Finally got my dream Bulova a few weeks ago for about $200 but I had to buy some replacement parts to get it running again. I believe its the 1926 Conqueror and it's in great condition besides some enamel loss on the corners. It runs very accurately without a service as of now after some minor regulation. I replaced the hands but I believe they aren't original to the model, but seeing other versions of this watch on here I thought these hands looked best. One of the watches I bought for parts came with the band seen here and I just thought it matched the lume on the dial and hands perfectly. A question I had is which model (Conquerer/Lone Eagle) had the shortest production run/which model is rarest? So glad I managed to get this watch finally as they only appear on eBay ~4-5 times a year from what i've seen. Thank you for any input and any history/little details on this watch is appreciated!
Dear Narch2436, your watch definitively is a conversation piece, especially among Bulova afficionados! Let me try to answer your two questions about the history and which is rarest. To start with the latter, I have 80 examples in my database, 7 of 1925, 46 of 1926, 7 of 1927, 18 of 1928 and 2 of 1929, making this year the rarest. Then the history. I will limit myself to the facts. This model was introduced in 1925. It was first advertised as Conqueror in the Saturday Evening Post of 6 March 1926. An article in the Jewelers' Circular of 18 August 1926 after visiting the Bulova booth on the A.N.R.J.A. jewelry and watch fair, states that the watch was named Conqueror in honor of Commander Byrd after his successful flight over the North Pole on 9 May 1926. The watch is renamed to "Lone Eagle" in honor of Lindbergh, after his successful flight over the Atlantic to Paris on 20 May 1927. Byrd was a direct contender to Lindbergh. The watch is first advertised as Lone Eagle in the newspapers on 22 June 1927 and then in the Saturday Evening Post on 27 August 1927 (the previous ad of 30 July 1927 still calls it Conqueror!). This model continues until 1929, when on Saturday 29 June, its successor is introduced in the Saturday Evening Post and a day earlier in the newspapers, indicating it will go on sale this Saturday (the 29th). Enjoy your watch, it is a beautiful model with a great story to tell about the heroes of the mid '20s, the pioneering aviators!
Narsh2436 can you confrim that the movement is stamped U.S.A?
If so this would indicate a replacement movement from the 1934 and not original to the watch. The 10AN is correct but not made in 1926 if stamped U.S.A.
The correct 1926/27 LE movements are satmped SWISS, are 17 jewels and have a serial number sarting with '22xxxxxx'.
The case serial number is certainly within the original 1926/27 LE 5000 range, but the dial and hands looks to be later 1927 and with a replacement 1934 movement.
Whilst technically non-conforming, I think we could still generally ID as a 1927 Lone Eagle, based on the later dial and hands styling.
In reply to Narsh2436 can you confrim… by mybulova_admin
The movement is stamped USA
In reply to Narsh2436 can you confrim… by mybulova_admin
So you say 1927 based on it being in the first 5000 range?
In reply to So you say 1927 based on it… by Geoff Baker
It's a little grey. It's not 1926 because the dial and hands are not from 26. It's not 1928 as the case isn't from 28.
The best for me it to meet in the middle at 1927 as we know a 1926 case was used for 1927 LE.
The case serial number is also within the range of 1927 5000 LE release.
In reply to It's a little grey. It's not… by mybulova_admin
Understood, agree
In reply to Narsh2436 can you confrim… by mybulova_admin
I'm sorry but what does "LE 5000" mean?
In reply to I'm sorry but what does "LE… by Narsh2436
Sorry, excellent question. Lone Eagle first 5000, your case serial number puts it in the range of the first 5000 sold. Alas the case has a replacement movement and dial. Watches of this era we generally classify by the case so we've tagged you watch as a Lone Eagle as you can see. HERE is the full story.
a Case serial number beginning with 6 indicates 1926.
Lone Eagles were a 1927 watch using a 26 movement and case. Conqueror's typically had a 10P or 10AP movement, wth the spade style cathedral hands, which later became the simpler spade hands followed by the typical angled cathederal hands.
