Robert,
Check out this ad Drew found today in one of our watch books. I noticed at the show you were carrying one of these watches with Sangamo Hands on it. Got any ideas why Sangamo Hands are on this watch in the advertisement. I have two in my collection just like the one you were carrying with the Sangamo Hands on them. I did not mention it to you at the time but I thought it was very interesting when I asked you to show me what you were carrying.
Your Friend
Bob Christie

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Mike, Terry, Lindell or Jim:
Do you have any ideas?

Absolutely, and really quite simple . Illinois made all the 60 Hour Sangamo Specials in 1925 and 1926 , however they were very slow sellers due to their high retail price and were finished and sold as late as the early 1930's. Once they were finished , I am sure there were some left over blue Kite Sangamo hands which were not going to be thrown away . I am sure the bean counters would not allow it. Illinois was notorious for NOT wasting material of any kind that could be used in any logical manner. Through the last 10 years I have seen at least 3 dozen Bunn Special finished around 1930-32 that had the blue Sangamo Kite hands. I think it makes perfect logical sense that they used these hands until the extra or left over supply was exhausted. Hope this helps. Happy Hunting!

these hands have also been seen on the examples observed with the fat boy dial........

.

Bob

I have two 21j Bunn Specials in the 5,250,000 range outfitted with marked 21j dials and Sangamo hands, as found. As you memtioned I carry one of them.

Mike's explaination makes sense to me. I guess I carry the watch because I believe it to be original even though it doesn't look correct.

Robert

Another point of interest is the fact that prior to 1929 all hands for Bunn Specials had been the nicely contoured purple hands we are all used to seeing on most of their watches in the teens and 20's. However all Sangamo Special hands were blue and "Kite" style. With Hamilton's buyout of the Illinois Watch Company, in early 1928, the old faithful purple hands were phased out as inventory of such was depleted and by late 1928, early 1929 we see the Bunn Specials with blue Hamilton style hands exclusively. With "blue" hands being the color of choice of Hamilton, I am sure new management and accounting decided to take advantage of using the old extra Sangamo hands in stock that were of course blue as well, although a different style. Their way of thinking maybe, additionally, was more styles and choices, equals more sales.

Seriously , though, I think we also have to consider the fact of the Great Depression that had hit as of late October 1929 and , with that in mind , I think no waste of any kind could be afforded or tolerated by any smart American business. Hamilton , I think definitely qualified as one such smart company and did in fact survive the great Depression that was the very undoing of many great corporations and businesses in America as 1 in 4 Americans found themselves out of work or in a soup line. Let's all hope times are never that dire again!

Great educational thread, Bob and a special thanks to Lindell for posting the picture of the "fat boy" dial, that is quite rare indeed. Terry and I discovered this dial quite by accident around 5 years ago and he gave it the very appropriate name ,I think, as it is the most bold of all Illinois dials. As a side note on that dial, only 20 have been spotted in the last 5 years by both of us which says quite a lot as to it's rarity with the luxury of looking at hundreds of watches per week between ebay, shows and flea markets, estate auctions, etc. Many long time Illinois collectors I have spoken with had never seen one either when I proudly showed them one of mine. You will note that they also have triangular markers at each minute rather than the common rectangular minute marks! So they are very uncommon by all accounts! Happy "fat boy dial" Hunting!