I have two questions about the Non Magnetic Watch Company of America.

First, In the Price Guide in the Peoria Watch Company section the authors list an "Anti Magnetic? watch company. Was there any such thing, or are they referring to the Non Magnetic Watch Company? I have never seen an Anti Magnetic watch, and wonder if there is such thing.

Second, I've also read that when Hamilton started using Elinvar they colored the balance springs blue because earlier non magnetic alloys were unreliable and eratic. Is this a reference to the Non Magnetic Watch Company? The Non Magnetic watches I've seen were very high grade, and ran very well.

Steve

About your second question, I had heard the reason the hairsprings were dyed blue was that jewelers did not trust non blue hairsprings. I don't know if that is true but I have not heard of the reason you gave.

Tom

Well, then... I wonder why they didn't trust the ones that weren't blue. Did they think they would rust?
Thanks for answering back, Tom.

Steve

Steve

I copied this from an old post;
"Elinvar is white (like stainless steel), unless it's been plated or "dyed," which some were to make them look like blued steel. Many of the early white alloy hairsprings were extremely soft and didn't perform well, and I've read that when Elinvar was first introduced, watchmakers didn't like it because they assumed it would have the same characteristics as white alloy hairsprings of the past. In order to overcome that bias, Hamilton and perhaps other companies actually "dyed" their Elinvar hairsprings blue."

I searched using the words"dyed hairspring".

Tom

That is interesting. I wonder if they were referring to the Non-Magnetic watches. It is ironic that they thought they had to do that, considering the fact that they were introducing a feature that would become the hallmark of accuracy in mechanical watches, don't you think?

Steve