Bulova 1953 Squadron

Submitted by inky.pendragon on December 8, 2018 - 11:56am
Manufacture Year
1953
Movement Model
8BA
Movement Jewels
17
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
5541515
Case shape
Rectangle
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Marked L3 on case back as well  Movement is marked L2

1953 Bulova Squadron watch
1953 Bulova watch
neetstuf-4-u
Posted December 8, 2018 - 12:50pm

Hi inky.pendragon, Welcome to mybulova. Your watch is nice, I like the hooded lugs. It appears to be a 1953 Squadron "A" with a replaced dial and hands.

Yellow gold Squadrons had raised gold colored numbers at 12, 3, 9 with "arrowhead" indices  at remaining number positions. Like this one:

https://www.mybulova.com/watches/1953-squadron-5805

 

Kathy L.
Posted December 8, 2018 - 1:07pm

I will agree with this being a Squadron with a replacement dial.

mybulova_admin
Posted December 8, 2018 - 9:26pm

Both the dial and hands are incorrect for the Sqadron, which might indicate that the movement is also incorrect, although within the right time period.

Non-conforming for me unless we can locate a variant with this dial/hand combination.

Reverend Rob
Posted December 8, 2018 - 9:43pm

The 8BA is from the same ebauche as the 8AH, 8AE, etc. that we normally find in the Squadron of this period.

However, the fact that we don't see an example with another 8BA doesn't mean it never happened. The dial is inconsistent with the other known Squadrons, as are the stick hands. This leads me to believe it is likely a movt, dial and hand drop in replacement. 

Very likely a Squadron case. As elsewhere noted, this is not a high crime, as at the time watchmakers were simply told to get the customer's watch working again, and another model with the same internal dimensions meant that a swap could be made and the customer on his way sooner. No thought was given to some 50-60 years later and whether the watch would be so closely scrutinized. As watches increase in collectibility, so too does the  pursuit of 'originality.'

Andersok
Posted December 14, 2018 - 7:27am

Squadron with non-original dial finish. I don't recall seeing this case used for another 50s model. If the caseback fits the case, then the 8BA may be original, as the 8AE is a different shape and would not fit the caseback opening. There should be three Roman numerals etched on the inside of the bezel; those three should match the last three digits of the serial number (515), indicating the back and case are very likely original to each other.

Reverend Rob
Posted December 15, 2018 - 10:17am

In reply to by Andersok

You are right about the 8AE, I must have been half asleep when I typed that...

The 8BA, 8AD and 8AH are from the same ebauche. The 8AE is all Bulova. 

Geoff Baker
Posted December 15, 2018 - 9:36am

It's a Squadron, it is clearly a refinished dial. 

1953 Bulova Squadron

neetstuf-4-u
Posted December 16, 2018 - 11:04am

1953 Squadron, noting dial replacement.