I'm preliminarily calling this a 1925 Juliana.
Case: Bulova Quality American Standard 18K Filled, 5393627
Movement is a 15J, 10AN 1926
This is all consistent with the 1927 that is already in the database.
The case closes snuggly but it doesn't snap closed with or without the movement. Not sure how to fix that. Its wearable as it is, though.
I will be interesting to see how you guys handle the dial. It doesn't fit the ad but the ad is from 1928. Unless I missed it, I think it's the only one on file. The dial could be a replacement but I have to believe that a ladies watch with a subsecond dial would have been pretty rare in 1925. I'm kind of wondering if the style changed between that year and the year of the ad.
That's a real beauty. Juliana had straight lugs, I suspect subject watch (wire lugs) is a Minerva, like this one
There were several models in this time frame with very similar engraving. This one sports a triangle at 12 and 6 positions
Dear Tsanno, your watch is from 1926. The first digit, although hardly visible must be a 6 for three reasons. The first reason is that serial numbers in 1925 ran from 500 (first three digits) to 525 i.e. 539 doesn't exist. The serial numbers in 1926 start with 639 (your watch) and run until 666. The second reason is that in 1925, this model had an engraving without this V-line above and below the glass. This V-line was introduced in 1926. The third reason is that this particular and deviating case signature was exclusive to this model and to 1926. The movement date code of your watch confirms it is from 1926. The name is Minerva. The Juliana was the Sports Model version, recognized by the different lugs.
[head slap] Yeah. The lugs. One of these days I'll learn.
The first digit could well be a '6'. I looked very closely at it with a jewelers loop and thought I could barely see the outline of a '5' in the upper part of the digit so I went with it. But I wouldn't lay any bets that I got it right.
Thanks, guys.
