Hi all thought i show this off, 343 1905 18's. run of 1000. the dial is worse for wear, any comment on whom repairs them to AWESOME condition, with out losing there PAZAZ???? Thanks Francis
Posts: 375 | Location: Brisbane in Australia | Registered: January 24, 2010
For service, we can recommend several sources as being reliable, check over the names and testimonials in our IHC185™ Members Business Directory for additional information. One of our members Barry Hanstein has the hour and minutes hands you need priced at $14.99 a pair, I would urge you to order them or have the person you choose for servicing do so.
Your movement looks to be complete which is good, I see only a missing screw which is easy and of course hands which as mentioned previously, Barry can help with. Be sure to share "after" images in this same topic and let us know how it goes.
We rarely find South-Bend dials with Private Label markings. Many collectors would want a better condition dial which is not always easy to find. Whatever your decision in that regard, be sure the Private Label dial is saved, it may be the only one like that to survive. I have a theory that helps to explain Private Label dials, I believe some dials like yours were made as a one-of-a-kind so the traveling South-Bend watch salesman could get in to see the owner of the jewelry company, present him with a complimentary watch and then be able to show the line and hopefully sign him as a dealer. To me that would explain why we often see an obscure name and can never find another one. We know for a fact that South-Bend advertised in trade publications they would send a sample of their product to any legitimate retailer when the company was getting started, it is plausible to see this as a smart step in marketing.
"Oh, if they could only talk" ...comes to mind.
Lindell
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
Thanks Lindell for your input. I will endevour to clean up the dial with out doing any damage, i would love to leave that dial on it, once it arrives next week i will do a further assesment to asertain what has to be done. I will ask Barry if he has hand,i have two of these 343, the other was in pieces in a bulk load of Illinois that i bought of ebay.... Yes If they could talk the STORIES we would hear, wow can you imagine that, hearing wat would be said by the famous Marshall Wyatt Earp or Wild Bill Hickok, or even to hear the Truth behind the men like William Bonney
Posts: 375 | Location: Brisbane in Australia | Registered: January 24, 2010
Hi Francis - Really like the private label dial. As Lindell says, "if only they could talk" - Kenosha, Wisconsin is only 45 minutes away from me, but I would like to know how it found it's way to Australia ?!
Marc Micale
Posts: 143 | Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the USA | Registered: September 16, 2009
I bid on that movement too, but didn't quite get it! sometimes its a mystery on how watches get where they do. I have a private label Hamilton watch from my home town in central iowa that I purchased on ebay from a gentleman in Canada and I have also seen another private label from Iowa that is in Australia. I guess the simple answer is people move and they take things with them!
Posts: 1626 | Location: North Dakota in the USA | Registered: December 09, 2009
Hi Guys, well Marc it is like any thing on Ebay, it can make it way any where in the world if u only ask the seller if they will post international. I buy 99% of my part/watches from ebay.com that is not a plug for them but the market here in australia is so limited. Jared there was two SB(312)&(3 that i was looking at thou i didnt get the other but did on this one. Some times it seems when i buy lots of parts i end up with some lovely gems that are all in pieces. Like the Seth Thomas 18's 16j the last lot i got another 343, the other lot i got an 207 and 215, this one was the only one i bid on with the strict intention to win, and got it... it will be here this week i am hoping then i can take some better photos.
Posts: 375 | Location: Brisbane in Australia | Registered: January 24, 2010
I've been buying all the 312's on ebay lately... Not bringing enough in my opinion for their scarcity and hoping to get consecutive numbers set one of these days! I may bring one or two back out when the market is ready. Take a watch like a 312 in almost any other company with only a 1,000 made and see what the price is. Very undervalued right now.
Same with the 346's. about 1-2 years ago they were bringing over $200 each easily. The last 2 I have boughten have been right at $130 each! The 346's do tend to vary in price tho as there has been a couple marketed right on ebay to bring over $200 still. Also hoping for consecutive ont he 346's, but haven't done that yet either.... One of these days!
Jared
Posts: 1626 | Location: North Dakota in the USA | Registered: December 09, 2009
Ok wonderful, sound pretty good to me. I dont buy to resell just yet but it could happen. May be i will have to take fight to the usa and buy up a whole store and ship them back to OZ...Need to buy the PW bible that everyone has been telling me to get, and i want to get it just some thing else jumps in front of me in Ebay and says BUY ME, like the SB PW i got photos of in here....
Posts: 375 | Location: Brisbane in Australia | Registered: January 24, 2010
If you collect South-Bend and to help treat your "itch" you need this South-Bend History, this South-Bend Forum and the Watch Guide that IHC Sells here... Your landed IHC Members Cost is $27.95 complete price all costs and shipping included...
I guess i will have to get one of those books and have a read, i been thinking long and hard for some time now, but like i said that it seem some thing else jumps out at me on Ebay saying "BUY ME NOW" i will have to bite the bullet soon and do it before it gets too late and we get into the 2012 edition.
Posts: 375 | Location: Brisbane in Australia | Registered: January 24, 2010
