I Believe I Discovered "Corrigan" Variant

Submitted by plainsmen on June 17, 2021 - 2:04am

Okay my fellow Bulovaholics...

This alledged variant discovery story is about 13 years in the making.

Many years ago, very shortly after discovering the Bulova brand I found the Bulova "Corrigan" aka the Aztec watch.  It was so awesome I immediately fell in love with the redic art deco styling.  It was unlike anything I'd ever seen.

Fast forward...  I found a picture of someone's watch for sale and it had the original lug extenders.  I was blow away.  They were prettyuch non-existent in the models we had pictures of as they seemed to wear out or were discarded over the last 80+ years. 

 We started finding more advertisements for the watch and I found that the watch with these lug extenders intact was the one variant, the Bulova Corrigan "A" model seen below:

Corrigan ad A variant

 

But... If there is an "A" variant wouldn't it stand to recon there was a "B" variant or more?  We have ad's showing the Corrigan was also advertised as coming with a "linked braclet" as per the ad below:

Corrigan ad showing bracelet

 

If you all recall... I did end up finding a Bulova Corrigan "A" variant and still today have that watch with the original lug extenders.

So... Fast forward about a a year ago.  I was cruising through the bay and found a Corrigan and wow if I didn't have a bracelet on it that really REALLY looked like my lug extenders.  I. Fact it was almost a perfect match.  I ended up getting the watch and kept it thinking it was a pretty cool bracelet.  Someone must have found something so similar.  It should have dawned on me at that time what I was looking at... But it didn't...

Fast forward again to about two weeks ago... I see a Corrigan on the bay again and holy smokes it's got the same lug extension matching bracelet!  I snagged that one up too.  It came last week and wow if they didn't match perfectly.  Both are "Kreisler .025" market bracelets on watches approximately 2 years apart.

1938 Corrigan bracelet back

 

1941 Corrigan bracelet back

So I looked in the database and yup... You guessed it.  We have a 3rd example of a Bulova Corrigan with this same bracelet.

With these three watches, the two ads as evidence, I believe we can safely say we have a Bulova Corrigan variant?  I don't know for sure if it would be the "B", but I'm absolutely convinced a variant none the less.

Here are some pictures with all three of my mentioned Bulova Corrigan.

Corrigan variants 1

 

Corrigan variants 2

 

Corrigan variants 3

 

Corrigan variants 4

 

Corrigan variants 5

 

Below are the links to the three watches with matching bracelets we have in the database.

https://mybulova.com/watches/1939-doug-corrigan-10141

https://mybulova.com/watches/1939-12179

https://mybulova.com/watches/1941-12178

mybulova_admin
Posted June 17, 2021 - 2:35am

Sweet, so to confirm, you think that there are at least 2 variants:

A) with leather band + gold filled swivel lugs

B) with all gold filled bracelet.

That's a gorgeous watch.

plainsmen
Posted June 17, 2021 - 2:43am

In reply to by mybulova_admin

Yep I think so Boss.  The ads we have all show the A but do mention the bracelet variant.  We haven't seen it in any other colors or dials?   That usually seems to be the difference.  Though... You know I think we've seen a 14K solid gold Corrigan?  That maybe would call for a variant.  It did with the American Eagles that were of the same age.

I think we've seen a black dial but I don't know the legitimacy of that as it was a fresh refurb.

I think the A & B variants for sure.  Sans if we find some other color dials or metals that may be the only two?

Geoff Baker
Posted June 17, 2021 - 9:37pm

I think you're on to something plains. I doubted the other day but You've got me convinced. Until we see an advert designating one the "B" we should only assign a watch as "A", right? The strap mounting will be the "A"

plainsmen
Posted June 18, 2021 - 1:53am

In reply to by Geoff Baker

Ya Bruddha I agree.  Until we see an ad for the B... well we can speculate but who knows.

Here is an ad describing the solid gold Corrigan, but we don't have a specific ad for it.

Tacoma Times, June 17, 1939

Corrigan solid gold