Bulova 1955 Academy Award

Submitted by Kathy L. on August 14, 2018 - 1:14pm
KK
Manufacture Year
1955
Movement Model
5AD
Movement Jewels
21
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
-
Case shape
Square
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Crystal details
Square
Gender
Ladies
Watch Description

Hello,  This is a recent purchase I made primarily for the charm.  The watch was listed as not working and the back of the case has been polished to the point that you can barely make out the Bulova under a loupe.  The inside of the case has only swirls and service marks so I am unable to know for sure if it is solid or gold filled.  The movement is stamped L5.  The charm is lovely and is stamped 10K and Dieges & Custer.  The watch is really pretty in person and started right up so I will be keeping it after all.

I believe this is an Academy Award "KK".  

Edited:  Adding a photo of this watch spruced up with a new pristine dial and NOS band like the original.  Keeping the one that came with it as well.  

1955 Bulova watch
1955 Bulova watch
1955 Bulova watch
1955 Bulova watch
1955 Bulova watch
Bulova Watch advert
Kathy L.
Posted August 14, 2018 - 1:18pm

Kathy L.
Posted August 14, 2018 - 1:15pm

jabs
Posted August 14, 2018 - 1:23pm

yes good choice the charm is worth it

1955 Bulova Academy Award "KK"

Reverend Rob
Posted August 14, 2018 - 2:03pm

Fantastic find!

This is the latest year we have seen so far for an Academy Award.

1955 Bulova Academy Award. (With valuable and collectible charm)

Kathy L.
Posted August 14, 2018 - 6:58pm

In reply to by Reverend Rob

Thank you.  I thought the charm would be a nice addition to my collection and now I am pretty happy with the watch as well : )

neetstuf-4-u
Posted August 14, 2018 - 2:53pm

Very neat watch, and love the charm. Never seen an example of either. My thoughts:

Bulova  had a contract to use "Acadamy Award" as a name from 1950-1954. Movement dated 1955 is a bit of a stretch, but not impossible if we don't know when production officially ceased using the name. Bulova could have continued making them into early 1955 and tagged them as 1954 to get around the contract. We have seen examples double dated 1949 (pre-agreement).

"KK" had a 14K case; if subject watch has wear to almost obscure stampings with no "brassing" it's likely a 14K case and a "KK".

Face and case identical to ad. Hands appear to be replaced, but with only one ad and no other examples in the database, hands might be correct.

Possibility of a movement swap - with or without hands accompanying it.

In my opinion, all corresponding dates are close enough and being such an unusual case not seen again in adverts, I'm comfortable calling this a  1955 Bulova AA "KK" noting slight possibility of a movement swap..

The only hanging question is what years were the "KK" produced per Bulova price lists? If the "KK" shows as a 1954 model, it could have been produced in Dec of 1954 using a movement fresh to inventory for the following year's production.

Kathy L.
Posted August 14, 2018 - 6:39pm

In reply to by neetstuf-4-u

Well that is interesting.  I didn't realize the AA were made past 1952.  Yes it is a very unusual case and prettier than I expected it to be.  It has no brassing.

Reverend Rob
Posted August 14, 2018 - 10:22pm

Dieges and Clust are a famed jewellers in New York that did a lot of medals and trophies. They cast the Heisman Trophy, made the Medal of Honor, the Spanish-American War medal, The Olympic Medal (1904), the Eagle Scout medal, the Titanic-Carpathia Medals as well as Baseball Rings and trophies.