Bulova 1951 Academy Award

Submitted by denupnorth on March 31, 2015 - 7:24pm
ZZ
Manufacture Year
1951
Movement Model
7AA
Movement Jewels
21
Movement Serial No.
-
Case Serial No.
4958593
Case shape
Rectangle
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Crystal details
17.75X21.60MM
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

1951 BULOVA Case back:10K GOLD FILLED,BULOVA,L1 Inside case back:BULOVA FIFTH AVE NEW YORK 21 jewel 7AA movement is dated A9(also has a dot stamped in front of the A9 marking,I don't know if this means anything) Dial:Bulova,has applied gold #'s and it looks like the hands are mismatched. Sighned BULOVA crown.

 

denupnorth 1951 Bulova 03 031 2015
Bulova watch
Bulova watch
Bulova Watch
Bulova Watch
JP
Posted March 31, 2015 - 9:03pm

Looks like a president but I will have to check the db.

JP

1955mercury
Posted March 31, 2015 - 11:43pm

From a 1951 ad.

jabs
Posted April 1, 2015 - 2:40am

Well this is dilemma Academy Award "ZZ" has shaded dial and His Excellency "LL", which has the same case usually has a stainless steel back

another  example His Excellency "LL" but with 14k gold

bobbee
Posted April 1, 2015 - 2:03pm

This has shadow dial, very faint but there.

AA 'ZZ'.

Andersok
Posted April 1, 2015 - 3:08pm

Good eye Bobbee...agree with Academy Award "ZZ" 

denupnorth
Posted April 1, 2015 - 8:51pm

Sometimes I see it and sometimes I don't;it's very faint,at best.

 

Geoff Baker
Posted April 1, 2015 - 9:09pm

I'd agree with the Academy Award ZZ ID. Not 100% I see the shadow but the gold case back does it for me. I was kind of thinking the cracked dial might indicate an older redial.

1955mercury
Posted April 1, 2015 - 9:21pm

I've been looking at several others, don't know if I've looked at enough yet, but it seems the shadow dials don't have the minute tracks and the solid color dials do. This is really a hard one to nail down positively.

bobbee
Posted April 2, 2015 - 10:18am

Well spotted merc, another way of ID'ing this model!

While I'm at it, I will post the legal findings regarding the Academy Award, and hope to dispel the myth surrounding it.

In October 1952, AMPAS allowed Bulova to carry on advertising the AA line, as long as they made it clear it was under licence to them (AMPAS). We can see this in the last paragraph of the court findings below, and a later July 1953 advert that shows "C (copyright) A.M.P.A.S. below the Oscar, thus fulfilling the agreement.

 

William Smith
Posted April 2, 2015 - 3:15pm

No minute track on shadow dials....good point.  I sure don't see the "faint shadow dial", but if others do, its just my old tired eyes... 
Like Geoff, the gold back helps too.

AA "ZZ" from me.