Can anyone tell me is there a data website than could tell me about th 16s Waltham Ball Commercial Standards. I am looking particularly for the numbers produced of this watch.
Thanks,
Bill

Bill, don't know if I can help or not because I know of no Website that exists specifically for the Ball/Waltham watch, period....

The price guide, pg. 156 shows the watches from 15j thru 21j and the only one that has a 'star' rating is the 15j which means less than a 1000 made....none of the other mdl. have any star rating so that means that many were made, I guess....

Not much help, I know, but that is all the info that I have....

Regards & Good Luck

Jerry

Thanks Jerry,
here are some pics of the watch I just bought, hopefully correct, do not know about the case tho.
Upon checking serial numbers I think it is 1904 rather than 1914. Can anyone comment on this watch and what I actually have here.
Here are some pics of it.
Thanks,
Bill

mvmt

case

case2

case3

Bill,

If you can get a copy of "American Pocket Watches, Serial Number & Grade Book" (1993 edition) by Ehrhardt & Meggars, there's a complete table of Ball production on pages 49-52.

You could figure it out from that, by adding up all the various CS runs.

Hello Bill,
Our Commercial standards came out of the same run (of which there were many). I have put a pencil dot by our watches on the data sheet below.
Mike

As I said our watches are like 2 peas in a pod. Here is a picture of my movement. Yours and mine are 300 watches apart

The following table identifies the size 16 Commercial Standard watches made by Waltham for Ball Watch Co. I'll let you count them The 16 jewel models are actually few in number! I'll be putting mine up for sale on IHC soon.
Mike
Note: the spacing I used will not show up on my chart, but I have provided serial number followed by case type (OF or H), followed by jewel count


B206,001 - 13,300 OF/L 16-19 (some OFF Std.)
B213,201 - 4,200 H 16-17
B215,701 - 6,200 H 16
B218,001 - 600 OF/L 16-17
B226,201 - 700 H 17
B226,701 - 7,700 OF 16
B228,901 - 9,900 OF 17
B231,101 - 2,100 OF/P 17
B242,201 - 4,200 OF 17
B258,901 - 9.400 OF 17
B262,901 - 3,400 OF 17
B265,401 - 900 OF 17

Mike, I have the same data that you posted in your first post....mine is in the Ehrhardt & Meggers 'American Pocket Watches....Beginning to End...1830 - 1990, 1987 Edition....

How does one read the information, for example, that you posted....

I assume the 16s is size, 16j is jewel count, ON99P is open face-nickel-model-pendant, but the rest of info is lost on me....what does it all mean...?

Regards,

Jerry

Jerry,
It's pretty much intuitive. You got most of it. The "99" refers to the model number, and the "U" means unadjusted. The "EA" number in parenthesis is an arbitrary number assigned by Roy Ehrhart to each model or grade number. EA 150 will show a configuration for the 16s, OF, Ball Commercial Standard. Knowing this number one can flip to any of his numerous books and see the configuration of the plate. Other numbers in parenthesis after the EA numbers refer to various Ehrhart publications for additionl information.
Mike

Thanks Mike Jerry and Ed,
Mike am I reading this right, from your tables, 7,700 OF & 6,200 HC. Also in the first notation it lists ON99P U CS, am I to read that as open Nickle, Mdl,1899 Pendant and what does the CS stand for, and how many were actually pendant or lever, or do we know that. I do Not know what mine is as yet as I do not have it, and likely will not until some time after Christmas.
Jerry I have the "beginning to end" 1987 edition and where did you find that there ??? what page ???
Thanks for all the help, all of you folks,
Bill

Page 222, right side of the page under Ball -Commercial Standard - 16 size....

Regards,

Jerry

"CS" means Commercial Standard.

Mike
Of course CS means Commercial Standard, just another brain freeze, after all, I do live in the frozen north.
Jerry,
You know I read over that page and just missed it.
see above.
Thanks again,
Bill