Anybody ever notice how small the seconds bit is on 16s South Bend railroad dials?That's the only thing I don't like about them.Illinois and some later Hampden RR grades had a huge diameter second dial, much easier to see.If you look at the way the 4th wheel is placed in the South Bend,it's so close to the edge of the mov't., I guess they had to use a smaller one.Thanks for listening to a rant about something that really doesn't amount to anything!...Ted.

Theodore,

The tragic part comes earlier, or later, depending on your perspective. When a dial is being replaced or a new second hand is put on Pandora's box too often looses its lid. Much of the time you end up having to shorten the second hand. And many of the other times the second hand comes up looking much too short for any sane person to have picked it. The problem is almost infinitely exacerbated by the different shades of blue/purple that become hard to match up between the hour/min hands and the second hand.

Also, I couldn't really say for sure, but I doubt SB (and really only certain Grades of SB) could fairly have more than a piece of petrified mosquito scat thrown at it if "the Watch Company that didn't screw that up on several occasions" were to an to be tasked with the job of selecting the first projectile.

Best.

Frank "407", Lifetime honorary moderator for IHC185.

Thanks Frank, never thought of it that way!Regards, Ted.