Presented
here is a 1946 Bulova American
Clipper 17J 10K RGP Stepped Case Men’s Wristwatch
This distinguished
Bulova American Clipper timepiece from the 40’s features a 25mm x 36mm
stepped 10K Rolled Gold Plate case. The case houses a now discolored dial with raised gilt
Arabic numeral and stick hour markers. It is fitted with an S shaped expansion
link bracelet that is marked Bretton. This is
most likely original to the watch and if not, period correct at the least. This
timepiece is powered by a Bulova USA 10AE 17 Jewels mechanical winding movement that is running
strong. The movement has a square symbol date code indicating a 1946
production date.
For a
watch that is over 75 years old, it is in remarkable pre-owned
vintage condition. The only
major flaw is the discolored dial which will need to be cleaned or refinished if
you intend wearing the watch. The case and bracelet show no plating loss,
although there are light scratches on both. Crystal is very clean and looks like
it was replaced not too long ago. I suspect this watch had a broken crystal
which led to the dial discoloration and at some point someone decided to get it
working/use it and had the crystal replaced. The expansion bracelet still has
very good stretch. The movement is clean and keeping reasonably good time (runs
a few minutes fast over a day) for a vintage mechanical timepiece. Service history
is unknown and as with all vintage mechanical watches, regular service is
recommended.
I have
included several pictures of the watch, movement and bracelet. Please review
these carefully as they are part of the description. Please note that all pictures are taken on the macro setting to show
detail. This makes even the slightest imperfections, shadows during
photography, and specks of dust appear more prominent even though they are
often not visible without magnification.
This distinguished Bulova American Clipper is a beautiful example of
American watchmaking at its finest. It will make an admirable addition to any
Vintage watch collection. Don’t let it get away.