Bulova 1943 Military Non-Issue

Submitted by davep on
Manufacture Year
1943
Movement Model
10AK
Movement Date Code
X
Movement Jewels
15
Case Serial No.
027948
Case shape
Round
Case color
White
Case Manufacturer
Bulova
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

Military non Issue ?  Case has lost most of its plating and no markings other than serial number but  evidence of what looks like a personal engraving that has been polished out . Fitted a NOS pigskin strap.  Keeping remarkable time despite having been thrown around in the postal system from Italy for nearly 3 weeks !

Bulova 1943
Bulova 1943
Bulova 1943
Bulova 1943
JimDon5822
Posted November 8, 2024 - 9:26pm

Thank you for posting your watch.   It looks like the movement is double marked with a + and a o so that would make this a 1944 in my opinion.   The case is a military style.  I would classify this as a 1944 Bulova Military Non-issue.  

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted November 8, 2024 - 10:28pm

It is rumored that these watches with no Military nomenclature on the casebacks were issued to U.S. Navy personnel, the case was then engraved with the name of the owner.  

How true this is?  I do not know. 

 

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted November 8, 2024 - 10:37pm

We've been naming these 'ORD DEPT', the correct name is the '10AK' 

There is this tidbit that shows figure 1) (no markings on the caseback) as new manufacture. 

interestingly the subject has been engraved / personalized at one time. 

FifthAvenueRes…
Posted November 8, 2024 - 10:45pm

I will add that having a 1943 manufacture date and then being non-issue would not make mch sense.  WWII was in full swing in 1943 and these watches could not be made fast enough for the Military. 

Geoff Baker
Posted November 9, 2024 - 8:29pm

1943 Bulova Military Non-Issue is a good ID for this one

davep
Posted November 10, 2024 - 4:13am

Just an observation but does the the case serial numbering on these ' Military non issues ' have any significance as they do not follow the usual Bulova convention of letter and 6 numbers , but have just 6 numbers ?

Kathy L.
Posted November 10, 2024 - 9:44am

Nice example!

1943 Bulova Military Non-issue

JimDon5822
Posted November 10, 2024 - 6:28pm

Generally Non-Issue means it is a military watch but absent of military marks.  Many watches were sold after WWII as surplus and military marks were removed.  Not saying this one is but it  is one of the possibilities.