Internet Horology Club 185
Bunn Special case question.

This topic can be found at:
https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8881029912/m/7613959087

December 13, 2013, 15:54
William Thomas
Bunn Special case question.
How early would the model 29, 181, 173/28 have actually been on the drawing board, meaning in the planning stage? Would they have been known to Jacob Bunn Jr.? I know they appeared for sale in catalogs and ads after the Hamilton takeover but I have always wondered how much these cases are truly Illinois Watch Co. products or Hamilton Watch Co. products. Bunn Specials such as model 206, 118 are truly hybrids inside and out and I have never really cared for them.
December 13, 2013, 17:43
Lindell V. Riddle

Hi Bill,

All those changes you mentioned commenced after the January 1, 1928 takeover by Hamilton, there were a few First Model cases marked "Model 29" but the one designated as Model 29 in advertising was a new case design part of the "Hamilton Influence" which we see beginning in the combined catalog for both companies that carries a 1928 introduction date. These changes included having numbered as Models 161 and 163 Bunn Special movements, the use of Elinvar on Illinois produced movements, dropping Sangamo Specials from production and what they considered an overall modernization of the lineup.

We generally look to the movements marked as "Illinois Watch Springfield" as being essentially "Hamilton Influence" movements whereas the pre-takeover Illinois Watch Company used "Illinois Watch Co. Springfield" was the signature used on purely Illinois movements. During the 1928-29 transition there were the "hybrids" you mentioned and so the watches from that era can be confusing to modern day collectors. The purely Illinois watches predate that period.

Hope this is of help to you and others.

Be well my friend,

Lindell

Wink
December 13, 2013, 19:44
William Thomas
What I am getting at is that there must be a considerable amount of time from when the design of a case is presented for possible production to the making of the dies for each case. They couldn't have just been made up suddenly in January of '28. That's what I'm wondering, how long before 1928 were these cases being planned.