Help Identify Vintage Ball Watch

[trizzane]

Hello, my first post here. I am still working on pulling the trigger on a new(er) Hydrocarbon, but in the mean time i bought an old version.

I was told by the seller that it is a 50's piece - but i am not sure, and my research has not provided much info.

The inside of the caseback is stamped only "Ball Company". the back of the case reads "Swiss Made - Water Protected - Stainless Steel Back - AntiMagnetic" and in the middle reads "Incabloc 473046"

Inside the movement reads "Seventeen Jewels", "Ball Company", "NonAdjusted", "BXC". There is also a +/- meter.

I have attached a picture of the face, hopefully it works. The face appears to be a satin silver with gold numbering, incase its hard to tell from the pic.

Finally, is the number on the caseback the serial number? If so, where do i need to match that with inside the movement? I don't see any numbers in there.

Thank you in advance for any help!
-Jason

 

[Tony10Clocks]

Hello and welcome to the board. HERE is a link to a Ball watch company, not sure if it's the same, the serial number should be on the movement,
Tony

 

[Larry Treiman]

The Ball Company was a wholesale jewelry business set up in Chicago by Webb C. Ball c.1915. He bought the existing Chicago wholesale jewelry firm, Norris, Alister Co., which if memory serves, had a history dating back to c.1865. He then moved his Cleveland wholesaling operations to Chicago and combined them with Norris, Alister to form the Norris, Alister-Ball Company, and sent his son, Sidney, to Chicago to run the combined operations. Other firms were acquired, but around 1930 the firm became simply the Ball Company. They were also distributors of the famous Ball railroad watches.

Your watch has no connection with the railroad watches. It is one of many private label watches that the Ball Co. had made in Switzerland for sale through their retailer jewelry dealer customers. BXC was the Ball Company's importer code, and appeared on all watches that Ball imported during the time frame that such codes were assigned to and used by all watch importers. There was no connection between those codes and the actual manufacturer, except in some instances where the importer was a U.S. "arm" of the manufacturer.

To identify the actual manufacturer of the watch, we would have to see the movement. Sometimes the shape of the plates/bridges offer a clue to identity. Sometimes there will be a symbol stamped under the balance wheel. Other times it may be necessary to remove the dial to see if there is a maker's mark stamped on the plate under the dial, and sometimes it may be necessary to compare the shapes of certain setting parts under the dial with illustrations in parts catalogs to determine the maker. Sometimes it is easy, other times not! That 1950s time frame could be correct, but I have no way of knowing for sure.

It is not unusual to find that there is no movement serial numbers. The serial numbers stamped in the cases are usually case serial numbers only and have no relation to the movement, to the best of my knowledge.

Post a good, SHARP photo of your watch movement and maybe someone here can help ID it.

Larry Treiman

 

[trizzane]

Awesome, thanks for the info!

The movement pic is attached. as this pic is oriented, there is a number stamped at about the 2 oclock position, under the wheel, but it is too small for me to read. I need to locate a magnifier and see what it says. Would this be the proper location of the serial # as you mentioned?

So this watch has a movement that was purchased in bulk from the Swiss and was then simpley branded BALL and resold? It is the same company as the RR watches, but these movements were not re-worked or calibrated to RR standards as the Pocket Watches were? Do i have that correct or is there even less of a relation thatn that.

I paid $100 for the watch, its in great condition (much better than the pic displays) but i probably paid too much - but i really wanted it to have a piece to hold onto while i wait for...or maybe put me over the edge to spend 3-4k on a new Ball Watch.

Thank you for all your help!
-> posts merged by system <-
woops, now the attachment....

 

[doug sinclair]

It looks like an A Schild caliber 1187 movement. These were produced by the millions over probably 20 to 30 years, up until perhaps the early 1960s. It is highly unlikely you will find a serial number on it. These were a reliable, sturdy, orchard run movement that provided excellent service, and would have been sold with countless names on the dial.

 

[Larry Treiman]

The railroad grade Ball wrist watches first used a manual-wind A. Schild 1604B, 21-jewel movement, but later they switched to an Eta 25-jewel automatic (self-winding) movement. Both watches were closely adjusted to meet railroad requirements, and had a "hack" feature to enable setting to the exact second.

Doug, does "orchard run" mean that you had to climb a ladder and pluck one off a tree? I'm not sure I like that idea! <];>)

Larry Treiman

 

[doug sinclair]

"orchard run"- a euphemism for "ordinary". But I'm sure you had a suspicion.

 

[Larry Treiman]

Yep, as indicated by the winky-smiley-clown face following my "orchard run" comment. It was a rhetorical question, asked with tongue firmly planted in cheek, and certainly didn't require a response! I think most of us in this hobby quickly learn that watches don't grow on trees!

Larry