1950s the end of quality pocket watch dials

Dano4734 said:

Would it be fair to say the 1950s we the end of the quality enamel pocket watch dials for American RR watches

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miguel angel cladera said:

at the time melamine dials were technically superior

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terry hall said:

no... many of the later (hamilton anyhoo) did not.. and no telling 'why'

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But to get in the "minds" in that time frame, it takes some effort and study ....
and frankly no one then and any idea of what would occur and what difference it would make.



Below is a start... have at it and good luck... and I'd consider the first few postings an authoritative source. I just wish the scans were if higher quality.

First some info on 'troubles' with the standard enamel dials just after introduction of the 992B


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Then much later discussion regarding Melamine


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and below from the Hamilton Employee Newsletter




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Some of the revised dial blueprints do indicate a change in the blank and process, but no time right now to find those. Will see if this topic gains interest.....

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Appa69 said:

Agreed. I wish we knew what the "trouble", as related in first letter, was. They had been making glass enamel dials for nearly a century at this point. The darkest of my inner voices can't help but think that this was, perhaps, the beginning of our turn away from "a superior product for the consumer" and towards "return on investment to the shareholder".

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topspin said:

I think we first need to define what the word "quality" means or adds in this context. (I recall many years ago reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" in which a supposedly intellectual protagonist drives himself bonkers trying to come up with an answer. Not so clever after all, huh.)
For example, are we saying that (some) enamel dials are inherently, objectively, measurably better in some way, or is it a "personal taste" kinda thing?

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CHUCKNAILL said:

Reminds me of Martin Guitar Company using a similar product, micarta, for finger board material rather than traditional ebony. It isn't that micarta will not work. The purist just like wood.

For me, the RR watch was a tool, just like RR lanterns and other tools which encountered difficult and changing environments making the synthetic materials superior for that purpose.

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Jerry Treiman said:

Waltham was still offering enamel dials for 16-size railroad watches in the 1950s. This is documented in a 1952 materials price list and their 1958 material catalog.

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Dano4734 said:

My D28 Martin from 1969 has ebony and is the only kind to have lol

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