There is an archived discussion about the 'Variant' which I would like to resurrect.
What is a 'Variant' You may ask. - To keep it simple a variant is a variation or a different version of something basically the same.
There has been discussion in the past of the possibility within some of the early Bulova model lines that the strap or bracelet the Watch was sold on could effect the designated variant. "A", "B", "C" etc.
A new ad has come to light which bolsters this concept. Dated 1937 the ad appeared in the Saturday evening post and in its entirety shows several models, one in particular being the 'MINUTE MAN'.
In the ad 'snippet' above We see in the upper right corner the 'MINUTE MAN' "B" a Watch on a Leather strap. Below We see the 'MINUTE MAN' "C" an identical Watch, but now shown on a link bracelet.
The full ad has been forwarded to admin for publication in the database.
The issue is what do we call an example, as most of them are, that doesn't have an original band? In this case it's easy, The Minute Man. But what if the watch instead of having a letter variant has a different name depending on the band? Case in point The Lady Berkshire and The Carla which are in the same ad with different bands.
Jay
Jay,
The extent of the phenom You point out is unknown at time of posting as all of the ads aren't in, and may never be.
The only thing We can do is observe and apply diligence on a Case by Case basis .
IMO ads showing 2 identical Watches named differently with the strap being the only difference published within a Year or so are hinting at the dilemma.
For the record I have never stated that a Watch should be on its original band, that's just crazy, but if the 'variant' a member is trying to enter a Watch into the database as does not match the ad 100% - Case, Dial, Movement and Band then the variant letter should be dropped and a generic Model entry made.
aha yes the Senatora - most likely a typo, but I still get the general idea that for this model at this time, we have other ads demonstrating that the mount can make a difference......Wish we had more Bulova internal price lists to cross reference. Readers keep checking the basements of local long-time jewelry stores and asking if folks have seen any of them. They are not as useful as ads or catalogs, but are pretty handy for noting the number of variants of a line.