Bulova 1963 Astrojet

Submitted by BiomedEd on May 16, 2021 - 2:35am
Manufacture Year
1963
Movement Model
11AFCD
Movement Jewels
17
Case Serial No.
386-1
Case shape
Round
Case color
White
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

ASTROJET 1963 (M3)  on the case back and date stamped on the movement.  Cannot reduce the size of the case back picture enough to post here but it has the MLB tombstone.  386-1 stamp,  M3.  No other engravings inside, no service dates or initials.   I don't know any history on this watch, bought it at auction with a Hamilton from the same year and two ladies watches, one Caravelle (M5) and one Westfield (L2).  The movements was difficult to wind and quite dirty.  I asked Ken Anderson for doing such a great job of cleaning and servicing this watch for me.  (He owned one of the other two AstroJets listed here.   Case is Maeder-Leschot of Biel like the other 2 so this they must have been the only ones to have actually produced the AstroJets before the name change to AeroJet??? 

Astrojet front
Movement after Ken cleaned it.
Outside of back of Astrojet
Andersok
Posted May 16, 2021 - 5:52am

Nice example of the Astrojet. The original crystal with rectangular calendar magnifier was too far gone to restore; this crystal, with round cyclops, was the best alternative. Was nice to restore it and get it running again.

While looking through an International linebook, I noticed a couple of models using the same or similar case (Astrojet is not printed on the dial). This watch does not have an import stamp, so it is possible that it was sold outside of the US.

Linebook-164 1966/67

LB164_1966_Astrojet

neetstuf-4-u
Posted May 17, 2021 - 9:40am

Agreed

1963 Astrojet (by dial) unknown variant and likely an international 

Kathy L.
Posted May 18, 2021 - 2:26pm

Nice ad match Ken.

1963 Bulova Astrojet

Geoff Baker
Posted May 18, 2021 - 9:41pm

1963 Bulova Astrojet

BiomedEd
Posted May 20, 2021 - 8:20pm

Just re-read my description...the spelling, the grammar, I wish it would let me edit it now but it is there forever!  

Geoff Baker
Posted May 21, 2021 - 9:25pm

In reply to by BiomedEd

No worries - type what you'd like the description to read in a new comment box and I'll overwrite what you have (and delete the comment box to erase all traces of corrections!)