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)
In reply to SO... here comes the Detroit… by Geoff Baker
All official 1924 (and prior) magazine adverts we have show either a mens square, rectangular or tonneau case shape. I don't beleive we have any Bulova magazine adverts showing a round mens wrist watch pre 1925. So how do we interpret this 1924 10AA movement? It would have certainly been housed in a round (or cushion) case and if not a mens then it's possible it came from one of many ladies early models. But, then we have the radium dial and hands which strongly suggests a mens watch.
This is the best evidence we have showing 'this kind of mens watch' was at the very least being advertised and sold by Bulova in 1924.
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I'd like to think it was stamped internally 'BULOVA', but as we have no other examples to compare it to, I think we have to take things on face value for now.
I do think it is original Bulova. The ad looks like a match. We have to bear in mind that in 1924, American Standard, their house supplier, was only producing cases for ladies watches. And they started signing them as Bulova only towards the end of the year. Until then, Bulova only had a few men’s models, mostly in gold or silver cases. They only started being serious about men’s strap watches in 1925 with the introduction of the President, Senator, Banker etc which marks the start of the production of men’s watch cases in American Standard. It was just a matter of finding a company that had a case or was willing to create one for Bulova. Star and Wadsworth had a sales Office in Maiden Lane 15, less than a minute walk from the original Bulova office on Maiden Lane 22. Both were focussed on ladies and pocket watch cases for what I have seen. Fahys had a sales office on Maiden Lane 54, and probably had a case available, hence got selected. The trail into men’s strap watches, if we can call it that, apparently worked out leading to the full range of men’s models in 1925 with the President, Senator, Banker that all became long standing names for years to come.
In reply to If it's something the panel… by mybulova_admin