Hi all, This looks like an early wristwatch made by Bulova. It has a different sig on the dial "Menein" but the movement is signed Bulova. The movement is also signed "W.CHOFFAT". The interesting thing is that there is a jewlers sig indicating that it was serviced in 1920. Other markings also show that the same jewler worked on it in '21, '23 and 1926. I may be wrong but I'm guessing that it's a wristwatch because it has a bail and a lug.

There is no serial number or date code.

Can anyone help me establish the actual Manufacture date?

Any help or comments would be appreciated.

Regards, Jim

Back

Movement

That's a real oldie Jim!. Unless someone beats me to it, I will report tomorrow if the dial name or extra mv't name are listed in Kathleen Pritchard's book on Swiss manufacturers.

I've got a tiny old Bulova warrantee booklet depicting your mov't as well as ordering numbers for each part. Sadly, it is not dated.
-Cort

Wow! That is really interesting.

Jim,

We know that the American Standard marking in the case ensures that it is a Bulova product, and that the "20 year" mark makes it pre-1924. We also know that Bulova started selling wristwatches under their own name in 1923, so your watch obviously is earlier than that. Based on style, and the relatively brief window during which Bulova sold private label watches, I'd say 1918-1919.

"Convertible" watches of this type were actually offered well into the 1920s, but they were among the most successful of very early wristwatch offerings, appearing in advertising as early as
1900 for some Swiss makers, and by 1908 for American firms.

Nice watch!

Cary

Cary, Thanks for the information. I wonder if this would have implications for another watch we have discussed in the past? That watch has a lower case serial number. Bulova Precision

Cort, thanks for any research you can do.

Regards, Jim

Pritchards' book lists Willy & Paul Choffat(also as Choffat Freres) in Tramelan Switzerland starting in 1917.I found no reference for "Menein".

These early co-signed Bulovas seem to be fairly scarce. Thanks for showing it.
-Cort

Thanks Cort, Well that narrows it down to between 1917 and 1920.

I have two other co-signed watches if similar vintage. One is Favre W. Co. and the other is P.DROZ. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, I wonder if you could look those names up also. I'm curious to determine if the Favre was manufactured before the W.CHOFFAT because the case serial number is much lower.

Thanks for your research. I do appreciate whatever you can do.

Regards, Jim

It isn't research really, I'm just looking it up in Kathleen Pritchards' wonderful index of Swiss Watch Manufacturers. I hadn't heard of the Choffat Bros., Willy and Paul before, but Favre and Droz both have long family histories steeped in the watch trades. I will look them up and try to determine if there is any chronological concordance between the latter two and the Choffat Bros..

So these are a Bulova/Favre and a Bulova/Droz in American Standard cases?
-Cort

Cort, Whatever you call it... I appreciate it.

Yes, they are Bulova/Favre and a Bulova/Droz in American Standard cases. I have posted these watches before so I will give you the links.

P.DROZ Favre W. Co.

Thanks again, Jim