1939 Bulova Lady Bulova 'D'
10KT Yellow Gold Filled case, s/n starting with 9, two diamonds, engraved bezel. Dial has gilt hands and markers. 17 Jewel Swiss 6AZ movement dated with shield. Not the original band
Not a match to the rest of the Lady Bulova line variants, some with more diamonds and some without, looks to match the 2-diamond 'D' variant
In reply to Darned close at least. Am I by William Smith
I noticed that also WIll, and I think it is just the photo causing that effect. If you look at the other ad examples of the same watch, the sides match the subject case.
Edit: Also, a similar case was identified using the same ad as the 'F' with no concern or mention of the stepped like sides. I feel it is just the way the ad is trying to show the way the middle section curves out.
Yea I don't see the "step side" in the other two ads, but I also don't see anything stating the other two ads are depecting any variant. Sure would seem strange the only difference btwn "step side" and non-step side would constitute a different variant, but who knows. Maybe it's just artists rendering in the color ad. I'm still poking around. I do notice in the linked "F" variant, the two ads showing possible artist rendering issues w/ what look like steps occur in two different "F" ads from 1938 and 1939 based on different graphics, so it would have been an artist rendering issue in two differnt graphics over two years.
Kinda minor, but I'm still thinking about all this.
Edit: When I look at this full ad from 1938, I see a Lady Bulova "C" with what looks like steps. Same for Lady Bulova "E" and "F" in that ad. Compare to how Bulova depects other watches in the ad, like the Cora or the Smooth sided American Girl "B". Sure looks like Bulova was showing some differences in the case sides for these different watches.
Check out the case shape of this 1936 Lady Bulova "E" record, and the corrisponding ad used in its ID. The case appears to hav some "steps", as does the ad.
Lots of Lady Bulova variants in the Spring (January) 1955 price lists, but this is several years later. Interesting price comparisons to the older Lady Bulova though. I don't have computer w/ screen capture today, so can't do a snippet of LB varint listings from the 1955 price list.
Really difficult to tell if there is meant to be a defined step or a shadow effect to show the change in shape in some of these ads, especially when it is based on someone's rendering. Here is a different photo of the caseback on this watch that may help in comparisons:
Hrmmm... I was almost going to go with the stepped argument as well. I'm tentatively good with the Lady Bulova after that last photo showing the case. It's almost looking stepped. I can see how an artist who had the watch in had could see that and render it like the drawing.
I'm tentitive though... not full on for sure.