Wall clock. 7 3/4" sq. and 2 1/2" thick. Made of plastic. Face marked "Bulova Electronic" with "Made In Canada" under the 6. Mechanical/ electronic hybrid (pre-quartz), has a balance and second hand sweeps like a mechanical watch. Movement runs on 1 "C" Cell battery and is marked "Bulova Watch Co, One Jewel. Unadjusted ATO.LIC." Movement housing cover marked Japan and "One Scale = 5 Sec" Under the white adjusting wheel. Back of case is ink stamped "3272 257 8".
My wife just brought this home from an estate clean out. She saved it from going in a garbage can. The year of production is a pure guess. Based on the battery size, it would appear to be pre-1970?
In reply to Great save! I just missed… by JimDon5822
Clock hung in a guest bedroom for at least 20 years without a battery in it. I put one in and the balance started but the second hand just quivered, wouldn't run. Big disappointment.... I left it in and after a while it started to move but very slow frequently stopping. Over the course of the day, I kept resetting it and it slowly started to run better. It has now been running correctly for 18 hrs and keeping perfect time.
Did you follow her into the parking lot and offer her twice what she paid? :o) I would have......
In reply to Lets go with 1982. by mybulova_admin
I looked at a lot of these. and they changed over time. The first were powered by a "C" battery with a modified mechanical movement. They progressed to full quartz with a "AA" battery and the movements shrunk in size and appear to no longer be marked Bulova. The dial text also changed several times. First was "Electronic" (C battery), Then in unknown succession were "Quartz" and no text besides "Bulova". What is under "Bulova" in the ad? Does it say electronic, quartz or something else?
My guess was that movement call out on dial for these was like watches. Mechanical (assumed or jewel count), followed by Electronic (first models where battery replaced mainspring), then quartz when it was the new improved, followed by no call out when quartz became the norm. At newest, I have to believe this one is pre-quartz Bulova technology.
Number on back starts with 3272, no letter prefix. Does that potentially mean C3272 series was preceded by other versions and as tech advanced, they went from just the number to B series and then C?
I'm just thinking out loud.
I find THIS ONE in the database with the same movement and a good amount of research dating it mid 70's by the movement. 1975?
In reply to I looked at a lot of these… by neetstuf-4-u
In reply to I don't think we can rely on… by mybulova_admin
After reviewing a number of linebooks, I now believe that the one dated to 1982 contains a color section showing 1976 watches and a black & white section showing a 1982 price list.
The 1976 watches shown were not available in 1982 and seem to have been placed in the 82 linebook PDF by mistake.
Based on these color adverts clearly showing 76 models and the clock listing seemly part of this same group of adverts, I do now agree Bob that we can date the clock to 1976.
Nice video to watch here about this model clock: https://youtu.be/O9AvlqBapdo?si=1krdQp3DvcOlowq8
Well done Stephen! The video is great. Note that the model in video has the quartz logo on dial and has a jumping seconds hand. Mine has a mechanical balance and ticks like a mechanical, which makes it older than the one shown.
Ad calls out Model as C3272 Series, and appears to name the one shown as a Contour. Number stamped on back is 3272, so is subject clock named by stamp? Is "C" a variant? We will probably never know. 1976 is a reasonable start.
1976 Contour Clock?