How to Date a Bulova Watch

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Locate the date code.

   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.
   
   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.
2. 2

   Step 2: Match the symbol for pre-1950 watches.

   If there is no alpha-numeric code on the backcase of the watch, it probably dates back further than
   1950.
   
   You will need to check the inside movement of the watch for a pictorial date symbol to identify the manufacture date.
   
   Note that some dates share symbols with other years.
   
   When in doubt, you should cross-check the date symbol with the watch style to determine which era the watch likely fell into.
   
   The date symbols are as follows:1924: asterisk (same as 1941) 1925: circle (same as 1934, 1944) 1926: triangle (same as 1935, 1945) 1927: square (same as 1936, 1946) 1928: crescent moon (same as 1938) 1929: rounded shield (same as 1939) 1930: horned circle (same as 1940) 1931: rectangular shield 1932: rounded capital T (same as 1942) 1933: capital X (same as 1943) 1934: circle (same as 1925, 1944) 1935: triangle (same as 1926, 1945) 1936: square (same as 1927, 1946) 1937: right-pointing arrow 1938: crescent moon (same as 1928) 1939: rounded shield (same as 1929) 1940: horned circle (same as 1930) 1941: asterisk (same as 1924) 1942: rounded capital T (same as 1932) 1943: capital X (same as 1933) 1944: circle (same as 1925, 1934) 1945: triangle (same as 1926, 1935) 1946: square (same as 1927, 1936) 1947: 47 1948: 48 1949:
   J9 , For Bulova watches created in 1950 or later, the manufacturer switched to a two-digit alpha-numeric code system.
   
   These codes are usually found on the backcase, but some can be found on the inside movement near the set-screw.
   
   The first digit of the code corresponds to the decade.
   
   The second digit of the code corresponds to the specific year.
   
   The decade codes are as follows:1950s:
   L 1960s:
   M 1970s:
   N 1980s:
   P 1990s:
   T 2000s:
   A The second digit of the code matches the ending digit of the year in which the watch was manufactured.
   
   When "0" is used, the end of the year was a "0" (1950, 1960, 1970, and so on).
   
   When "1" is used, the end date of the year was a "1" (1951, 1961, 1971, and so on).
   
   This pattern continues for digits "0" through "9." For example, a Bulova watch marked with "N2" was manufactured in
   1972.
   
   A Bulova watch marked with "T8" was manufactured in
   1998.
3. 3

   Step 3: Translate the code for post-1950 watches.

Detailed Guide

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