I can't see the rhyme or reason for it but there are two different styles of barrel bridges in this run.

I have seen the barrel bridge style pictured below on a BLF in this run and also on 14779 and 14370. Note the edge of the barrel bridge to the left is curved.

Now look at number 14927 in Lindell's post from "Early Ball-Hamilton 18-size images" and on a BRT and ORRS 14791, the edge of the barrel bridge to the left is straight. As you can see from the serial numbers, there is no definite cutoff point. First you see one then the other.

Anyone have a clue what is going on here?

FWIW:

The same thing occurs apparantly randomly in the 13xxx range. Lindells 13050 has a curved left side barrel bridge and my 13266 & 13212 have straight left sides.

happy hunting

Bill
I know nothing about these Ball watches but I was wondering if the plate with two straight edges was so it could be used on either a open face or hunter movement. I have no idea if they made 18s hunter Hamilton/Ball, just a thought.

Tom

Interesting thought Tom. There was no hunter version of the Hamilton Ball 18 size 999's but the earlier 936 and 938 open face Hamilton Ball's did have straight edges and they did have hunter counterparts in the 937 and 939 models.

Manybe for the first few runs of 999's Ball was leaving his options open.

It wouldn't seem likely that it was a waste not want not situation, where excess barrel bridge material was fed into newer style production.