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The Ball Watch Company was founded by Webb C. Ball, who established the specifications for railroad grade movements. The Ball Watch Company purchased movements from top pocket watch brands and further worked on the watches to perfect them.
The dial is absolutely incredible on this Ball Illinois timepiece. A guilloché motif radiates from the center, while the outer perimeter has developed an incredible, fully natural patina that cannot be replicated. It shifts beautifully with changing light, giving the dial depth and character that only a century of aging can produce. The heat blued hands provide striking contrast against the surface, making time checking a genuine pleasure. This piece was manufactured in 1926 in partnership with the Illinois Watch Company and is powered by the Commercial Standard movement, an overhauled Illinois design that Ball refined to its own exacting standards. Only 8,000 were ever produced, making these increasingly difficult to source. Every movement component has been carefully refinished in our Little Rock, Arkansas workshop. Screws and hardware carry elegant blue accents created through precise open flame thermal coloring using traditional watchmaking techniques (read more here). The hands were restored using the same thermal process, delivering a deep, iridescent blue true to their original finish. The jewel settings, gear train, balance, and balance weights were each individually hand polished to restore their original golden sheen. Together, the naturally aged dial and meticulously restored movement create a piece that feels cohesive and balanced.
The timepiece is housed in a new 316L stainless steel conversion case designed with adjustable lugs for ease in winding and setting and to allow for a more tailored fit across various wrist sizes. The case, featuring front, back, and crown gaskets, provides water resistance up to 50 meters, although it is advisable to remove the watch before engaging in water activities. The watch is fully serviced and ready for your upcoming adventures.
Watch Performance
Accuracy: +/- 10 seconds per day
Amplitude: 275 degrees
Beat Error: 1.5 ms
Power Reserve: 24-30 hours
Complication: Sub second hand
Watch Specifications
Manufacture: Ball Watch Company
Partnership: Illinois Watch Company
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Dial Material: Metal (guilloche)
Jewels: 19 jewels
Case Diameter: 44 mm
Front Crystal: Domed AR coated sapphire
Back Crystal: Flat AR coated sapphire
Case Material: 316L stainless
Lug width: 22 mm
Lug to Lug: 47 mm (52 mm with crown)
Height: 13 mm
Serial Number: B403147
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
All Frett & Co. Clockworks watches come with a full 1-year warranty unless otherwise stated.