Locate the date code.

Input the serial number into the interface on the Bulova website. Many recent models have a serial number on the back that you can type in to see if it is a real Bulova. Since your serial number falls between those two numbers, you know that your watch was made in 1917 or 1918. Not sure which serial number to use? You must use the serial number from the MOVEMENT of the watch. The working part with the wheels and gears. Not the serial number from the watch case. Bulova Serial Numbers from The Watch Guy Dating Chelsea Clocks by Serial Number by Bob Setnik, Adobe Acrobat 10KB Columbus Watch Co Production Dates from PocketWatchSite.

6, the use of case serial numbers was inconsistent, with many early model serial numbers beginning with '1' or '2' regardless of the date of manufacture. Dating Bulova watches that appear to pre- date 1. The myBulova website contains the worlds largest database of old, vintage and antique Bulova watches and pocket watches, including early Rubaiyat, Hudson and Lady Maxim models as well as the famous Bulova Lone Eagle and Bulova Accutron models.

Genuine Bulova watches manufactured between 1924 and 2009 should all have an imprinted date code marked somewhere on the watch. Once you locate and identify the date code, you should know the year during which that watch was manufactured.^[2]

• Bulova watches made between 1924 and 1949 are marked with a date code symbol. These symbols are typically located on the inside movement of the watch, so you or a professional jeweler will need to open the watch to locate the code.
• Bulova watches made between 1950 and 2009 are marked with a two-digit alpha-numeric date code. This code is typically found on the outside backcase of the watch, just below the serial number. Opening the watch should not be necessary.
• Note that these codes only specify the manufacture date of the watch. It is possible that the watch did not go into circulation until a later date, but there is no way of identifying the exact year a specific watch went on the market.
• Also note that many Bulova watches also have a serial number listed on the backcase, but this number cannot be used to date the watch and only served as a method of identification.

Pre-1950 Movements

Beginning in the 1940s, Bulova put serial numbers on the interior case of the watches. An “A” indicates a watch made in the 1940s and “L” codes show a watch manufactured in the 1950s. “M” codes mean a 1960s watch and an “N” indicates a watch made in the 1970s. Save bulova watch serial numbers to get e-mail alerts and updates on your eBay Feed. + Items in search results 1928 BULOVA LONE EAGLE 9AT 14K GF FOR REPAIR EARLY SERIAL NUMBER.

From 1924 through 1949, the year of the movement can be determined from the symbol stamped on the movement. Those symbols, and the year(s) to which they correspond, are shown below. The decade must be determined by the style of the case, dial, and hands. For example, a 1930s style watch with an arrow symbol on the movement dates the movement to 1937. Movements dating prior to approx. 1933 have a serial number on the movement. Thus, the presence or absence of a movement serial number, in conjunction with the date symbol on the movement, also helps narrow down the date. Occassionally, a movement will not have a date code, and movement codes are not seen prior to 1924. In such cases, other factors and information must be used to determine the date. For more information, see Dating a Bulova.

IMPORTANT NOTE: A9 is also a valid symbol for 1949 and has been seen numerous times on both movements and the back of cases. A8 is also a valid symbol for 1948 and has been seen on watch movements.

Case 580b Serial Number Lookup

Pre-1950 Cases

From 1926 through 1949 (in most cases), the year of the case can be determined from the first digit of the case serial number. The decade must be determined by the style of the case, dial, and hands. For example, a 1930s style case, etc., with a serial number that begins with '1' dates to 1931. Prior to 1926, the use of case serial numbers was inconsistent, with many early model serial numbers beginning with '1' or '2' regardless of the date of manufacture. Dating Bulova watches that appear to pre-date 1926 is far more complicated and uncertain.

1950 - 2009 Cases and Movements

Starting in 1950 (with a few examples even earlier), the case and movement have a two-digit code that identifies both the decade and year within that decade according to the table below.

EXAMPLE: L2 = 1952

Watch Lookup By Serial Number

L	M	N	P	T	A
0	1950	1960	1970	1980	1990	2000
1	1951	1961	1971	1981	1991	2001
2	1952	1962	1972	1982	1992	2002
3	1953	1963	1973	1983	1993	2003
4	1954	1964	1974	1984	1994	2004
5	1955	1965	1975	1985	1995	2005
6	1956	1966	1976	1986	1996	2006
7	1957	1967	1977	1987	1997	2007
8	1958	1968	1978	1988	1998	2008
9	1959	1969	1979	1989	1999	2009