HELLO,

DOES ANYONE KNOWS IF THE MOVEMENTS SOUTH BEND GRADE 294 OR 295 WERE ALL MARKED?IF NOT, DO THE MARKED ONES COMMAND A PREMIUM PRICE?
ALSO WHICH IS THE FIRST RECORDED SERIAL NUMBER FOR THE GRADE 294 AND THE FIRST ONE FOR THE GRADE 295?

THANK YOU

ANDREA

I don't know if the movements were all marked with 294 or with 295. They made 1000 grade 295 and 1600 grade 294 watches.

The first number recorded for 294 is 445901, the last is 519000.

The first number recorded for 295 469801, the last is 480500.

Ernie,
thank you very much!

Andrea

I was watching on Ebay this Item number 350190663241

It looks like it is a grade 294. Serial number 445903,only the third ever made! Now according the South Bend database this serial number should be a grade 294.Is it possible that the run of the year 1906,445901-446000,was a mix run of open and hnting case?This watch seems to confirm my guessing.Unfortunately it went to high..

Andrea

My guess is the watch sold on Ebay was a doctored watch. If you check out the photos of other 294 and 295 watch movements in the South Bend Research Forum there is some difference. Both have gold lettering. The Ebay example has black lettering. Some paint could change the 294 bridge lettering to black. The 294 has similar damaskeening to other grade South Bends. I believe a train bridge from a worn out 294 was put on watch with similar damaskeening. I would not be surprised to find different serial numbers on other plates.

Also, the wind and ratchet wheels on the Ebay example have some fancy scrolling. the wheels on the 294 and 295 movements in the South Bend Forum have plain wheels.

ERNIE,

AT THE BEGINNING I TOUGHT TOO THE TRAIN BRIDGE MIGHT BE OF A GRADE 294.BUT LOOKING AT PAG.381 OF COMPLETE PRICE GUIDE 2008 YOU CAN NOTICE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE GRADE 295 TRAIN BRIDGE FROM THE GRADE 294 ONE..-MODEL 1,3/4 PLATE.
IF THE SERIAL NUMBERS MATCH ON BOTH,TRAIN AND BARREL BRIDGE,IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE VERY FIRST RUN OF THE YEAR 1906 WAS A MIXED RUN OF OPEN AND HUNTING MOVEMENTS?

ANDREA

Andrea: Everything is possible. Every absolute has exceptions. So it could be possible that South Bend made a few 294's as open face watches but I rather doubt it.

I don't think the Ebay watch is a 295 with a 294 train bridge. The 295 has gold lettering and a slightly different damaskeening. It is not a 294 as the location of the ratchet wheels and main wheels are opposite to the 294 pictured in the SB Forum.

At this point I am not sure what the ebay watch was or is. It is a mystery. Maybe Frank or Lindell can shed some light on it.

Here is a picture of a South Bend 294 from run 2:

Here is a picture of a south Bend 295 from run 1:

I think I have figured out the problem. When the research was done for the 294 and 295 there was an erro done and some of the numbers didn't get divided out right. I believe there was a misconception that grade runs started with XXX001 when in fact hey could have started in the middle range.

We found the same recording problem with grade 120 and 121.

Here is my 294. It is not marked!