This appears to be a 1940 Ambassador on original band with movement double stamped as 1939 and 1940 (Omega and Shield).
Hands would appear to be replacements, and watch has many jeweler's marks inside of caseback. I'm intrigued by the face, which has a unconventional center detail line and sub-seconds track. All detail is raised gold, but face lacks "Bulova". White surface of face is chalky, like it was poorly cleaned so it's unclear if this is a Bulova face with ID cleaned off or an extremely good quality replacement. Face also shows old "halo's" around hand shafts apparently from an excess of oil during a service and soiling around perimeter matching crystal opening - this appears old. I mic'ed the dimensions of the outer seconds track, face and case and it's identical in size, shape and dimensions to my 1939 Ambassador "B".
No other use of this face found in the Db, so it appears to me that this isn't a swap from another watch. Thoughts?
In reply to Well worth getting for the by Kathy L.
Thanks Kathy. That (bad refinish) was my first thought, but once in hand I think it's original finish. Every Ambassador "B" in this case configuration I looked at has raised gold numbers and signature, with printed seconds tracks in black. This one has raised gold everything - except "Bulova".. All the face details are part of the face as opposed to printed on.
I suspect that the dial isn't original. This model would have had raised gold BULOVA not printed and the sub-second configuration is all wrong for a Bulova dial of this period.
Case style is a match for the Ambassador, as is the 21 10AE movement.
Based on the dial I'd ID at Non-Conforming.
In reply to Back and forth I am, all by Geoff Baker
In reply to Back and forth I am, all by Geoff Baker