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Geoff Baker
Posted February 18, 2024 - 9:20pm

Thanks Jimmy - you just sent me down a rat hole.

Here's what I uncovered. Your watch has a twin in our dB already - it's HERE although we ID'd it (incorrectly I think) as an Ambassador. I note that there are only 213 numbers difference in the serial number and also note that the case and movement date codes are 4 years apart, just like yours. I can't find very many watches in the dB that list the 30j 12EBACD (4 of them are YOURS) but they all seem to be in cases marked SWISS, Which leads me to ponder that these could be International models. When I look up the two case numbers 7287 and 7283 of yours neither are in the 1974 ABC parts catalog. I do find a Bulova case 7284 listed amongst a list of Accutron cases and guess what movement is assigned to it - 12EBACD. I wonder why a 1972 Bulova case isn't listed in the 1974 parts catalog and it leads me back to what I surmise (read as wild guess) is an International (SWISS) watch. Additionally I did a rapid flip through several 1970 era linebooks and notice that US Bulova didn't list ANY 30 jewel watches.

We'll likely tag this as a Bulova 30 but we could call it an "International" model. I prefer the "30 designation for two reason - it separates them from the other International model and it does read "30" on the dial. I concede however that arguably we have no documentation that "Bulova 30" is an official watch name

BTW - Cool watch