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     William_smith New member Username: William_smith Post Number: 1 Registered: 01-2010 Rating: N/A |
I am an armature horologist and vintage watch collector whose focus is on the Bulova Watch Company aviation commemorative wristwatches of the late 1920�s and early 1930�s. There were several different series of Bulova wristwatch models based on the various aviation achievements of this time, beginning with the early barnstormers of the roaring 20�s and continuing through Charles A. Lindbergh�s (CAL) solo Transatlantic flight and later North Pacific flight to China with his wife Anne. This included an interesting series of watches associated with CAL�s technical involvement with The T.A.T. Maddux Planes and Pennsylvania Railroad in the early 1930�s (the Bulova Sky King Wristwatch series), and The Ruth Elder wristwatch honoring the accomplishments of this female aviator who also crossed the Atlantic on October 27th 1927 but had engine trouble which forced her to land some 300 miles short of her destination (Shawkey 2007). My little niche within this Bulova aviation wristwatches genre is a series of timepieces known as the Lone Eagle, honoring Charles A. Lindbergh. This watch was first marketed immediately after his solo transatlantic flight and was produced for several years thereafter. I have examples from each of the four documented wristwatch versions of the Lone Eagle series, and two of the four presentation boxes in which they came, but am facing difficulties locating literature and documentation on the origins and early history of the very first model of the Lone Eagle series; the 1927 Bulova Lone Eagle Cut Corner Commemorative Wristwatch. I will try to upload a few of the advertisements we have to date, along with pictures which help illustrate my comments. If they don�t upload, I�ll provide links to these advertisements, watches and documentation. One of the leading experts on the Bulova Lone Eagle wristwatch series, Stephan Ollman of Australia, has spent years researching these watches and has a great website on the topic. One section of his website is dedicated solely to the Lone Eagle watch story. The URL is http://www.mybulova.com/lone-eagle-story.htm . This site examines in detail the history and mystery of the early CAL Lone Eagle wristwatches, and provides the background (and graphics) essential to addressing the many question currently facing Bulova Lone Eagle watch collectors, Lindbergh memorabilia collectors, and fellow horologists alike. Questions about the concept origin (the Conqueror), production, marketing, and sales of the first cut corner model of this wristwatch series in its first few weeks of release. While Stephan Ollman is the sole author of this web article, it is based on his collaboration with other horologists (e.g. Bruce Shawkey), historians, and Bulova watch collectors from around the world. He has also established an open access online database of Bulova watches from this era, where Bulova owners can enter specifics about watches in their collections to further knowledge of this brand in its early days. This article is also based on years of extensive research conducted by Ollman. It is a good indicator of the unknowns surrounding the early days of the first Bulova watch commemorating Charles A Lindbergh. As the story goes�the Bulova watch company offered some prize money to the first person to make the transatlantic solo flight. Bulova also gifted Charles Lindbergh a solid 18k yellow gold commemorative wristwatch shortly before his solo transatlantic flight. At the time of gifting, the commemorative watch box in which this watch was gifted did not state Lindbergh was the first solo transatlantic piolet (as the flight had not occurred yet), but the watch case contained a letter of endorsement from CAL to Bulova thanking Bulova for their offer of prize money to the first solo transatlantic aviator, and thanked them for the Bulova wrist watch presented to CAL (which still had no model name associated with the gift watch at this date). The exact date of this gifting is in question. This (unknown) date may be estimated by framing this gifting relative to different aviation events occurring at the time for which we do have known dates. For this, we use articles and ads published in trade journals (e.g. Jewelers� Circular Keystone) and popular magazine ads of the time (e.g. Saturday Evening Post) along with newspaper articles and radio spots broadcasting the early feats of these aviator and their accomplishments. This confusion in watch gifting date is due in part to poor records keeping by Bulova, and the general lack of advertisements and documentation surrounding the actual commemorative gifting. The original gifted watch was presented to Lindbergh �honoring his aviation achievements� It does not mention the Transatlantic flight because it had not happened yet. Most documents or products which CAL endorsed at the time have both his signature and the date of the signing. This watch must have been presented to CAL days to weeks before May 20th 1927, but how many weeks? I have constructed a timeline through relative dating based on various magazine and newspaper advertisements, journal articles, jewelers� catalogues, and window posters etc... This method of relative dating based on existing articles and advertisements is in some ways similar to the paleontologist�s dating of the fossil record; there are excellent examples with documented gradual change for this watch model for some periods, but then there are also holes and gaps in the ad record- quick undocumented changes in the evolution of this watch, which we hope to fill in with information that must be out there somewhere. One example of an early Bulova Lone Eagle CAL watch advertisement (ran by the Santa Fe Watch Company in Topeka, Kansas; attached) states that the presentation boxed version of the Lone Eagle wristwatch came with a reproduction of the famous flyer�s letter of endorsement. Stephan Ollman has this ad (or a digital scan of the original ad) dated to 1927, but it does not mention the month in which the ad was published. It appears however, that by the time this ad ran, the letter of endorsement (from CAL to Bulova) was already being referred to in the past tense. It was cited as though it was old hat, although it could not have been more than a year at most between CAL actually receiving the watch, the authoring of letter of endorsement, the successful solo crossing by CAL, and this aforementioned advertisement publishing date. I have a reproduction of the original letter of endorsement which includes Lindbergh�s signature but lacks the actual date on which CAL signed the document. Again, this letter does not mention the transatlantic solo flight, but only says thanks from Lindbergh to Bulova for the prize money offered �to the first to make a non stoop flight from New York to Paris�(not yet completed at ad printing). And as noted by others, CAL usually signs AND dates documents like