The 1932 Bulova $10,000 watch naming contest: Lone Eagle?

DaveK · Nov 9, 2024

As we do, I’ve fallen into a rabbit hole and have been scouring the web for vintage letterpress plates of pocket watches and steam trains. My plan is to use them in my leatherwork hobby as nifty decoration on some pocket watch belt cases I’m making. An application along the lines of the bike handlebar bag I made this year

Anywho, I happened upon this plate for a Bulova $10,000 contest to name a $24.75 watch.

Which got me wondering, what was the winning name? I found lots of mention about the contest, but not so much about the winning name. Can anyone here confirm if it was the Lone Eaglen as the Watchophilia blog suggests? That watch is listed at $39.75, but…inflation?Anyone here have that Lone Eagle?

The printing block is still available if anyone’s interested https://www.ebay.com/itm/1564713780...=2047675&ssuid=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Waltesefalcon · Nov 9, 2024

It wasn't the Lone Eagle, that watch began being marketed in 27 after Lindbergh crossed the Atlantic.

Vitezi · Nov 10, 2024

DaveK
Which got me wondering, what was the winning name?

That same blog you pointed had later detail that said:

"In its day, the Trident was also a rather famous watch, as Bulova ran a nationwide contest to name it. The contest offered $10,000 in prize money to participants. The grand-prize winner, who came up with the name “Trident” for the watch, was awarded $1,000—a lot of money in 1932. Typically, any ad that refers to the Trident also refers to it as “The Contest Watch”. Even some replacement watch crystal catalogs list it as “Contest Watch” rather than “Trident”.

June 1, 1932: The Contest Watch
First known ad announcing the contest to name the watch that later became known as the Trident. These ads consistently price the watch at $24.75—a significantly lower price than the cost of the new Lone Eagle model. These ads never show the watch with an engraved bezel or an engraved bracelet. Below are a couple of examples of the contest announcements. Notice how the second announcement puts great emphasis on the low price of the watch. That's a detail that will be important when contrasting the various ads."

The blog's author makes the argument that the watch was called "Trident"

DaveK · Nov 10, 2024

Vitezi
That same blog you pointed had later detail that said:

"In its day, the Trident was also a rather famous watch, as Bulova ran a nationwide contest to name it. The contest offered $10,000 in prize money to participants. The grand-prize winner, who came up with the name “Trident” for the watch, was awarded $1,000—a lot of money in 1932. Typically, any ad that refers to the Trident also refers to it as “The Contest Watch”. Even some replacement watch crystal catalogs list it as “Contest Watch” rather than “Trident”.

June 1, 1932: The Contest Watch
First known ad announcing the contest to name the watch that later became known as the Trident. These ads consistently price the watch at $24.75—a significantly lower price than the cost of the new Lone Eagle model. These ads never show the watch with an engraved bezel or an engraved bracelet. Below are a couple of examples of the contest announcements. Notice how the second announcement puts great emphasis on the low price of the watch. That's a detail that will be important when contrasting the various ads."

The blog's author makes the argument that the watch was called "Trident"

So you’re saying I need more coffee?