Bulova 1920 Lady Maxim

Submitted by 1955mercury on
Manufacture Year
1920
Movement Jewels
15
Case Serial No.
1007273
Case shape
Round
Case color
Yellow
Case Manufacturer
American Standard
Crystal details
19.5 mm
Gender
Ladies
Watch Description

It says "Bulova" on the dial and movement and it's in a round American Standard case and it's running. That's about all I know about it. There's no date code on the movement.

Fron view
Movement
Inside Case Back
mybulova_admin
Posted March 10, 2025 - 10:59pm

I've recorded another example with a case serial number of 1006919, of which was engraved 1920.

I'd be good to ID as a 1920 Bulova Lady Maxim.

I'm still trying to understand how it is many examples we have and see contain movements stapped BULOVA W Co which according to this ad was officially advertised in May of 1923.

 

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted March 11, 2025 - 3:41am

The 1923 ad gives a good indication of when the Bulova Watch Co hallmarked movements are introduced, coinciding with the incorporation.   Bulova W. Co hallmarked movements are pre 1923, presumably.

1955mercury
Posted March 11, 2025 - 7:13am

Stephen, I have no idea if it's a 1920 or not. I had to put a year in the field to be able to post it. I know nothing about these early Bulovas. The movement doesn't have a date code or serial number on it. The dial appears to have been refurbished. Who know's if it originally had Bulova or some other name stamped on it. May not even be the original dial. This one is outside of my range of knowledge. I was hoping someone on here could share some information on what it is.

mybulova_admin
Posted March 12, 2025 - 5:18am

Merc, what makes you think the dial migh be refurbished?

This period still hold many grey areas of unknown.

1955mercury
Posted March 12, 2025 - 6:30am

I haven't taken the movement out of the watch because it's working and with something this old I don't won't to take a chance of making it not working. But the dial paint has that fine sandpaper textured finish that's typical of redials. 

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted March 11, 2025 - 4:24am

Having Bulova on its' dial I am not so sure that it is a 'LADY MAXIM'

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted March 11, 2025 - 5:48am

The Globe and Shield found on the inside of the American Standard cases still intrigue. 

I had mentioned prior their relationship to the Gold content / case warranty.

On the 1920 subject watch We see the Globe warrantied for 25 Years, below We see the same 1920 coded case (if We have this correct) with a Shield, warrantied for 20 Years.

 

1955mercury
Posted March 11, 2025 - 9:56am

This is from watchophilia: "Note the globe symbol used on these cases.  Per the 1904 publication of the "Trademarks of the Jewelry and Kindred Trades", the globe symbol was registerd to the J. Bulova Co. (predecessor to the Bulova Watch Company).  Below is an excerpt from that text.  The globe symbol appears on cases signed "American Standard" through 1921, at which time the globe is replaced by a shield symbol, shown in several examples below."
Read more: https://www.watchophilia.com/general-information/bulova-case-signatures/

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted March 11, 2025 - 6:20pm

*Yet here We see the Shield in a case with a starting serial number of 10 which is believed to indicate a manufacture date of 1920. 

mybulova_admin
Posted March 11, 2025 - 6:59am

Fifth I can say with 100% certainly that the shield and globe have nothing to do with the 20/25 year gold content. Over the years I have amassed enough data to say that both shield and globe cases came in both 20 and 25 year warranty's