Bulova 1930 Dewey

Submitted by tshanno on December 22, 2019 - 1:05pm
Manufacture Year
1930
Movement Model
13AF
Movement Date Code
Omega
Movement Jewels
15
Movement Serial No.
721448
Case Serial No.
0291990
Case shape
Tonneau
Case color
Two-tone
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Crystal details
16mm (narrowest) X 19.8mm (widest) X 23.6mm
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Tentatively a 1930 Dewey.  Very tentatively (see below).  The case is two tone yellow gold on white.  Bulova Quality hallmark. Movement is a 1930 13AF, 15 J. I wasn't going to post this because the dial with the rectangular shaped minute & seconds chapter outlines doesn't follow the frame of the case. I was positive it was a redial.  Then I came across this 1930 Lone Eagle in the database along with the discussion.  If I understood it right, Bulova was experimenting with the 13AF movement at this time and it resulted in quite a few watches like this one.   FWIW, the rectangular outlines and numbers don't really look bad.  It almost looks less busy like this.

Anyway, now I'm intensely curious.  What do you think?

1930 Bulova watch
1930 Bulova watch
1930 Bulova watch
1930 Bulova watch
Bulova Watch advert
tshanno
Posted January 2, 2020 - 9:19am

In reply to by neetstuf-4-u

I have to disagree.  This doesn't appear to be a one off custom design job.  

Both of these 1930 watches have the same configuration.  Both usually take 10AN movements and both are designed to take 13AF movements.  Its my understanding ther are more in the database:

1930 Lone Eagle
1930 Lone Eagle

I think reasonable people can disagree and I guess that's where we're at.  The great thing about this site is that my thoughts and yours and those of others are on the record.  People can make up their own mind.  And, of course, I can call it whatever I want in the privacy of my own home. :)

neetstuf-4-u
Posted January 2, 2020 - 10:18am

In reply to by tshanno

My bad, Tom. You are correct about others in the Db with the same holder. It could be a Bulova mod to try a different movement in existing models or a third party one, along the same lines as non-Bulova cases designed to hold a Bulova movement. I'm now leaning towards a Bulova "factory mod."  to adapt  a 13AF.

One has to wonder if the movement/ holder combination could have been generic to convert or if this is a combination of convenience to rejuvenate a Dewey with a movement/face from another like shaped model case.. Maybe it's a combination of both.

Without some period explanation documentation, we could debate this forever. It's fun to give theories. Maybe one of them is correct, maybe none.

Geoff Baker
Posted January 4, 2020 - 10:23pm

I'm drawn back to this watch, it's a magnet to me. We have three Deweys in the dB, two have 10AN (round) movements and this one, which has not only a different movement (13AF) but a wholly different case to hold it! Something is not making sense to me. Is this a totally different, yet undiscovered model or could Bulova possibly have made two completely different cases IN THE SAME YEAR for this model?

I'm baffled. still