Bulova 1931 Round the World

Submitted by William Smith on August 27, 2012 - 7:00pm
Manufacture Year
1931
Movement Model
10AN
Movement Date Code
Square Shield
Movement Jewels
15
Movement Serial No.
673308
Case Serial No.
1227631
Case shape
Rectangle
Case color
Two-tone
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Case dimensions:   27mm (not counting crown) by 33mm lug tip to tip.  Crystal measurements and other details to follow. Supporting 1930 ad doesn't mention two-tone gold case, and dial configuration is different, but it's a starting point. EDIT June 5, 2014:  The 1930 Ambassador ad mentioned above has been replaced with an August 26th, 1931 ad from the Spokane Daily Chronicle.

Bulova watch
1931 Bulova watch
1931 Bulova watch
1931 Bulova watch
1931 Bulova watch
Bulova Watch
bobbee
Posted January 27, 2013 - 6:49am

Not so, Stephen.

William Smith
Posted January 27, 2013 - 3:48pm

In reply to by bobbee

1930 Ambassador ad above. Note the differences btwn this year and the 1929 below.  My previous opinion about all Ambassador ads not showing double engraved is incorrect- at least for 1929.  Maybe not in 1930/31 though.

mybulova_admin
Posted January 27, 2013 - 5:35pm

In reply to by bobbee

I stand corrected, there is aleast one advert. Still only white gold tone.

William Smith
Posted January 27, 2013 - 3:46pm

Admin- I'll second your motion, if it's to re-evaluate the ID and move to the "red zone" as unknown.  I wouldn't second a request to change to Fleetwood.  I now see a 1929 Ambassador ad which looks like it also has the area at the outside edges of the horizontals with a small area which is unengraved AND a single row of engraving on the inside, so there is a good reason to re-evaluate this and Geoff's recently acquired watches-IMO  Here's the 1929 Ambassador ad which shows this outside unengraved area.  Click for full ad.

Maybe it's a matter of which year Ambassador ad shows double-engraving rows without this small unengraved outside edge on bezel horizontals?  For 1929, the ad above makes my previous statement about double engraving and no unengraved outer margin incorrect. |

I'm gonna suggest we re-evaluate this watch while Geoff's is still pending ID.  IMO we have enough time to try and get these correct- or as close to correct as possible.  We don't have much time to leave the records with arguably incorrect ID's.  Better unknown that incorrect....or we reach agreement (again) on a tentative ID- which we currently have.
 

mybulova_admin
Posted February 1, 2013 - 10:36pm

ID'd as a tentative Fleetwood as with Geoffs watch, until we see evidence to the contorary that the Ambassador was released in a two-tone model.

bobbee
Posted February 7, 2013 - 4:21am

LISA HAS DONE IT AGAIN!!!

New ads give this the ID it deserves.

The "Round The World", Which up until now had only been identified by it's box!

This second ad says it is two-tone gold, 15 jewel, dust proof case.

Also the ads have the correct engraving.

 

mybulova_admin
Posted February 7, 2013 - 7:26am

So it looks like they rebadged the 1929 17J Fleetwood with a 15J version with double horizontal engraving. Newer two-tone band as well.

William Smith
Posted December 27, 2013 - 11:26pm

I'm looking for that two-tone band, but not holding my breath...

Geoff (and others) have some nice two-tone bands for similar time-period models, which may be harder to find than the watch.

...and the box may be harder to find than the band.... :)