The Bulova Watertite and Its Cousins, SeaBee and Magellan

The Watertite (or Watertight) is a model primarily seen from the early 1940s through the mid-1950s.  However, the very first Watertite actually premiered in 1930.  It is not clear why we have no ads showing the Watertite between 1930 and 1941.  It could be that no Watertites were made during that time, or, more likely, all the relevant ads have not yet been discovered.    Here is the first Watertite for which an advertisement is available:

1930 Watertite

You can see that the first Watertite shared many design elements with other watches of the period--gold plated, engraved case with matching engraved link metal bracelet, traditionally styled dial and hands with subseconds dial.  In the next decade, those traits would give way to a more contemporary, stream-lined look for the Watertite.  That 1930 ad, however, does emphasize the primary characteristic of the Watertite, which would hold true throughout its lifespan--the ability to resist water penetration.

While thought of as primarily a stainless steel model, the Watertites were actually made in chrome and gold plated cases as well.  Some models specified "Watertite" (or Watertight) on the dial, but some did not.  Some models had a subseconds dial, while others had center sweep seconds.  The ones for which we have advertistements have all white cases with luminous dial and hands, but I have seen examples of models with yellow and pink gold bezel ring and matching dial elements partnered with the stainless steel.  For example, I have a 1941 Watertite (specified as such on the dial) with gilt numbers and hands and a yellow bezel ring, partnered with a primarily stainless case and stainless back.  Earlier models had molded backs with access to the movement through the crystal using a two-part stem; later models had screw backs.  Some were sold on leather straps, while others sported metal bands.   Early Watertites (before 1950) had all numbered dials, while 1950s models included a combination of numbers and markers.  Early Watertites have been seen with 15-jewel movements, while later models appear consistently with 17 jewels.  However, the later ads from the mid-1950s frequently list the Watertites as offered with both 15- and 17-jewel movements, so we have to assume they were available both ways, even if today we rarely see the 15-jewel version.

So, you may be asking, with so much variations in styling, what did the Watertites have in common that allow them to be identified as Watertites in examples where the model name is not specified on the dial?  Here's the profile of the basic Watertite:

• 29mm round case
• waterproof case
• white case (may have yellow or pink bezel ring and dial elements, but never seen with an all yellow or all pink case)
• 10 ligne movement (10BX, 10BE, 10BA, 10BCC are the Watertite movements in my collection).  The very early Watertite shown above from 1930 (or, perhaps, available even earlier, would likely have had a 9 ligne movement)
• Swiss made movement and case
• Atypical case serial number (not the standard seven digits, and no apparent relationship to the manufacture date)
• Atypical case signature--usually seen as "Bulova Watch Co. Swiss" inside the case with no outside signature or date code (some late examples have been seen with a two-digit year indication inside the case, e.g., "53", matching the 1953 movement date)

In the mid-1950s, the Watertite was joined by a couple of near cousins that can cause uncertainty in watches where "Watertite" is not specified on the dial.  Those cousins are the Seabee and the Magellan.  We have far fewer available advertisements for the Seabee and Magellan, as compared to the Watertite, which makes it difficult to be sure of all the possible variations of those two models.  Moreover, I am aware of no actual examples of the Magellan, so comparisons between the Watertite and Magellan, particularly in regard to relative size, are currently unavailable.  Nevertheless, there is enough available information to make some tentative distinctions between the Watertite, Seabee, and Magellan.

One very important piece of information about these models comes from crystal catalogs.  While I have not found a listing for the Watertite in the crystal references, I have found multiple listings for the Seabea and the Magellan in catalogs produced by G-S, Watch-Craft, and Rocket.  Each of those catalogs lists the Seabea and Magellan as taking a crystal that is 28.2mm - 28.3mm in diameter.  In contrast, every Watertite I have seen has a crystal measuring somewhere between 25.8 and 26mm.  Taking the largest of that range puts the Seabee and Magellan as over 2mm larger in diameter than the Watertite.  That is an important difference, which I have never observed as the focus of any discussion regarding these similar models.  Instead, the Watertite, Seabee, and Magellan have only been discussed in terms of case and dial differences, which I will cover next.  While it is possible that the Watertite crystal dimensions changed size as the years went by, resulting in later Watertites having the same crystal dimensions as the Magellan and Seabee, I doubt that to be the case due to the lack of mention of the Watertite in the crystal catalogs along side the Magellan and Seabee, as well as the many examples of the Watertite with the smaller dimensions.

In addition to the size difference, the dial of the Seabee appears to be rather noticeably different from the Watertite of the 1950s due to its fully numbered dial at a time when the Watertite typically used a mix of numbers and markers.   Also, as shown in the ad below, the Seabee had a numbered outer seconds register.   Some models of the Watertite in the 1940s looked very much like the Seabee with the fully numbered dial and the numbered seconds register, but by the 1950s those features had, for the most part (there's always an exception!), changed on the Watertite.  The mid-1950s Seabee is reminiscent of that earlier Watertite, so correctly dating a particular example--in addition to calculating crystal dimensions--is important to distinguishing between the two models.  Here's a look at the Waterite and Seabee side-by-side.  The Watertite in the center of the three images is from the 1940s, showing its similarity to the later Seabee.  The Watertite on the far right shows what that model looked like at the time the Seabee was produced.  It should also be noted that the Seabee has only been seen advertised with a 17-jewel movement, while the Watertite was produced with both 15- and 17-jewel movements.

The Magellan resembles the Watertite precisely, which makes it even more important to consider size differences.  The Magellan has a chrome topped case, but, then, so do some of the Watertites.  The Magellan has a mix of numbers and markers, like the later Watertite.  The Magellan was offered on an expansion band, as were the Watertites.  Both models were offered with 17-jewel movements, but the Magellan has not been seen with a 15-jewel movement like some of the Watertites.  In short, it is not apparent what the difference is between the Watertite and the Magellan, other than the size difference discussed above.   Here's a look at the Watertite and Magellan side-by-side:

By the latter half of the 1950s, there was a plethora of round waterproof cases with a variety of names and designs to supplement or replace the Watertite and its cousins.   To date, the last ad found for the Watertite is from 1954; the last ad for the Seabee is also from 1954; and the last ad for the Magellan is dated 1955.   In the late 1950s and beyond any model that has the characteristics of a Watertite is likely one of a number of similar models produced at that time (unless, of course, the dial is original and specifies "Watertite" or "Watertight").

One last note about these models:   I have seen folks get confused by watches that read, "Watertite" on the back of the case.  When used in that context, "Watertite" is not a model name, but rather an indication of  water resistant characteristics.  That designation is found on a number of different models in the 1950s.  A watch is a Watertite by model name if it states so on an original dial and/or otherwise meets the characteristics and timeframe for the Watertite model.

Below are vintage advertisements for the Watertite (and Watertight), Seabee, and Magellan.  To view all Watertites in my collection, visit Watertites and Similar Models.

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