Bulova 1942 Air Warden

Submitted by tshanno on October 11, 2020 - 8:44am
Manufacture Year
1942
Movement Model
10BE
Movement Date Code
X
Movement Jewels
15
Case Serial No.
2483365
Case shape
Round
Case color
Rose
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

I'm guessing 1942 Apollo.  But I wouldn't bet on it.

The case has a 10K rolled gold plate bezel with a stainless back.  It's marked "Bulova New York".  The movement is a 15 J 10BE.  It has a double date code (1942 and 1943).  The movement is consistent with other Apollos in the database.

It runs.  There are no Apollos in the database with cathedral hands but there is one here with luminescent hands.

face
side
case back inside
case back outside
movement
apollo ads
neetstuf-4-u
Posted October 11, 2020 - 11:56am

Cool one! I don't think it's an Apollo, based on lumed dial. I find one advert that appears to be a match dated 1946. 

I'm going to suggest this could be an Air Warden with re-lumed dial and replaced hands.

1946 air warden ad

Dial and case appear identical. Note "closed 9" and shape of "2".

1946 air warden ad2

I like the "tropical" toned dial on this one as well. Very interesting color.

JimDon5822
Posted October 12, 2020 - 11:35pm

I am thinking this is an 1942 Air Warden with replaced hands and relumed markers.  

Geoff Baker
Posted October 13, 2020 - 10:25pm

Agree that the hands are not original to this style watch. I also agree with the Air Warden ID

plainsmen
Posted October 14, 2020 - 2:28am

Yeah... pretty patina'd dail and the wrong hands but the Air Warden.

BlackbirdM3
Posted October 16, 2020 - 4:53pm

I'd say its not an Air Warden due to the placement of the subdial. An Air Warden has the bottom of the sub dial touching the outer ring of the main dial's minute track. This one is above the minute track at the 6 o'clock position. 

Yes, the hands are incorrect. The dial might be a poorly redone Apollo dial since the Apollo's sub dial is in the same location as this one. 

I have a black dial version of the Air Warden sitting in front of me, the numbers aren't lumed, only the hands. My Apollo with a white dial has the seconds sub dial in the same place as this one, but again, different hands and no lume numbers.