Bulova 1944 Air Warden

Submitted by bobbee on May 3, 2012 - 11:05am
Manufacture Year
1944
Movement Model
10BS
Movement Date Code
X
Movement Jewels
15
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
4031335
Case shape
Round
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Case silver gilt, no plate wear. mvmnt. symbol puts year as 1943, case no. as 1944. Very dirty dial cleaned up well as did the case. Non-original strap is vintage circa 1940's.

Edit: 2013.03.13  Case dimensions added from Bobbee's comments in thread: The case size is: 26mm. dia. 34mm long. 14mm. lug gape.

Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova Watch
Bulova Watch
FifthAvenueRes…
Posted May 3, 2012 - 4:30pm

Geoff Bakers Watch referenced above has a WWII Military 'ORD DEPT' Dial and 15J 10 AK Movement, also Military related.

There are several of these in the database as 'UNKNOWNS' also, all Dated 1945'ish.

The Case on these Watches differs slightly (larger diameter) as they have a Crown recess.

2c

NOVA
Posted May 3, 2012 - 4:33pm

Geoff's watch was noted to be different from either of the two watches discussed above.  It was noted only as another example of a similarly styled watch that dates to the same time period, and for which we do not have an advertisement.

The point was that this was a popular style of watch, and we don't yet have all the ads to tell us what they were called.

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted May 3, 2012 - 4:36pm

IMO these smaller Diameter Watches are variants of the 'APOLLO'

Dated 1937

or named something entirely different in the '40's.

bobbee
Posted May 3, 2012 - 4:53pm

Here's my dial. Not in the database, from Warhawkvintagesales.

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted May 3, 2012 - 6:11pm

Close, but no cigar.

The Watch You are showing is a WWII 'ORD DEPT' Military issue and shows the same Dial as in Mr Bakers Watch referenced prior, but in Black. These Watches are 32mm in Diameter.

 

ad Dated 1936 - 'APOLLO'

examples in the database.

NOVA
Posted May 9, 2012 - 4:00pm

Bobbee, please note that there is nothing to support the suggestion that your watch is an Apollo or anything like it. The ad for the Apollo is nearly a decade older than your watch.   We have nothing to show the existence of the Apollo in the mid-1940s, nor an Apollo with a black dial, nor an Apollo with a dial that looks like yours. 

Frankly, the watch Fifth is presenting as an Apollo doesn't even match the ad for same (notice the problem with placement of the numbers around the subseconds dial, the wrong numbering style, and different hands), so there's really just nothing to go on there as far as naming your watch.

We just need to find more ads for the mid-1940s.

 

EDIT 05/09/12:  Going back through the 1940s ads, I see that we do have an ad for the Apollo dated 1947.  The ad is shown below.

I have also acquired what I believe to be an example of the Apollo dated 1942.  It has gilt numbers and hands on a butler finished dial with triangular markers on the outer register, as shown in the ad below.  It's running a 15j 10AX.  The case measures 26mm in diameter.

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted May 3, 2012 - 6:30pm

Yup, no ads.

But,

I have 3 of these pieces, one matches the ad for the 1936 'APOLLO' - the other 2 are identical in Case and Movement.

One of those 2 are identical to the subject.

it's unclear what the Watch is named in the 1940's.

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted May 3, 2012 - 6:39pm

I'll take a pic of the 3 shortly, batteries are in the charger.

Keep in mind bobbee has removed the lume from this Dial, when I first saw it I thought it was the 'NIGHTHAWK', but now I can't find the image.

Jim Townsend
Posted May 4, 2012 - 5:35pm

Wow those battries must have been really dead :-