I have a South Bend 329 'The Studebaker' with a Montgomery dial that has spade style hands that are mismatched colours. The minutes hand is dark blue while the hours hand is plum.

I am wondering if this is a correct/original combination?

I have been through the South Bend section but there is little info about hands.

Thanks
Ralph

Ralph, I don't know about the minute hand, but the hour hand sounds like it's an Illinois. They're the only company I know of that produced plum colored hands. Kind of like a trademark. All of the hands on your watch should be the same color. Regards, Brad

Brad is right but I have a Hamilton from around 1910 that has all plum color hands that I assumed were Illinois until a nice fellow collector told me that they had been redone and that gave a purple cast to them. The hands should match whatever the color but if they match then maybe they have been redone?

Thanks,guys. While I figured the hands should match, there are so many exceptions to the 'rules' one never knows for sure.

Ralph, whatever you do, please save those hands. Plum Illinois hands are always in great demand.

Hi Ralph
what I think you have is higher Grade "Purple" hands made by South Bend. PN 229326.

you don't see many of them out there.

I have a set on my 229.

Doug

Hi Doug, thanks for that bit of info. Had not heard of those hands. What is that PN number? Is that some reference to these purple hands?

The part Number is from a 1917 South Bend catalog.
and it lists Blue, Purple and Gild hands.

I did buy a South Bend off ebay just for a nice set of Hands not to long ago. it was a 217.

Illinois calls them Plum color. South Bend lists them as Purple.
some call them Wine color.

Hope you can find a Minute hand to match your hour hand.

Regards
Doug

Thanks for that info, Doug, most helpful.
Ralph