I have an older Bulova watch. How can I tell what year it was made and if its worth anything?
Starting in 1948 Bulova began marking the back of watch cases with the year of the watch. To determine the age of a watch made prior to 1948, you would need to send it to Bulova service, as the only year indication for these watches is inside the casing. For watches from 1948 and 1949 the actual year is printed. After that, a letter denoting the decade followed by the digit of the year is marked. This practice began in the ’50s, with the letter L. M signified the ’60s, N the ’70s, P the ’80s, T the ’90s and A the ’00s (2000). So, for example, if P9 is on the case back, the watch was manufactured in 1989. The only way to know the value of a watch, unfortunately, is to have it appraised by a professional jewelry appraiser.
(Bulova Manufacture Date) Starting in 1948 Bulova began marking the back of watch cases with the year of the watch. To determine the age of a watch made prior to 1948, you would need to send it to Bulova service, as the only year indication for these watches is inside the casing. For watches from 1948 and 1949 the actual year is printed. After that, a letter denoting the decade followed by the digit of the year is marked. This practice began in the ’50s, with the letter L. M signified the ’60s, N the ’70s, P the ’80s, T the ’90s and A the ’00s (2000). So, for example, if P9 is on the case back, the watch was manufactured in 1989. The only way to know the value of a watch, unfortunately, is to have it appraised by a professional jewelry appraiser.
