Bulova 1929 Miss Liberty

Submitted by mitbht on
Manufacture Year
1929
Movement Model
6AF
Movement Jewels
15
Case Serial No.
9097808
Case shape
Tonneau
Case color
White
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Ladies
Watch Description

15 jewels, barrel shape. I believe it’s a Miss Liberty.  As far as I know it has never been refurbished. Has original band.

8/28/26
8/28/26
8/28/26
8/28/26
Alex
Posted August 28, 2026 - 8:41pm

Dear mitbht, your watch is unknown. The original Miss Liberty has a different case shape which I call cut corner tonneau while this watch is a pure tonneau. It shares the exact same layout of the the 6 simulated emeralds with the original Miss Liberty. Both versions were introduced together in 1929. However, it was the cut corner tonneau version that was advertised as Miss Liberty while the tonneau version never got advertised. Since we ID a watch based on a name found in an ad, I classify it as unknown, calling it myself the “hybrid Miss Liberty” but that is not an official name for the watch. 

JimDon5822
Posted August 29, 2026 - 8:37pm

Based on the above add I am good the Miss Liberty designation.   We already have at least one ID'd with this case as a Miss Liberty.   With the confirmation of an ad showing this exact case and showing the name Miss Liberty it is a confirmed case variant.   

Geoff Baker
Posted August 29, 2026 - 9:04pm

I'm with Alex - 1929 Bulova Unknown

Alex
Posted August 30, 2026 - 11:44pm

I am aware of the above ad, but let me explain why I still go for unknown:

  • we know that Bulova never advertised this tonneau version, despite they were introduced at the same time
  • we know that the jewelers placed literally thousands of ads for the Miss Liberty, referring and depicting the cut corner tonneau shape based on standard templates provided by Bulova
  • we know that the jewelers ordered the watches using a numerical code, not by name
  • and then there is this one jeweler/optician called "JOS. GUMM", in Michigan that placed this ad depicting the tonneau version calling it Miss Liberty

It could have been a mistake, he could have been equally confused as we are. To avoid a repetition of (potential) mistakes made by jewelers, I take a conservative approach and go by the rule that I only confirm a name if more jewelers placed an ad depicting the same model and using the same name. Which in case of the subject watch, isn't. 

mybulova_admin
Posted August 30, 2026 - 11:51pm

I'm good to group this with the other examples we have as a Miss Liberty. I appreciate the difference in case design and lack of adverts, but if I were a betting man, the odds of it being a Miss Liberty would be higher than it not. We have had similar discussions about other models (Sky King, Miss America come to mind both of which are also 1930 watches).

As always if and when we find another advert confirming or 2 adverts showing another model, we can easily find and update these records.

1929 Bulova Miss Liberty for me.

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted August 31, 2026 - 2:28am

There are currently 5 additional examples of this case design listed as the 'MISS LIBERTY' in the site database. 

 One can speculate all they want but the vintage ad is what it is.

Kathy L.
Posted August 31, 2026 - 1:24pm

We have several of these so Bulova obviously made the mismatch of the Miss Liberty and Miss America for awhile.  Since we have the ad I am with keeping it as Miss Liberty.

1929 Bulova Miss Liberty

Kathy L.
Posted August 31, 2026 - 1:58pm

Here is a second ad for this model Lansing_State_Journal_1929_12_13_Page_2.jpg