My latest find. Whats her name fellows. 3 diamonds at 9, 12, and 3:00. Could she be a Beau. I found her at the Flea Market for a whopping $5. with a cracked yellow crystal,subsecond hand floating around detached, crown wouldnt budge and dial was water stained. But shes looking good and running strong.
The full ad is here.
http://www.watchophilia.com/vintage-advertisements/a1960-1969/a1963/
A Beau ad closer to the year of subject watch, matching jewel count and sure looks like subject watch.
However, a review of the Bulova model price lists suggest the QQ is available in Yellow Gold Case. I'm still trying to figure out if there's "two" QQ variants, which may indicate it's also the QQ when in White Gold. More coming as time allows.
Here's the "mens diamond dial" section of the Spring 1961 price lists. This section suggests that in Spring 1961 there were four "diamond dial" Beau w/ a price of $89.50. Only one QQ is listed, and it has a yellow gold colored case.
In another section of the same Spring 1961 lists, currently marketed/manufactured models are listed. I think this section of the list is complete for Bulova watchs for this date. If there were more than one QQ available at this time, it would be listed here. There is only one QQ. Same unique model number (04200) in both lists above and below.
Fast forward to next (partial) price list we have available. Spring 1964. I say this list is "partial" because the cover page and diamond dial sections which are in other lists on site is not included. When Bruce Shawkey got the hard copy list, these other setions were most likely not stapled to the front of this list. It's all we have though. So by Spring 1964, there is still only one Beau QQ, with same reference number (04200) in the list, and previous lists suggest this has a yellow gold case.
The White Gold case variants, from the first 1961 diamond dial section, suggest a variant designation of "PP" or "RR".
I would still vote for Beau "QQ", as it's the closest ad we have on site to subject watch, but would only give two ticks for tentative. We may someday find an ad showing the White Gold Case subject watch is RR or PP, but in the end, IMO, the data suggest it won't be a confirmed QQ variant.
Well there is an ad for "RR" indicating White Gold w/ matching jewel count etc....
That makes it easier, and confirms the utility of the price lists for these types of tenative ID's until ad(s) surface. Sure wish the lists were less clunky, and I could get these data into a relation database. This would allow some simple predictive modeling with some statistical anasyses of the model output. Until then, I continue to look at the lists the old fasion way.
Now I'm voting for Beau RR and would give three ticks confirmed.