Internet Horology Club 185
The South Bend Grade 260: First and Last run examples

This topic can be found at:
https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/364101939/m/4731021503

March 06, 2008, 20:54
Frank Kusumoto
The South Bend Grade 260: First and Last run examples
The SB Grade 260 was produced from approximately 1905 - 1911. There were 14 runs made and a total of 21k movements manufactured. It is a low grade 7j hunter movement and was the economy model of the lever-set 16s model 1 movements, along with the OF Grade 261, made by South Bend. Here is an example from the first run, produced in ~1905. The damaskeening on the balance cock looks odd and incorrect because it does not run parallel with the lines on the gear train and barrel bridge. It is in fact correct. For whatever reason South Bend did the damaskeening this way on the earlier runs.




-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is an example from the last run, produced in ~1911. Notice that the damaskeening pattern on the balance cock is now aligned with the damaskeening on the other plates. The Grade number "260" is also stamped on the gear train bridge. There is a small hole on the click for the end of the spring to go through because the underlying mechanism was changed. Also note the ratchet and crown wheels now have straight snailing instead of a swirl and no decorative raised caps. The other major change is the different hairspring studs. The early model has the typical round stud and the later model has the "D" shaped stud. All of these mechanical changes are in line with the engineering that went into the SB 16s Model 2 movements.