this letter. Without a noted date, we must derive one based on the ads content relative to other events of the time and the tense/grammar/wording of the ad. This is unless a reader of this post has other information dating this advertisement? The existing magazine advertisements and watch catalogue entries lead us to believe that the actual watch given to Lindbergh was marketed as The Conqueror at the time of presentation, but with some ever-so-slight changes in case design, this model soon came to be known as the Lone Eagle. This transition in model name and case design apparently took place quickly and relatively close to the date Lindbergh landed in France. It remains unclear however, exactly when this watch was first marketed as the Lone Eagle. Was it days or maybe weeks before May 20th 1927? Conversely, maybe the model was still the Conqueror and the presentation box and letter mentioned only CAL�s aviation feats and not the specific transatlantic flight; this can�t be ruled out unless we find evidence/documentation to the contrary. Was it first marketed as the Lone Eagle while the actual watch one could purchase at the time was still a Conqueror? Could this transition in model name and watch design actually have taken place several days after CAL�s return to the USA rather than on the date of his landing? What we lack are advertisements and/or documents dating the first reference to the Conqueror model being slightly changed in corner design and marketed as the Lone Eagle model.  | ||
| William_smith New member Username: William_smith Post Number: 2 Registered: 01-2010 Rating: N/A |
I have uploaded a couple of ads and pictures which correspond to the theory/story above. They may be too big to post on this discussion, but I'll try. Again the best background to this Lone Eagle mystery can be found at http://www.mybulova.com/lone-eagle-story.htm. The Bulova date coding methods, symbols,and examples can be seen at: http://www.mybulova.com/bulova_movements.cfm Several digital Bulova advertisements from the 1920's through 1930's can be seen at: http://www.mybulova.com/bulova_ads.cfm If you have Bulova watch ads from this era and would be willing to scan them at decent resolution (say 150 dpi with at least medium 32bit color) and share these scans with the webmaster, Stephan Ollman, this would be of great benefit to Bulova collectors and horologists alike, and make these ads available to the world. And, last buy not least, if you have Bulova wristwatches from the 1920's through 1930's or so, if you would take the time to register an account and upload information about your Bulova wristwatches to the online Bulova database, this will benefit both horologists and Bulova collectors, and may help you determine the name/model which was associated with your wristwatch. This process is easy, as the database mainly asks for a few photos: one of the watch front, one of the back and movement, along with some information which should be easily read of the movement back and/or inside case back. Stephan and other experts often attempt to determine the advertised name of your wristwatch, and this entry increases the sample size in Mr. Ollman's Bulova database. This database is open source and shared by anyone who cares to query it regarding vintage and antique Bulova watches. It's a shared resource for all. Thanks in advance, and I'll report back on any new information I may find out from my collaboration with other folks who know more about the early days of the Bulova Lone Eagle wristwatch. Aloha William Smith Secretary - Hawaiian Time Association Local NAWCC Chapter 137 National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) http://www.nawcc.org/ secretary email: [email protected]  | ||
| William_smith New member Username: William_smith Post Number: 3 Registered: 01-2010 Rating: N/A |
Here is an advertisement showing the letter from Charles Lindbergh thanking Bulova for an undisclosed amount of prize money for the first to make the solo transatlantic flight (which was not yet accomplished yet based on this wording) and Lindbergh's appreciation for the watch he was commemorated with for his aviation accomplishments (which again at the date of the letter did not include the first solo transatlantic flight). The letter, promise of prize money, and the gifted watch (which was almost surly a Conqueror model) all apparently predated Lindgerghs May 21 flight. We are just not sure how long it was after he received the watch and wrote the letter that he completed his transatlantic flight? And exactly when and where did the first Lone Eagle, marketed as such, first sell. If anyone finds documentation or jewelers ads from this period, this could shine some light on this mystery. Perhaps 5000 lone eagles, named as such, and boxed in brown leather cases which specifically mention Lindbergh's achievements did sell out in Paris in three days. but i have my doubts.  | ||
| William_smith New member Username: William_smith Post Number: 4 Registered: 01-2010 Rating: N/A |
One of the later ads (c1931) indicating that Bulova was still advertising and marketing what Lone Eagle collectors refer to as a variation of the third model; the 1931/32 (or possibly sold as late as early 1933) step-sided case version of the Lone Eagle watch. Note the variation in the hands compared to earlier models. This ad dates from sometime in 1931 or maybe very early 1932?, but the ad source and month of printing are unknown.  | ||
| William_smith New member Username: William_smith Post Number: 5 Registered: 01-2010 Rating: |
One of the earlier Bulova wristwatch advertisements geared towards early aviators and their various accomplishments of the times. This ad is from an unknown month in 1925 (from what looks like The Saturday Evening Post). We see the heading "faithfully recording time that man may conquer it". Poor resolution does not allow one to make out whom the pilot in the upper picture is, but it's obviously an US Airmail plane and the pictured is bordered by the motto or oath of the US postal delivery service. The models of watches and the finer print cannot be made out on the advertisement. The wording "faithfully recording time that man may conquer it" could possibly be foreshadowing the 1926 cut corner Conqueror wristwatch which came out shortly after this ad, and was the predecessor to the 1927 Lone Eagle. Bulova was great marketers, and they often had continuity between several ads, developing themes and marketing ploys. This 1925 ad could very well be setting the stage for the 1926 cut corner Conqueror, which shortly morphed with some minor retooling into the 1927 cut corner Lone Eagle. If anyone has any of these ads available, we would sure appreciate if you would either donate them or make a higher resolution scan and email them to Stephan Ollman or myself. We'll place the high resolution scans on the existing advertising web page for all to access. At least 150 dpi and medium 32bit color should do the trick? Please and Thanks for your help on our quest. Will Smith  |
