One of the early selfwinding DuoWind; date code is located on the rotor ; SS case ; note the US Pattern marked on the movement dial side ; 17 jewels breguet hairspring ; no anti-shock
In reply to Same graphic used for both by bobbee
Correction to my edit above.
I went to the 1950's decades thread, and saw the 1950 Watertite "E" ad above, but its listed as July 1952. When I check the file name for the 1950 ad snippet above, I didn't see the date in the file name. I'm thinking this is how dates of new ads are getting confused, and conflicts are propagated via repost in the records. In this instance, the ad date may make the difference between the two models.
I had been thinking the Watertite Duo Wind "E" ad/model was a 1951 rename of the earlier 1950 Watertite E, however based on correct dates of ads, it may be the other way around? They both do have the same unique Bulova internal model number.
based on all this, if the date of the subject watch was 1952 (or later), it would be the Watertite "E".
The subject date is 1950, so it pre-dates the 1951 ad for Watertite Duo Wind "E". They both use same unique Bulova product numbers.
While unknown may be safer, I think more info is conveyed by ID'ing as Watertite Duo Wind "E" based on ad dates.
The subject Watch is Dated 1950, the display ad is from the Binghamton NY Press and is Dated 1951.
http://www.mybulova.com/sites/default/files/uploaded_photos/user498/Bin…
I thought that the first Duo Wind (movement) equipped watches were named Duo Wind as the model and only later did Bulova start assigning other names. Is it possible that in 1950 the watch was named the Watertite Duo Wind, variant E, then later Bulova dropped the Duo Wind name and continued the same model as the Watertite E? Thus making the subject watch a Watertite Duo Wind E. This doesn't explain why Bulova had both models in their '55 model list, though.
My head hurts.
In reply to I thought that the first Duo by DarHin
That's what I was trying to say, but you said it in three succinct sentences. Can kinda explain why they are both in model lists - I've seen examples of a base model and same base model variant "A" in the list with the same unique Bulova internal numbers. Same watches, probably diff production dates, or they just had stock out there named both, so they kept both in model lists.
These are a challenge, We've seen it several times now - In 1950 the Watches are named "DUO WIND" by 1952 they are named differently. "'DUO WIND" then "SPENCER" and "DUO WIND" then "THAYER" come to mind.
There is also a possibility of Country of manufacture of the Watch itself being involved, all 3 of the 1950 "DUO WIND"s owned pesonally are Swiss Case, Movement and Dial. I cannot comment on the "THAYER" or the "SPENCER", however I will note the movements observed in the "THAYER" differ from that in the "DUO WIND"