Bulova 1964 -Unknown

Submitted by N5XTC on December 16, 2017 - 8:18pm
Manufacture Year
1964
Movement Model
11AFAC
Movement Jewels
17
Case Serial No.
189479
Case shape
Round
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Bulova Automatic. Silver face and rectangular number indicators. PIC 1 Bulova in top center of watch Automatic in bottom center of watch PIC 2 "Bulova Waterproof" inscribed on the back with what looks like a female dancer kicking her back, right leg out. See Pic. I scored this Bulova in a pile of watches I paid $20 for at a yard sale. This watch was the reason I bought the pile. Manual winds and runs keeping time, a few mins slow per day. I have not been able to open the watch to get the numbers or symbol from the movement. Any help IDing this watch as per model, date/year is greatly appreciated.

Scott Allen Reid

 

 

1950 Bulova watch
1964 Bulova watch
N5XTC
Posted December 16, 2017 - 8:22pm

**There are numbers on the back of the watch under the "waterproof" marking -  189479

hope this helps. did not notice this until I saw the pic I posted. Then, I used a magnifier. nice.

mybulova_admin
Posted December 17, 2017 - 12:07am

Very tricky to narrow down a year without a date code of some sort. Any chance of having a peep inside the watch for a date code on the inside case backcase or movement?

Thinking it's from the Oceanographer series, but could be totally wrong.

N5XTC
Posted December 17, 2017 - 6:29am

I will take it in on Monday and have someone look at the inside of the watch. I thought someone would recognize the model and/or year, or at least decade. I am thinking a 1960s model. Still runs though prob time for a servicing.

Andersok
Posted December 17, 2017 - 7:29am

Bulova started using the word 'Automatic' in place of selfwinding around 1967 give or take; so the watch is likely late 60s or 70s.

N5XTC
Posted December 17, 2017 - 7:40am

very helpful, thanks. i was guessing late 60's from comparing to other watches we have listed here. check out the lugs. def different than most bulovas i see. the back should be a giveaway also, but most posts dont show the backs of watches. too bad.

Andersok
Posted December 23, 2017 - 12:51pm

Additionally, the case #400 is listed in the Bulova case ref book as using the 11AFAC, so that is a good indicator that your watch contains the correct movement. Still odd that the movement is four years prior; but over time it, or even just the rotor, may have been replaced due to failure. I agree with others that this may not be a model from North America. Not one in our current ads, so an Unknown model for now.

N5XTC
Posted December 20, 2017 - 11:45am

UPDATE ON THE WATCH:  CASE BACK (M4) 1964, MOVEMENT (M0) 1960

PIC1: CASE BACK is M4 meaning 1964 - PIC 2: MOVEMENT is M0 meaning 1960

inside of a rectangle is the movement model "11 AFAC".  movement is also marked "Bulova Watch Co." and "17 jewels" with "SEVENTEEN" underneath that marking.

PIC 1: CASE BACK

PIC 2: MOVEMENT

SO, we have a 1964 case and a 1960 movement. Is this typical in Bulova watches of the period?

What year do we label the watch? I assume 1960 for the movement year.  Can we track down a model and/or an advertisement now?

Thanks!

Scott

Geoff Baker
Posted December 22, 2017 - 11:43am

Hi Scott - generally we take the newest component when dating a watch. We aren't surprised when the difference is a year or two. Four year spread indicates (at least to me) a possible  movement replacement. In this example I would suggest dating to 1964.  I have a sense that this style case back is an international model as opposed to a Canada/USA (North America) model, I have very little basis, just a thought really.

I do not see any match is our advert dB. Unknown to me.

Reverend Rob
Posted December 22, 2017 - 3:27pm

Case is by Louis Lang, Porrentruy Switzerland. I'd agree with dating to 1964, but unknown for model for now. 

N5XTC
Posted December 22, 2017 - 8:26pm

thanks for that information. its makes the watch that much more special. how do you know this? are there markings? curious.