Geoff -
I have 3 Bulova watches so far. Two vintage and a Precisionist Chronograph. The Precisionist was clearanced at a local department store. Combined with two store coupons, the price came down to 30 dollars. Took me two seconds to decide if I should buy it or not.
The Lady Bulova retailed for 49.50 in 1937. Adjusted for inflation (according to the website that I used), that's the same as 800 today. The average salary in 1937 was approximately 1900. It's the tail end of the Great Depression. A Bulova watch was decidedly a luxury at that time, out of reach for millions of people. Someone had the resources to either plunk down nearly two weeks salary, or the job security to be able to make the monthly payments for a woman he loved (a woman with this kind of purchasing power in 37 is an anomaly). The unknown 76 year journey of this watch from a wrist to Ebay is facinating and part of the lure of vintage watches for me. If I found my Grandmother's Bulova in a drawer (as the 1970 Unknown was found - beautiful watch!) I would never let it go, so I find it hard to fathom how so many of these beauties end up discarded and treated like mere trinkets.
The "crystal" is decidedly plastic and I will be having that replaced. Who sticks a piece of plastic on a Bulova with four diamonds on it?! The clasp still ratchets beautifully and the adjustability of it is truly inventive. I would love to have the face cleaner, but I am worried that I will lose more of the minute markings if I fuss further. I say lose more, because it looks like I may have inadvertently removed them a little bit, despite what I had hoped was a gentle cleaning. As soon as I read JP's reply, my heart sunk because I had hoped that the markings were merely faint to begin with, but no, it was my own blundering. Replacing the crystal will help brighten up the face a bit since it has become very yellowed and scratched (sure sign it's plastic).
Over 5 Bulova's is a definite possibility. This will probably be the only one I buy online (who am I kidding) since I love to scrounge around antique shops and flea markets for a find. My husband exclaimed "Another watch?!" when this came in the mail. "But honey, LOOK AT IT!" I replied. Perhaps he'll change his tune if I find him a vintage of his own.