like it was serviced and the jeweler simply used a dial he had on hand ( not specifically for this model) and probably changed the hands as well as they tend to corrode over time like the dial as these older watches were not sealed tight to the elements.  You are right about this time period having used the blued (or black) hands.  Those are most common.

 

  Perspiration and oils from the skin would work their way inside and kind of attack the inner surfaces necessitating replacement or refinishing of the various pieces.

 

Normally the minute track on the dial will follow the edge of the bezel/crystal.  When they don't it sometimes indicates that a different dial was installed that was not designed for that particular watch.

 

For me, a dial refinish tends to run $60 to $80 depending on the final color and whether or not luminescent details on the numbers are added.

mybulova_admin
Posted December 20, 2012 - 7:35am

Club 5000Panel Member

Miss Liberty even with 'that' dial. :-)

I'd almost call it a non-conforming, as I thini the dial, watch and band are all from different watches..but there is no mistaking that case design.

 

Geoff Baker
Posted December 22, 2012 - 6:28am

Club 5000Panel Member

Agree on the case, Miss Liberty. I say publish it as such

William Smith's picture
William Smith
Posted December 22, 2012 - 9:13pm

Club 5000Panel Member

I still think it's not a stretch to use the variant field for more information- like non-conforming.
We could convey the case/general watch ID info while including the dial information. 
Would show up as 1929 Miss Liberty non-conforming...and this method would actually only apply to a few watches in the database which are tough calls.

William Smith's picture
William Smith
Posted December 23, 2012 - 4:50pm

Club 5000Panel Member

votes to date:

2   Miss Liberty:  Geoff, JP

I am not sure of Admins call, and I'm still waiting to see what folks think of using the variant field to enter a comment like "non-conforming" as the case is Miss Liberty, but dial and band are different.

VerenaBerhan
Posted December 26, 2012 - 7:41am

Thanks for all your answers and comments!

I'm still waiting for the watch to arrive so I'm still excited to finally see the watch with my own eyes (note to self: Never order intercontinental shipments just before the holiday season, the tracking process will drive you crazy)

another newbie question:

is there a way of gaining additional information from the movement and case serial numbers, i.e. a sort of database starter-numbers and their assigned movement/case tpes are listed? I take it the numbering process was not random, even in the 1920s, but then again I reckon it all comes down whether this information has been kept, and subsequently released, by the company (many Swiss companies employ company historians dealing with exactly that these days, but I am not too sure how these things are handled in the US).