Magpie vintage

Today I want to share with you a very special place, a place I often find myself, gazing, dreaming, gathering inspiration.

A place bursting at the seems with stunning vintage jewels.

I am besotted with every single piece.

If you are a bride to be,

then a visit to Magpie vintage is an absolute must.

Have I tempted you yet?

Sorry but I'm about to burst your bubble,

these pretty gems come with a pretty price tag.

But you knew that.

(All images from Magpie vintage)

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Art deco watches part 1- Bulova

If I could choose a time period to re-live, the roaring 20's would be the top of my list.

I love all that is Art deco! 

I love the buildings, the interior design, the music, the clothes, the hair, the jewellery, and most of all the glamour.

 

I collect various things from the different era's, mainly jewellery, compacts, small things, my treasure.

A particular fetish I have is for Art deco watches.This is a ladies Bulova mechanical Art deco watch dated 1931. It's really dainty, as were all of the watches of that time period. The tonneau case measures 28mm long. The case face is of a beautifully typical Art deco design, with a deeply etched patterning and four shaped sapphire coloured stones st at the top and bottom. I don't believe the strap to be original.

The front view of the watch is lovely with a vertically striped pattern, silver with a light amber tint coloured dial. There is a round centerpiece having Arabic black deco numbers surrounded by a black minute chapter. The Bulova name appears under the 12, and it has its lovely original steel blue hands.

The history of Bulova watches.

Bulova is a corporation making watches and clocks. It has its headquarters in Woodside, Queens, New York City.

Bulova was founded and incorporated as the J. Bulova Company in 1875 by Joseph Bulova (1851–1936), an immigrant from Bohemia. It was reincorporated under the name Bulova Watch Company in 1923, and became part of the Loews Corporation in 1979.

Bulova established its operations in Woodside, New York and Flushing, New York, where it made innovations in watchmaking, and developed a number of watchmaking tools. Its horological innovations included the Accutron watch which used resonating tuning forks as a means of regulating the time keeping function.

Bulova paid $4 for the world's first television commercial, a July 1, 1941 placement on New York station WNBT before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies.

The Joseph Bulova School of Watchmaking was founded in 1945 by Arde Bulova, Chairman of the Board, initially to provide training for disabled veterans after the Second World War.

Bulova's "Accutron" watches, first sold in October 1960, use a 360 hertz tuning fork to drive a mechanical gear train to turn the hands. The inventor, Max Hetzel, was born in Basel, Switzerland, and joined the Bulova Watch Company of Bienne, Switzerland, in 1948. The tuning fork was powered by a one-transistorelectronic oscillator circuit, so the Accutron qualifies as the first "electronic watch". More than 4 million were sold until production stopped in 1977.

In the 1960s, the company was involved in a notable space age rivalry with Omega Watches to be selected as the 'first watch on the moon'. Ultimately, the Omega Speedmaster Professional chronograph wristwatch (known as the "Moon watch") was designated by NASA for use by the astronauts in all manned space missions, becoming the first watch on the moon on the wrist of Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin.

In 2008 a Bulova Automatic wristwatch, lost overboard by a sailor in 1941, was found after 67 years on the seabed and returned to its owner. It still works today.

On January 10, 2008 Citizen bought the Bulova Watch Company for $250 million. Together they are the world's largest watchmaker. After the acquisition Dennis W. Perry was named the president of Bulova, after having previously served as chief strategic officer.

Currently Bulova designs, manufactures, and markets several different brands, including: the signature "Bulova", the affordable "Caravelle", the dressy/formal Swiss-made "Wittnauer Swiss", and the sportier Swiss-made "Accutron".
Want to find out more about Bulova? 
Check out The Watch Guy's article here.
Article from All American Watches here.

More about Art deco watches coming soon..............

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Off the cuff

A little window shopping, my new favourite thing, THE CUFF.

LOVE this one, you can buy it from Bonheur.

The Victorian design caught my eye, by Fanciful devices.

Bunny By Bombalurina.

Romantic rose From Vivid colors.

By Ruby fig couture.

From Nichols for pennies.

Vintage crystal from Doloris Petunia.

What? choose a favourite from all of these, I couldn't possibly.

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