Interesting Ad on three fronts.

First it establishes that these watches were being sold by Ball as early as 1890 when the ad was published.

2nd, the claim of 6 positions was new to me.

3rd and most significant to me, was the adcut showing the Hampden dial. the Hampden Ball's are the only Ball watches with the manufacturers name on the movement. It is generally accepted that Ball's dials matched his movements and indeed many Webb C. Ball dials have been seen.

This is the first documentation I have seen that would substantiate a non Ball dial on the movement. There are so many claims of correctness on non matching dials that I think it important that such claims be grounded in more than wishful thinking. So many dials are incorrect that there seems to be a tendency to validate them based simply on their frequent occurence.

Attatched is the July 1890 Ad from the Locomotive Engineer Journal. The same ad was also published in December of that year.

Happy hunting,

Bill Kapp

Hi guys and gals,

Its interesting on a fourth front. Asking around, it appears to be the first Ball Watch AD!

Earlier Ball ads have been seen but they are for the jewelry store in Cleveland.

I have two of these so later in the year, I will mail one to Lindel and he can auction it off for the benefit of the group. I will leave it intact in the 1890 December issue of the Brotherhood journal as that is the only way to know where it came from. There are also some other neat ads in that journal, along with some interesting reading.

Happy hunting

Bill,
Does the dial in the ad say Hampden Watch Co. ?
Tony

Tony,

Yes it does. That would validate a Ball Standard movement with a Hampden dial of the correct era.


happy hunting,