Knights of Pythias Uniform Rank Society Dial No. 1146 by the Elgin National Watch Company
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This “Knights of Pythias Uniform Rank” dial was offered by the Elgin National Watch Company in a line of “Society Dials” introduced in August 1889. The dial represents one of two primary Knights of Pythias dial designs, and was available in six numeral style variations, furnished in either double-sunk or sunk seconds and with hard or glass enamel.
The “Uniform Rank” of the Knights of Pythias was largely assembled by veterans of the Civil War who found value in the disciplined way of life. Various drill corps had been organized under the Knights of Pythias, and in 1878, these were officially consolidated to establish the Uniform Rank. Members maintained their own military uniforms, formed units, and followed regulations similar to the U.S. Army.
A lily was selected as the official flora for the Uniform Rank and is elegantly illustrated within the seconds bit on the Elgin dial design. As a result, the organization is sometimes known as the “Army of the Lily.”
As the veteran group of the Civil War began to dwindle, interest in the Uniform Rank declined, and the organization was dissolved in the 1950s.
