Ok here's another for you guys. Now first off, I did find this in the member database under "1924 6514", whatever that means. This is in an original Bulova box and plastic gold colored Bulova case inside the box.The inside of the lid case says "Bulova Fifth Avenue and a banner with Miss America in it. It also has a certificate but the case number written down is 790804 which doesn't match the inside case # of the watch. This is also a hinged case that swings out to remove the movement.
I also looked up the movement #47781 and it comes up with a 1924.
So all info is seen in the pics. I dated this at 1924 with the * symbol. Maybe ya'll can clarify what model I have?
Thanks again guys!
In reply to I see what you are referring by bsshog40
We often see ads picturing and describing a model, then the text "available in yellow or white" or similar. Often, maybe most of the time, the two colors have different variants. For "in store" sales, they have to get you to the store to sell you a watch. Once in the store, you can say "I want the white one".
Compare some of the ads from mail order catalogs like Monkey Wards in the 1960's. These ads will often have some identifying number for yellow or white, since they are mailing customer the watch. With Wards, and other catalogs, those numbers are usually internal to the store, so they don't help us with model identification in and of themselves.
I agree with 6513, but add that I believe the numbered models are Lady Maxims.
In addition, I think I may have deciphered a little more of the meaning of the variant numbers of these early twenties models.
We already have the last numbers, 'odd' for plated 'evens' for solid gold. Platinum has another that I haven't started looking at yet, but in the sequence of numbers we see a "5" or a "7", or even an "8" somewhere near the middle of the sequences, be they thr ee, four or five numbers long.
If we look at the ads below, we can see many variants, even pocket watches and men's wrist watches. In each ones description is the jewel count, and in all but one example their individual variant number has a matching digit for their jewel count.
i.e. the 153 has 15 jewels, the 6714 has 17 jewels, the Phantom 682 & 684 p/w's have 18 jewels, the men's 39714 has 17 jewels, yet the silver variant 39513 has only 15 jewels. Note this man's model has at the end ane 'even' number for solid gold, and an 'odd' number for sterling silver. Wonder if they did a filled variant?
Check each model, and apart from one that has an "8" yet shows a 17 jewel movement, which I think could be a typo, all follow this criteria.
Carrying on from above, I asked if the man's 39714 came in a filled variant-it did, the 39713.
There is what I believe to be a typo in this 1925 advert, the 3155 says it has 17 jewels, yet this variant-later to become the Banker-only came in 15 jewels.
I would love to know the actual date of this advert below featuring the mail pilot Wes Smith, I believe it is earlier than 1925 as Bulova were naming their men's watches by then.
There is also a 1923 advert for a 21 jewel, gold filled p/w 413, this follows criteria too.
