Box Illinois with Painted Dial

[Ted Collins]

I recently added this 18S, 11J, SW/LS Illinois #309626 to my collection. It is housed in a box-OF (I guess that is what I would call it) nickel Illinois Watch Co case and has what appears to be a factory original painted dial. I thought the dial was pretty unique & I really like the case. :bigsmile:

Wondered what anyone else thinks about this dial and the scarcity of this type of case?124275124276

[Mike LaForest]

Hey Ted, I love everything about your watch! Just a beauty! I've not seen an Illinois dial painted like that. My opinion is that they are scarce. Maybe its just that the painted dials are more common than people think, but because they are so beautiful/unusual, they tend to stay in the family and not sold off. The case is called a box-end case and while not rare I call them much less common than HC or OF cases. A few of them are almost always seen on fleabay. Thank you for posting these pictures of something not commonly seen.

[Ted Collins]

Thanks, Mike. I have actually seen fewer of these OF boxes than the HC box-hinge cases, which I think are quite scarce. I really like them both. And I just thought this dial was a gem.

[Mike LaForest]

I don't know what to suggest about the scarcity of silver (or gold) OF, box end cases, Ted. I can say I don't see them often. I do, however, own such a case pictured below. I bought it because it was so darn unusual. It is marked sterling silver, and is really quite a huge, heavy, gaudy thing!

[Ted Collins]

Anyone else have thoughts about this dial or seen one similar?

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Neat dial. I've seen Illinois dials with similar decorations. They usually appear on low to mid grade mvts (often 11 jewel mvts) in the s/n range of 2xx,xxx and early 3xx,xxx.

[Ted Collins]

Greg...I take it, then, that the consensus would be that these dials were made by the company and are original to the watch?

[Greg Frauenhoff]

I for one certainly believe that they are true Illinois dials and were probably made at their factory. However, there were specialty dial makers at the time who may have contracted with Illinois to make such dials for them. But I think it more likely that Illinois made your dial and ones like it. If you ever have yours off the watch it might be instructive to compare the back of it with regular production Illinois dials from the same time frame.

All FWIW

[terry hall]

IMHO.... think the dial would need to be removed and the back examined to get a determination... its harder without the dial being 'in hand'....

[Ethan Lipsig]

I didn't realize OF box hinge cases were rare. I have at least two, both massive. One is a lovely 14k Jeannot & Shiebler-cased Bingham & Walk PL Patek Philippe. The other is an equally massive, and even nicer 18k AWCO-cased American Watch Co. Grade Model 1872.

[crsides]

Ted, I have seen quite a few box end ( I thought they were called box hinged) cases in gold and GF. Fewer in Silver. But don't think i have ever seen or heard of one in Nickel.

Anyone else ?

BTW, i like the dial

Charlie

[Greg Frauenhoff]

I can't recall seeing one in nickel either, but I haven't followed this type of case very closely. In my experience, the ones with hinged backs and bezels are either solid gold or gold-filled; less often silver. Then there are the ones with screw on backs and bezels which are usually gold-filled (and not of the same quality as the ones with hinged covers). BTW, this style of case was popular in the 1880s and usually refered to in the trade a "Louis XIV" style.

Greg

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Here's a pic of a silver one:

http://mb.nawcc.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=137633&d=1342027447

[Greg Frauenhoff]

Here's a thread showing some other Illinois fancy dials including ones with similar chapter decorations to the one above:

http://mb.nawcc.org/showthread.php?40046-Picture-Multi-Color-Fancy-Illinois-Dials/page2&highlight=fancy+dial+illinois

[Ted Collins]

That is a great case on the Hampden!

[Ted Collins]

Here's a thread showing some other Illinois fancy dials including ones with similar chapter decorations to the one above:

http://mb.nawcc.org/showthread.php?40046-Picture-Multi-Color-Fancy-Illinois-Dials/page2&highlight=fancy+dial+illinois

The fifth watch down in the series of dials in Fred's list is eerily similar to mine...appears to be from the same style and/or artist...and on a box-end case, as well.