Bulova 1968 Ambassador

Submitted by gmmy775 on
Manufacture Year
1968
Movement Model
12EBACD
Movement Jewels
17
Case Serial No.
F 763867
Case shape
Round
Case color
Yellow
Crystal details
31.75 Dia x 3.85 Depth mm, out of watch
Gender
Mens
Watch Description

1968 BULOVA Ambassador Date Micro-Rotor Automatic 17 jewel, two-piece stem - Case: Stainless Steel w/ 14K yellow gold bezel, one piece, made in W. Germany  Diameter w/o crown or sleeve:  34.95 mm  Depth w/o crystal: 5.20   mm  Length w/ Lugs: 40.50 mm   Inside Lugs Width:  17.60 mm  Movement:  Bulova 12EBACD (Buren cal. 1322) Micro-Rotor Automatic w/Date  Movement Engraving: 12EBACD; BULOVA WATCH CO; 17 Jewels Seventeen; Unadjusted; Swiss; M8;     BXW  Caseback Inscriptons:  BULOVA; 14K Gold Bezel; Stainless Steel Back; Shock Resistant; F 763867;                  M8; Anti-Magnetic; Self Winding; Waterproof  Inside Case:   Stamped: W. Germany; 3N98 in ink   Watch is very accurate.   Starts beating with slightest movement

 

 

Dial View
Movement
Watch with Band
Watch back view
Exploded view
mybulova_admin
Posted February 26, 2020 - 12:49am

Certainly part of the Bulova Ambassador series, but I'm having a hard time finding this exact style to determine the variant.

The two elements I'm trying to match are the dial texture and hands. We have adverts showing a similar watch with non-textured dial and lumed hands.

gmmy775
Posted February 26, 2020 - 2:17am

Shrinking the photos down lowered the resolution to the point that the depth of the dial texture isn't so apparent.  It is quite pronounced, like a lateral texture that is expertly added to a gold band with a hart bur, and very metallic.  The hands do not look like they have ever been removed.  The dial has a pronounced dome, leveling out about where the indices end.  The dial is correct for the movement, as a flat dial would have a 12ECACD.  I will look around and see what additional data I can find.  When I opened it up there were two watchmaker marks near the ink stamp, but it doesn't have any obvious signs of handling.  It went back together beautifully.

gmmy775
Posted February 26, 2020 - 2:35am

Just found this with a duckduckgo image search.  the url is: duckduckgo.com/?q=1968+Bulova+Ambassador+with+Gold+bezel&t=chromentp&ia=images .  It is from a watchtalkforums page.  Everything is identical, except the crown.  I was skeptical of the crown on mine anyway.  My experience with split-stem Burens is that the crown and stem get lost fairly easily.  Will be looking for an original crownWatchtalkforums image

gmmy775
Posted February 26, 2020 - 2:44am

I downloaded the image, without the photobucket watermark and blur.  Don't know how to upload it without using email.  watchtalkforums says the band in this photo is the original

gmmy775
Posted February 26, 2020 - 2:59am

found another identical one on ebay with this title:XXXXXXXXXXXXX  Active ebay reference removed by admin  XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX.  It is from Vancouver, Canada and they are asking almost $500 US for it.

Geoff Baker
Posted February 26, 2020 - 10:12pm

Hi gmmy775 - I edited out your eBay reference, we prefer not to see links or references to active auctions. Thanks for understanding

Geoff Baker
Posted February 26, 2020 - 10:14pm

I agree that it's Ambassador, no variance found

1968 Bulova Ambassador

neetstuf-4-u
Posted February 26, 2020 - 11:16pm

1968 Ambassador - no variant found yet.

JimDon5822
Posted February 27, 2020 - 10:50pm

1968 Ambassador - no variant.  Yet!