Can anyone recommend a person to refinish metal or silver dials

Charles,

I haven't used their services but you might want to check KR Dial's website:

http://www.krdial.com/siteindex.html

Good Luck!

Hi Charles, I have used this place a few years ago they did great work. But not sure if there still open. Maybe Lindell can chime in its his neck of the woods. TED

Ted & Charles,

Here's a link that mentions both companies: http://www.thewatchguy.homestead.com/DIAL.html

Thank you John and Ted. This kind of information is invaluable to a novice like myself, makes a person appreciate the I H C.

Charles,

Don't forget to take some 'before' and 'after' pictures of your dial.

Good luck!

After reading John and Ted's coments on refinishing outfits I decided to try the International Co. Glad to report that they were very good to work with. The dial came back looking like new. Sorry I did not get a "before" picture, but it looked bad enough that the owner of the watch had replaced it with a porc. dial that was not proper for the watch, a 950 Hamilton. Can any one tell us how popular silver dials were on Railroad watches.

The silver finished metal dials were advertised to the railroad trade starting, I believe, in the early 20th Century. According to the watch manufacturers, supposedly they were easier to read in dim light than the porcelain dials due to their high light reflectivity. This may have very well been true when the dials were new, but they certainly didn't hold up as well as porcelain (except for cracks & hairlines), and today they are not nearly as popular with collectors as porcelain. When introduced they actually sold for a premium over the porcelain dials, and never sold in very large numbers.

Charles, based on the location of the seconds bit, your Hamilton dial almost looks to be from a "spread" movement, one where a small size movement is fitted into a larger size case with a larger dial to make the watch appear 'thinner'. What grade of Hamilton was the dial from, and what size case was it in?

Thank you Ed for your well informed comments on the use of silver dials on railroad watches. The watch that I put the refinished dial on is a 950 serial # 855465,in 16s bar over crown case that I had in my collection for nearly 20 years. The dial was a little dark, but that never bothered me as I thought it was original. When I sold it the new owner was not happy with it, swapped it with a porc. one, then asked about refinishing the original one. Needless to say he is now happy as a clam.

Here is another dial refinisher. I have had many 12 size Illinois as well as other metal dials done by them and am very satisfied. Have even had them refinish a metal dial so it look similar to a porclein one. They also do well on Silver and Gold. Prices usually $20 to $30 . Very helpful people and good to deal with Eagle Dial Refinishing co. 132 8Th st. Philla PA 19107, 215-925-7423
Art

Arthur,
I have a Tissot dial out to them as we speak. The people who are doing some restoration for me, sent the dial out to either Kirk or ID I can't remember. when they got it back they said it was really poor work.
So they sent the dial out to Eagle and I am waiting to get it back
Jim Rogers