Bulova 1951 Academy Award

Submitted by WatchCrystals.net on March 4, 2011 - 12:47am
Q
Manufacture Year
1951
Movement Model
7AA
Movement Jewels
21
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
-
Case shape
Rectangle
Case color
Yellow
Watch Description

 

I don't have the specific ad illustration for the (2nd generation?) "Academy Award" related timepieces marketed/sold AFTER the lawsuit was settled (in 1950) which allowed Bulova rights to continue selling OFF these same case designs, while apparently refraining from utilizing any remaining "gold or silver curtain" dials (?) but interestingly... this watch is engraved: 4.15, 1951 (see the live ebay listing below, for reference:) and this is clearly another (original) '51 "X" dial in a modified His Excellency "UU" style case, akin to the others... And likely one of two "X" dial styles in the same (AA) style cases, manf. in 1950/51 (?) and sporting the 1949 (- 51?) 21J "7AA" (vs. 7AK) movements...The interesting thing about this particular watch (which is just like the remaining one I just received back and will soon resell... see image no. 5 below) is that it was actually engraved and given as a gift... in 1951! (i.e. vs. later resold in say 1953 +/-) And therefore it appears that these same CASES might well have also been used  (AND SOLD?) with 7AA movements in 1950, 51(and maybe later?) as either Academys (maybe to Academy Award "Runners up," and/or the general public?) Or maybe not?! (But there is the one ad illustrating this model, as such! THE PLOT THICKENS, or not?!

Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova Watch
Bulova Watch
Bulova Watch
WatchCrystals.net
Posted March 4, 2011 - 5:15am

P.S. And hereafter is the (low res.) ad illustration... which may in fact read: "Academy Award "N," or perhaps we are merely reading that into the equation? OR... it could even be a "typo?" 

Hopefully someone online has more ads, to help clarify whether on not these "X" dials are (or are not) worthy of the title namesake? I suspect now that they are more likely NOT? However we still need definative PROOF to as much? The corrogated golden & silver curtain is obvious enough... However what do the 1951+ ads READ... And how was the lawsuit (settlement, regarding as much) WORDED?? Any lawyers out there collecting Vintage Bulovas, or up to it??? 

See also:   http://www.mybulova.com/watches/1950-Academy-Award-128

http://openjurist.org/223/f2d/478/schnur-cohan-v-academy-of-motion-pict…;

And:  http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/223/223.F2d.478.6128.html

 

:-)  Scott

 

bourg01
Posted March 4, 2011 - 7:20am

This engraved 1951 with the X dial also strongly supports the notion that Bulova released it as one of the "His Excellency" series .

1951 Academy Award -Curtain Dial

1951 His Excellency- X Dial and other dial variants.

The low res ad above is not legible and therefore inconclusive that the X dial was used on AA watches.

At the end of the day, the only way to be certain you have a true Academy Award model is if it has the curtain dial.

 

Wayne Hanley
Posted March 4, 2011 - 8:31pm

Here are two examples of AA cases, 1953 the x dial & the black dial with Excellency dial. Notice the difference in the lugs & dial numbers. Someone please enlighten me!

OldTicker
Posted March 4, 2011 - 9:39pm

So what is this??

49' dated 7AA movement 50' dated case, X dial, model N variant?...

The curtian dial only theory

is getting thin....

bourg01
Posted March 4, 2011 - 11:01pm

Again, and for the very last time I will offer a comment.

The low res ad above is not legible and therefore inconclusive that the X dial was used on AA watches.

Until some one can offer, legible printed material as proof positive that the X dial was used on AA watches, then I will stand on the Curtain dial only . If you gentlemen wish to continue speculating, hashing out theories and trying to rationalise inuendo on personal opinions and illegible ads, so be it.

I really do wish that someday....sooner than later proof positive is found so this ??????? can be put to rest and we can all benefit from the outcome.

Regards

WatchCrystals.net
Posted March 5, 2011 - 5:16am

In reply to by bourg01

Bulova - Academy Trivia: "Inquiring minds, wanna know!?" 

I hope some IP attorney sees my postings, and someone locates the specific clause pertaining to the (in effect) "cease and dissist," ruling... And/or maybe someone out there in cyberland has a relevant Jewelers catalog, illustrating the 1950- 51+ AA and Excellent series 21Js, dressed in the same cases?! But until then, I'm with Steve... "BULOVA! Are you listening!? (Corrogated Curtains... ignored, again!!!)

 

:-)  Scott 

captainclock12
Posted January 21, 2012 - 12:45am

In reply to by bourg01

Bourg, chill dude, how on earth do you expect anyone to get "high resolution ads" from here if when you try to copy and paste them into the reply portion of the "forum posts" they end up turning out looking like really tiny like this:

 

 

and then get more and more blury and distorted as you try and make it bigger? Bourg, to be honest with you back in the 1950s there was no such thing as "high definition" or "high resolution" GOT IT? GOOD. So give this guy a break as he's working with very limited resources at hand. Unless you have a better way to resize these low quality ad reproductions so that they don't distort in the X and Y Axis so that they can look deceivingly "hi-def"? Which I doubt you do.

Until then good luck as you will be needing it.

 

captainclock12
Posted January 21, 2012 - 1:33am

In reply to by bourg01

AND BY THE WAY BOURG,

the 'X' dial WAS used on the Academy Award watches, take a look in the "ad archive" in here for yourself on Page 8 on the second row in the VERY 1ST ad you will see that it is not only a full color ad but also an ad that shows in great detail a 1951 Academy Award watch (non-variant model to be exact) so Please do some research on your own besides relying on others to do it for you everytime and you'll find that you'll clear up a lot of your own confusions that YOU encounter on here, by taking a look at the originals in the archive yourself instead of having to rely on (as you call them) "low res hard to read ads" being posted in the threads which are only that way because the ads are extremely small when you copy and paste them in here and because of that they distort to the point of illegibility when you resize them.

It seems that you are the only person on this site that complains about how bad of quality the ad posts are on here and using those "complaints" as an excuse to not identify a watch that nobody else has a problem identifying, so it seems that you need to re-evaluate your watch identifying skills.

OldTicker
Posted January 20, 2012 - 9:15pm

Academy Award "Q"

bourg01
Posted January 21, 2012 - 12:08am

Academy Award " Q " Agreed, ads in the database, Please update the ID on yours.