Bulova 1940 Admiral

Submitted by FifthAvenueRes… on October 31, 2010 - 5:03pm
Manufacture Year
1940
Movement Model
7AH
Movement Date Code
Omega
Movement Jewels
17
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
-054001
Case shape
Rectangle
Case color
Yellow
Crystal details
25 x 15
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Curved case measures 38mm lug to lug using Calipers. Frost White finished dial with raised Gilt Arabic numerals and Bulova logo, Gilt modern hands and matching modern seconds hand follow printed Black tracks. Original glass, Swiss movement. Watch is original and as found.

Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova Watch
mybulova_admin
Posted November 6, 2010 - 1:33am

Could be a variant of the Director.

WatchCrystals.net
Posted June 11, 2011 - 4:49am

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

Awe yes, The "Red Dial" king, in Isreal... LOL... Black sells 5- 10x as well in the US, I think? Philip just sold my Corrigan he listed yesterday, in one day.... (Black dial, of course...)

Certainly seems to be the RARER/est version, so encased???

 

:-)  Scott

WatchCrystals.net
Posted November 17, 2010 - 1:28am

Another Great Find, Mark!

 

I have a 21J version (same case design) but with common lugs... And the American Eagles (Models: A- C  from 1939/40) sport the 1/4" +/- semi- circlular style lugs and custom metal band designs... This one is definitely the LEAST common, and may very well then be QUITE RARE!?

Aren't BULLYS more fun to Collect... when rare watches are still to be had, for under $100.USD? I scored one Hamilton Medwick and a Bagley for under $50.00 each (BOTH needed MAJOR refurb work) and that was it in several months! I already won 10+ rare Bulovas, in three+ months!! (And almost noone else but a VERY few of us,  are working towards correctly ID 'n em, to date!!!)

Is the bezel opening approx. 24.4 x 15.3mm? If so, then I suspect it's the "Captain," and mine is then the " Conqueror?" (Since the American Eagle varietals, are already KNOWN!) I reseached the crystals, several months ago...

I'll go ahead and also post mine as well... (BUTT UGLY as it is, presently!!!)

 

BEST :-)  William

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted November 17, 2010 - 4:30pm

Yes, very fun to collect William !! This one needs a little work to the stem and the crown is gone but otherwise it's looking good, post cleaning. After the repair and service I will update the pic and the watches condition.  : )  trusting Your expertise in these matters, I'm going to call this one a 'Captain' until someone proves otherwise. Thank You once again members.

 

(really need to invest in a set of those snazzy vernier calipers, I can't get the Stanley tape measure into the crystal opening.)

: D

WatchCrystals.net
Posted November 17, 2010 - 9:43pm

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

Well I would be selling' em on my eBay watch crystal store... however there are make in Asia+ doing just that... and I resell crystals as a  "service" (as I don't make anything off of ebay sales...)  to offer excess crystal stock back to the community, I don't use myself... 

Digital calipers are THE ONLY WAY TO GO, for specifying 1/100th of a mm (length x width) crystal measurements, for the correct replacement... And EVEN THEN, one still needs at least one+ old G-S, BB, Perfit, etc. crystal catalog on hand... just to gain a general understanding of just how varied and numerous the 20 +/- "fancy shape" designs in the trade were! And some of the same crystal specs. APPEAR to fit a half dozen+ watch models, but may ALSO have up to five different curvatures, in say the case of the longer 30s/40s Gruen Curvexes!

Bulova used the same general specs for many designs, so the same glass might fit up to 10+ different models! And only that years "new releases" are named and/or numbered, in a given crystal catalog... And that list was then "pared down" from the most recent (year's) quarterly catalog supplements!!

But aside from spending years and thousands of $$$.00 investing in VERY HARD to locate catalogs, supplements and/or hundreds of hard to locate vintage ads... the smarter approach (for most) is sourcing CALIPERS + one or two (G-S & BB?) catalogs, then measuring old crystals or bezel openings and finding 2+ sources for vintage crystals to call upon... vs. buying up stuff, you'll never break even on, or use 95%+ of !!!

 

BEST :-)  William

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted November 18, 2010 - 1:15pm

In reply to by WatchCrystals.net

Yes, made that mistake before, more than once -  eyeballing glass and thinking it will fit based on the shape and when it arrives,  not even close. Need any glass? cheap.  I have an array of N.O.S. dials to go with also, although none match. : )

Made another mistake, maybe, last evening before reading about the digital calipers. Pulled the trigger on a set of brass jewelers vernier calipers and now understand the importance of the 1/10 1/100 1/1000mm  measuring capabilities of the digitals. We live, We learn.

WatchCrystals.net
Posted November 20, 2010 - 4:40am

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

Old school Metal calipers are ALSO an excellent tool, to have around! (For less delicate measurements, in the shop, etc.) I haven't ever tried' em, for crystals? They didn't have "digitals" back then, so they may also work about as well???

 

:-)  W. Scott T.

WatchCrystals.net
Posted November 20, 2010 - 4:49am

In reply to by FifthAvenueRes…

Hey Mark,

I ID models and also go back and forth with people on crystals they bought from lOOKing at my listing, often enough... (That was the MAIN reason I started using watch photos, vs. cryatal images  for caption photos, on eBay...I certainly DON'T make any money selling them... so it made life easier, using images!)

If one has calipers and a (top view+) photo/s of the watch... then someone like me can usually figure out which crystal and often what model of watch it is!? BUT, about 10% of the time, I ask people to send me the old crystal, bezel or both... I also reinstall them sometimes, BUT about 20%+ of the time... the glass requires resizing, which is NOT FUN, so I try to stay away from GLASS installs... Plexiglas acrylics, however... are usually relatively EASY to reinstall, as I eluded to in my Forum post, about watch crystals!

If you have ones you don't need for Bullys... shoot me a photo and/or list of part nos. and I might be interested, or do an "exchange?" And I have most crystals in stock, for 200+ mens models, alone!!!

 

Best :-)  Scott

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted November 20, 2010 - 7:16am

I don't think there's much of interest in My inventory Scott, I did see a couple of the longer curvex pieces, for which I don't know, I can elimate this Captain model and the 37 Minute man from the possibilities  : )  I'll make a list.

Thank You for sharing the tid bit about sizing glass, I now know why the W.C. 3c237 180 doesn't quite fit the opening of a 1929 Templan project. She's a half a hair long, so close I've been tempted to heat the case a little then try the fit. I'll withdraw that option from the table and allow a pro to step in.

As far as the calipers go I guess one could always venture into beading or 'Steampunk' jewelery making. lol. enjoy the day!