Prior to the run of 100 Hamilton Ball ORRS watches from 8701=8800, Ball watches were marked Standard, Hi grade, Superior grade , etc on the movements. With this run Ball established the popular marketing trademark "Official Railroad Standard"
I have never seen pics or know of anyone who has seen # 8711 the earliest reported Ball marked movement. I would appreciate anyone who has pics or knows about this watch to contract me.
9 watches have been reported from this run, 6 of them are private labels.
#8774 was the first Ball marked movement to be reported. Since then two more have been reported, the earliest being #8711. statisticaly there were probably as many as 25 Ball marked watches in this run .The price guides value the 2nd and 3rd runs higher than this first run, but I believe that is because the editiors are not aware that the first run had ball marked movements as well as private labels.
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Early Ball ORRS- 8774
Watch was originaly found without a dial. This is a correct dial for the watch and was located 40 miles from where I found the watch movement. The dial was mounted on a Hamilton when I found it. One could stretch things a bit and romance that watch and dial have been reunited.
I have better dials, but they are mounted on their original, 13K,14K,28K and 42K Ball & CO ORRS movements.
Silver case is not original to the movement either, but there are no other screw marks on case. I do not know if this case is of the right era, but it sure displays it nicely.
Below is a picutre of movt 8782, my data base says that this has an incorrect Ball Watch Co dial
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