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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.
This Ball Illinois timepiece was manufactured in partnership with the Illinois Watch Company and completed in 1926. It is powered by the Commercial Standard movement, an overhauled Illinois design that Ball perfected to its own exacting standards. Only 8,000 were ever produced, and they have become increasingly difficult to source. Every movement component has been fully 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 jewel settings, gear train, balance, and balance weights were each individually hand polished to restore their original golden sheen. The watch hands were not restored and remain in their original heat blued condition, preserving the authentic Ball aesthetic. The Ball dial is exceptional. A guilloche motif radiates from the center, while the textured perimeter has developed a rich natural patina that shifts in character depending on the light. The original heat blued hands provide strong contrast against the dial and have aged beautifully alongside it.
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: 315 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
Original Case Included: No
Serial Number: B405458
Water Resistance: 50 meters
Warranty: Full 1-Year Warranty
All Frett & Co. Clockworks watches come with a full 1-year warranty unless otherwise stated.