I have some questions about the subject watch pictured below.

I tried unsuccessfully to capture the undulating character of the dial throughout its surface, but it is only obvious when the light is right. It has some short 'cracks', but I hesitate to call them hairlines. I believe this might be a Larose paper dial (if they made replacement dials for this 1908 model watch). The apparent washed out color in the seconds register is a ray of direct sunshine; the surface is quite homogenous, shiny, and milk white throughout.

Questions:
1. Would you agree it is likely a paper dial? Would you replace it with an enamel dial?

2. Are these hands correct?

Thanks.
Mike

Looks like the real deal to me Mike with hairlines

regards,
bb

That is a legitimate Glass/Hard Enamel Waltham dial with hailines around a dial foot fracture caused by a watchmaker tugging too energetically at the dial to remove it.

The dial is especially nice with the 23 Jewel sig. The next question is what is the S/N of the watch as far as the "period correctness" of the dial.

Nice Vanguard Mike!The case may not be original, a Vanguard new enough to have that dial would have been in a short-stem RR model case.But then again, many railroad movements were recased a time or two!

Mike -

Here's my Crescent St with the same font with a different signature. I know this dial to be melamine, so I agree that yours looks like the real thing.

Thank you fellas for your comments. Dave, the SN is: 14,005,043. The case is just a No.1 Fahys oresilver. Eric, the diamond hour markers on your dial are slightly different than mine which are more square than yours. Is that an insignificant feature?

What about the hands? Eric, you're scaring me with those beauties on your Crescent Street. I wanna know if these hands are right.

Mike, The Case looks to be correct for your 1902 vintage model 99 movement. I think the dial was replaced with a 1930's vintage Vanguard dial because the jewel assignment markings on the dial are usually seen first on 1930's and 40's vintage Vanguards. The hands may be replacements, but are the type Waltham used then. I have a very nice Crescent street I restored which I keep at my computer here at home with those same type fine spade hands.

These 1899 movements are beautiful

Thank you fellas for your comments. Dave, the SN is: 14,005,043. The case is just a No.1 Fahys oresilver. Eric, the diamond hour markers on your dial are slightly different than mine which are more square than yours. Is that an insignificant feature?

Thank you so much Dave for your pictures and comments. My watch is a 1908 model. Maybe I'll just leave well enough alone with my watch. Attached is a quickly scanned photograph of my movement... not as nice and big as yours, but you get the idea. We have brotherlike movements.
By the way, what program do you use to get those large, clear pictures?
Mike

Mike,
This is a 1935 era Vanguard. The dial is different, but retains the diamonds, although fatter.
Also note the black circle on the single sunk dial.

Photo's by Chris Abell

At home I use an (old?) Canon "Powershot A610" 5.0 M.P, download ther pics to my computer and then process the pics with the free picasa photo program which is (if I can do it) truly "picture processing for dummies".

You can get the free dowload from Google at;

http://picasa.google.com/