Here is a super interesting one. It's slightly smaller than a same period Banker with what appears to be sporting lugs that were made separately from the case and applied. Case is marked Fahys Bristol with a serial number that coincides with Bulovas of the era. Second number is a 4, matching movement date of 1924.
Started running with a single rotation of the crown and is keeping perfect time!
It would seem there is a solid connection of Fahys to Bulova, and I wonder if Bulova absorbed Fahys stock and used it as their own; or purchased some to use in their first runs of Mens strap watches.
1924 Unknown
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Fahys Bristol as per NAWCC website
"Fahys brought the Brooklyn Watch Case Co. to Sag Harbor in the late 1890s. Fahys use of the Brooklyn name makes it seem as though the Bristol line of cases was made in the company's Brooklyn division, a part of the company that usually made solid gold cases. "
"In 1882, operations moved to Sag Harbor, NY, which is a former whaling port on Long Island. The company went out of business during the Great Depression. Interestingly, according to "Fahys of Sag Harbor, New York, Part 1," John H. Wilterding, Jr., NAWCC Bulletin, No. 332 (June 2001), pp. 316-24, in 1937 the Bulova Watch Co. leased part of the Fahys Sag Harbor factory building. Bulova made watch cases there until the plant was closed in 1980."
(It is now a Condominium)
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Update: After a little more research, the lug design/attachment on this watch appears to be a match to "Brooklyn Watch Case Company" design for "Nurse" watches. in the database. Case proportions are different, but lug construction is the same. Fahys absorbed BWCC and moved it to Sag Harbor, where Bulova joined in.
Below photo is subject watch shown next to a 1930 lugged Nurse in a BWCC case for size comparison
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Cool old watch. I would not classify it as a Bulova however. While there is a connection, I think by this point Bulova would be hallmarking case with their own trademark. The three "Nurse" watches we have in the dB are all marked Bulova. I don't think this is a Bulova watch.
Fahys have an interesting history and I would not be at all surprised if they and Bulova crossed paths durung these early years. They were practically neighbours during this period.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Fahys_%26_Co.
For me I'm reticent to rule this watch out as not something produced by Bulova. We've done that in the past, only to find out later that it was in fact a Bulova product. I'm not saying that this will be the case here....but....
With a 1924 movement, this would be a very early mens Bulova wrist watches (if original). I'm not ruling out Fahys as a case supplier for this watch as Bulova didn't have many mens wrist watch cases prior to 1925.
I don't think we'll ever find a model name, maybe a reference number, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
I am on the fence.
This is just my opinion and would be interested to hear that of other members of the site.
In reply to Fahys have an interesting… by mybulova_admin
In reply to Fahys have an interesting… by mybulova_admin
SO... here comes the Detroit Michigan reference (I lived there for almost 20 years). Henry Ford, Billy Durant (founder of General Motors) and the Dodge Brothers were practically NEIGHBORS in the 1910's . For all intents and purposes they shared suppliers of the parts they used to produce their automobiles. Yet under no circumstance would a Ford model be labelled as a Chevrolet or a Dodge because a part supplier. If Bulova made the case, it's a Bulova watch if not.......well. I am not on the fence (or, in the case of a Detroit reference, the FENDER).