Glossary · Case & Dial
Spade hands
Hands with a flat spade- or shovel-shaped terminal.
Explanation
Spade hands have a flat, widened spade-shaped terminal near the tip. They were fashionable on 18th- and early 19th-century watches and remained standard on many English lever watches. Wrong-style replacement hands are one of the commonest alterations on old watches, so hand style should match the period and maker of the dial.
In the object catalogue
Catalogued objects whose own source record mentions “Spade hands”. The quoted line shows where; it is the seller’s or museum’s wording, not independent verification.
Clock
Sessions Grand Assortment #3 gingerbread clock
“Six-inch dial with Roman numerals, spade hands, and dual winding arbors”
Pocket watch
Waltham Vanguard Railroad Pocket Watch, Model 1908, 16s
“Blued steel spade hands visible on the dial.”
Clock
American Seth Thomas No. 2 Regulator Clock
“This American Seth Thomas No. 2 wall regulator is housed in a quarter-sawn oak case measuring 35 inches high by 16 inches wide and 5 inches deep. Powered by a single-weight move…”
Pocket watch
Brockbank & Atkins Silver Full Hunter Pocket Watch
“This is an antique English silver full hunter pocket watch signed Brockbank & Atkins, London. The silver case measures 49 mm in diameter excluding the stem and bow, and the sell…”
Pocket watch
Waltham 14K Yellow Gold Box-Hinge Pocket Watch
“This American pocket watch by the American Waltham Watch Company dates to circa 1887 and features a 14K yellow gold box-hinge hunter case. The source notes the exterior is decor…”
Pocket watch
Victor Kullberg Silver Half Hunter Keyless Lever Pocket Watch
“This English silver half hunter pocket watch is attributed by the source to Victor Kullberg of London, dating to circa the 1890s. With a silver case measuring 52 mm in diameter,…”