Hamilton 912 Secometer with Rotating Seconds (And Others!)

June 27, 2009, 19:51

Robert Schussel

Lindell

You have a very nice example of the Illinois Ball with rotating seconds.

Many of them had radium on the dial and hands.Typically the markers at each 5 minutes were
coated with radium and the hands (usually different from yours) are coated near the end. Corrision is almost always seen with the radium hands---don't know if it is the radium or something else causing it.

Most of the dials (silver colored) show a lot of oxidation.
The problem with trying to get these dials refinished is that there is no one who can reproduce the design around the rotating seconds.

Bob

June 27, 2009, 20:02

Robert Schussel

Here is an ad for the Ball watch. Note that the hands in the ad are the more common ones.

I have never actually seen an original box--sure would like one to go with my watch.

Bob

June 28, 2009, 11:11

Lindell V. Riddle

Thanks to Ethan and Bob for the additional information.

Maybe we now know the reason for corrosion on the hands of my Ball watch, perhaps the open hands were originally filled with luminescent material. Interesting to see "Rotor Seconds" used to describe these dials in the Ball advertisement which can also be found reproduced on page 69 of the 1977 Ehrhardt Price Indicator Book.

The ad from Ball helps us on what the dials were called, it apparently was Hamilton that used "Secometer" for this style of dial, that is stated in the Hamilton ad I posted on June 25th in this topic and in the ad below this posting. If my memory serves Waltham used terminology something like rotating seconds or wandering seconds for theirs, but finding the right period ad could help sort that out as well. Oddly the one ad I did find showing the Waltham version which is on page 155 of Ehrhardt's Waltham book showed three watches equipped with these dials but no specific reference to them by name.

Now for some more specifics on the cost of Hamilton Secometers, that example John shared on June 26th is called "Van Buren" in their 1930 catalog, it sold for $55.00 at that time. And as you will see below, advertising from Hamilton featured the "Secometer Dial No. 55" from the factory on their Grade 912 for a $5.00 additional charge.

In 1930 that $5.00 extra was a lot...

June 28, 2009, 11:40

Robert Schussel

Lindell,

Thanks for the clarifactions.

I think your hands are original as I have seen them on other Rotor Second Ball watches.

In the 1930s I can't imagine they sold many of the Ball Rotor Seconds. Only those with money to burn who wanted to be stylish would have bought such watches.

Bob

June 28, 2009, 12:18

Lindell V. Riddle

Thanks Bob,

Judging from your other sighting recollections the hands I have require only a bit of cleaning and perhaps one day a refill of glow-in-the-dark material. And yes, that Ball box would be a real prize to have, I too have never seen one like it.

Continuing this same theme of rotating numbers, the "South-Bend Digital" was fully digital, they were post-production, never offered for sale to the public therefore nearly impossible to find and few exist today. The one shown below is powered by number 1236513 which is a 21-Jewel Studebaker movement.

Here is my South-Bend Digital, time shown is 8:18:05...