DESCRIPTION:
APW - Ball Hamilton, "The Webb C. Ball Co, Cleveland O." signed mvt and dial, Grade 999F, 16J, 18S, gold-filled OF recase, white enamel SS dial, SW-LS, multi-patterned nickel damascene with striped pattern main plate and fishscale pattern barrel bridge, s#90152. An extremely rare Ball variant, we have only seen a very small handful of examples (no more than 3 or 4 with the present piece included) of this movement type. This watch is from a short production run of 16 jewel movements that are more often seen marked "Railroad Watch Co." on their barrel bridge and with matching damascene throughout, but apparently a very small portion of this run was paired with this alternative barrel bridge having fishscale damascene and "The Webb C. Ball Co." marking. This example is fully consistent with the very few others of its type we have seen, and interestingly the underside of the barrel bridges we have encountered for this variant are not marked with serial number suggesting the possibility that the movements were originally finished with typical Railroad Watch Co. marked barrel bridges before Ball made the decision to substitute the present style barrel bridge on a handful of examples of watches from this run.
CONDITION:
Mvt: NR, balance is gummy, overhaul needed, fine cosmetic mvt condition overall, scattered short fine scratches to plates, oxide to regulator, balance jewel setting screws are larger sized replacements; dial has few scattered faint hls and fine surface scratches, three edge chips under bezel with two near 9 and one near setting lever; fine hands; case shows ample wear, some dents to rear, largely reduced engraving detail, areas of wear to brass; tight brassy bow, crown shows substantial wear; good glass crystal with some glue excess around its seat.
ESTIMATE:
$600
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$1200
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