Illinois Bunn Special 60Hr.

January 05, 2008, 08:40

Marty Bell

Can someone help me with this pocket? It is a 21J/60hr/#5128067-not Elinvar- piece that has a dial I've seen before but can't verify as time appropriate...Please excuse a new guy's lack of knowledge here,but I can only find satisfying info on the"black arrow" dials and this one has red dots...I sure hope I've supplied enough info tell get an answer from someone! Sorry no pic's yet...- Marty

January 05, 2008, 13:27

Tony Dukes

Marty,
According to Meggers and Ehrhardt's Illinois book your 21 jewel-60 hour Bunn Special is a Type III and 86,000 were produced. It is a model 14, circa 1928, and was cased at the factory. Most were sold with double sunk dials just marked Illinois. Without seeing a pic of the dial I hesitate to make any remarks.
Tony

January 05, 2008, 20:15

Marty Bell

Thanks Tony-From what I've been able to pick up, dials with red five minute dots are not time appropriate for 60hr.Bunns-only the black arrow or triangle markers were factory made...But I know better than to trust ONE info source alone;it seems there is almost always room for exceptions with these pockets...I'll keep learning!

January 06, 2008, 00:03

David Abbe

Remember too that in the life of these watches the dials, cases, hands, and some parts were replaced and shuffled around like tires, and sparkplugs on a car.

January 06, 2008, 11:59

Foster Miller

Marty

It is difficult to tell without a picture, however if it is the dial I am thinking of- it has been replaced. The dials with the red dots- instead of arrows, are typically found on many in-expensive Illinois movements.

January 06, 2008, 14:44

Lindell V. Riddle

Marty,

This is one of those touchy subjects.

All the ads and all available information point to triangular black markers. The "usual and customary" dial will always be preferred and as Dave pointed out there has been some eighty years for a dial change to have been made. It takes only a few minutes and the reality is that any Bunn Special movement most likely started out fronting a dial featuring the "black arrows or triangles" markers.

Of course one could easily assert that any dial offered at the time of original sale could have been ordered on the watch or installed at time of sale simply because the buyer liked it better. In the photo-merge below we show a "red-dot" markers dial on top. But as Foster mentioned they are usually associated with lesser movements, often 17 or 19-Jewel 3 or 4 Position Non-Railroad-Grade.

On top red dots and below preferred Bunn Special design...