Bulova 1939 Captain

Submitted by mtfra1913 on April 8, 2015 - 6:19pm
Manufacture Year
1939
Movement Model
10AN
Movement Jewels
17
Case Serial No.
9846505
Case shape
Rectangle
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

 Thanks for your help. I am not very computer literate. My great uncle gave this watch to me in about 1970. he told me that another sailor was going on liberty and needed money, so he gave him $2 for the watch. This was during WW I in 1918.

mtfra1913 1938 Bulova 04 08 2015
1939 Bulova watch
mtfra1913
Posted April 8, 2015 - 6:22pm

I cant get the watch movement loose from the watch back. It is stuck with green dirt,(Sweat?). so the Move ment number is a guess.

Thanks for your help with what yera my Bulova was made.

Mark Stewart

plainsmen
Posted April 8, 2015 - 6:29pm

Hi Mark.  Could be that your great uncle mis-rememberd the story after so many years.

Your watch is from 1939-1940.  I believe the model name is an "Admiral".  It's probably a variant for the Admiral so say Admiral B or C or something like that.

Here's a vintage ad showing the watch:

 

JP
Posted April 8, 2015 - 7:51pm

Admiral

jabs
Posted April 9, 2015 - 2:38am

1939 Admiral

Geoff Baker
Posted April 9, 2015 - 8:25am

Nice job Mark, you got it added. Welcome again to myBulova. Plainsman is on target with the date suggestion, with the serial number, there is no doubt that the watch will date to 1938. Looks like it's been well traveled. The dial is not a match to the advert he has added above which is why he suggests that it might be a variant of the Admiral model. I think its interesting that a sailor was wearing a watch called "Admiral", I wonder if the Captain of their ship knew there was an Admiral onboard!

Admiral

William Smith
Posted April 9, 2015 - 2:01pm

Speaking of Captian, wasn't the Admiral promoted from Captian in 1939?  I'll go check for ads, but I thought this watch, in 1938, was still the Captian?

William Smith
Posted April 9, 2015 - 2:08pm

Two different 1939 ads from same newspaper showing the "Captain" in 1939.

Chester Times, PA November 30, 1939  

So with a 1938 date for subject watch, maybe there were two Captain's on board that ship Geoff

Geoff Baker
Posted April 9, 2015 - 8:48pm

I think you're on to something brother Smith, in 1939 this sailor WAS still a Captain. The promotion apparently occurred in 1940.

Changing my vote to Captain, nice work Will