I have a Ladies Bulova watch, serial #Y31694.?

It was my Grandma”s watch. The face shows the numbers ” Bulova 23″ under the 12 and the back reads “Bulova L9 10K Rold Gold”. I think it was made prior to 1950 or so. Where can I find more info on this?

The “23″ means that the watch has 23 jewels in the movement. That makes it at least a mid-level watch in Bulova’s line. The L9 is Bulova’s date code. The L refers to the 1950s, so L9 means that the watch was made in 1959.

You might be able to find the watch listed in “Complete Price Guide to Watches” by Tom Engle, Richard Gilbert, and Cooksey Shugart. The last edition that I bought was the 2007. The book goes for $29.95 in most stores. Amazon has it for $19.77 http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Price-Watches-Cooksey-Shugart/dp/1574326430/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266170831&sr=8-1 but if you just want to check on the one watch, I would just go to Barnes & Noble which carries the book in the “Collectibles” section and look through it while in the store.

I hope this helps.
Gary