21 Jewel 1939 has me a bit puzzled. There were a multitude of watches that looked similar in this time period. Band apears that it could be original and would have been factory equipment on an Ambassador A. I thought at first it might be a Oxford/Montgomery, but the face is slightly different if you look closely at the "0" and "2"s. The Oxford and Montgomery models has a "0" with a slight peak on top and "2's" that were more blocky without the flourish at top and on foot. They were also 17 jewels; this one is a 21 like the Ambassador and Eagle. Lugs appear too smooth to be an American Eagle. I found a couple ads in the short ad section that are from the same year picturing a watch referred to only as a "Bulova 21". Ads seem to indicate that this was a model name, although there isn't an example in the database. Ads appear to show a face identical to subject watch.
I'd say it's a 1939 Bulova Ambassador 'B'. Another Ambassador advert.
Good call Stephen, don't know how I missed those ads. I agree, Ambassador B like this one except with a variance in seconds subdial, which is likely a style change from 1939 to 1940.
http://www.mybulova.com/watches/1940-ambassador-7475
Referenced watch also has the same "AAA" stamped movement as subject watch. I spent a long time trying to ID this one and guess I convinced myself too early in the process that it wasn't an Ambassador due to the absense of engraving on bezel at sides of crystal.
In reply to See how easy this is Bob? by Geoff Baker
Yes Geoff, I know it's "easy" (smiles, gives eyeroll) - thought I looked at every ad from 1936 to 1939 and all ads in the short section from 1930 to 1940 enlarged; and sorted the database by year, looking at every watch posted in the 1936 - 39 time frame. Guess I should have gone farther, here's one in an ad from 1942.
