Western Electric 202 - Orange & Black (Halloween Edition)

Beginning in the late 1920s the earliest versions of the 102 telephone were being tested and released as the first telephones with combined receiver and transmitter in the handset. At first they were essentially just shortened candlestick style telephones made of recycled and modified existing parts but by 1927 the official Model 102 was being released and experiments with anti-side tone circuitry and improved balance quickly led to the release of the upgraded model 202, the difference being primarily in the round vs oval shape of the base.

Both of these phones initially featured a E1 handset , cloth covered cords and a leather coated base; however the 202 was later commonly released with an F1 Handset. Although mostly replaced by the model 302 desk phone in 1937 the model 202 continued to be produced well into the 1950’s. It was famously re-released painted in various colors as they became available until 1953.

Its most notable incarnation may have been the Imperial 202, which featured a base that was painted gold and lacquered as well as a ivory F1 Handset and ivory, cloth curly cords.

The Restoration Process

Dial – The dial has been fully disassembled, cleaned, lubed and timed to ensure years of trouble free service. The outer edge of the dial has been stripped and repainted with a gloss black enamel. Unless the dial is removed, this is something you will rarely ever even see, but this is how it would have come from the factory. The number plate has been cleaned and a perfectly matching overlay has been applied. The finger wheel has been sandblasted and powder coated with a semi-gloss black finish. A brand new die cut dial card and acetate cover have been added as well

Cords – The phone has been outfitted with brand new cloth covered cords that are made in house on the same type of equipment originally used by the phone companies. They look amazing. You can choose from either black or brown cloth cords. The line cord has a modular connection to facilitate a modern connection to your wall jack.

Shell – The shell has been stripped down and sandblasted using a glass grit and powder coated in a semi-gloss orange finish. This closely resembles the finish on the original 302.
Handset – The F1 handset has been ultrasonically cleaned to get all embedded debris out. It is then sanded through a multi-step restoration process which includes sanding with 400, 800, 1000, 2000 grit and buffed back to its beautiful original shine.

Network – The 202 is outfitted with an AE mini network. This allows the telephone to connect to a modern network without the need for a subset, although a subset with ringer is available.

Base – The base is carefully sand blasted and rewrapped with super soft pig skin suede leather to ensure it does not damage the table it proudly sits on.

The phone goes through extensive testing before to ensure it is in perfect working condition prior to shipping.

Optional Dials for the 202

Number 6 - default - The last technology jump for 3 inch dials. A smooth return and light weight for dialing highlight this choice. It is sturdily built and very reliable.

Number 5 - The predominant dial of the 40's and 50's was replaced by the number 6 for a more universal fit. The number 5 dial features a "whiir" sound upon its return and a good weight for dialing.

Number 4 - This is the first 5 contact, 3 inch dial. The real joy of the dial lies in the highly sought after "clickity-clack" sound that was eliminated with the introduction of the number 5. What was eliminated from customer complaints, is now one of the features that collectors look for most in hunting out the vintage phones.

Do you currently have any rotary phones? If the answer is no, it is always a good idea to call your local phone company and check if they still support “pulse” dialing. If they do, you are all set to go. If they do not, your phone will not be able to place calls without a converter. We have internal converters that we install during assembly available for $79.95.

Dials * and # from your rotary phone to access computerized services.

Use legacy equipment on tone-only lines.

Compatible with VOIP services.

Provides last number redial functionality.

Adds 7 programmable speed dial locations

As an alternative, we provide an option to use this phone as an extension of your cell phone. The XLink Bluetooth gateway is an device external to the phone that gets it’s power from a standard AC outlet. The cord from the phone will then connect to a phone jack on the gateway. When you pair the gateway to an active Bluetooth enabled cell phone, you will be able to use the vintage phone just like it was connected to a traditional landline. When someone calls your cell phone, the vintage phone will ring, and you will be able to dial out using the dial on the vintage phone. If you want to be able to call # and * using your rotary dial, you will also need to add the pulse to tone converter option.