Can somone explain Melamine to me?...

[Watch Carefully]

Hello all,
I'm new to the concept of melamine dials which, apparently are the type found on my ~1968 Hamilton 992B.

Is there a website or a book that explains just what melamine is and how it and such dials are made?

When did Hamilton begin using melamine dials?

Thanks in advance,
Brad Jacobs

[Watch Carefully]

Hello all,
I'm new to the concept of melamine dials which, apparently are the type found on my ~1968 Hamilton 992B.

Is there a website or a book that explains just what melamine is and how it and such dials are made?

When did Hamilton begin using melamine dials?

Thanks in advance,
Brad Jacobs

[Tom McIntyre]

Melamine is a hard plastic material produced by American Cyanamid in the late 1940's and after. It was used extensively in dinnerware where the tradename "Melmac" predominates.

When Hamilton applied it to watch dials, they used a layer of Melamine over the top of a metal blank. That was a bad idea. Exposure to moisture and heat causes the two material to expand at different rates and the dials tend to develop the appearance of a dried mud yard.

A mint condition Melamine dial is a pretty scarce bird.

Tom McIntyre
2nd VP Elect
Tommy the JOAT's Web (http://www.AWCo.org)

[terry hall]

Just to piggy back on Tom's good answer....

Hamilton seemed to use them "about" 1947-49... serial numbers of movement "about" C 175000 - C185000....

They never seemed to 'advertise' them and the change, but the factory product lists seem to track the change via images.

IMHO, the worst thing they ever did to a watch.

[Watch Carefully]

Terry,
Do you mean that Hamilton bbegan to use them ca. 1947-1949? My 1968 992B has a melamine dial which I assumed is original. Did they use melamine dials on 992Bs from the late 1940s until the end of production?

Thanks to you and Tom for the responses so far.
Brad

[terry hall]

Yes, that is what I meant to indicate.... they started about that time and continued until the end of production....

There were different versions of the dials....
usually indicated by a number..

121 Heavy gothic numerals marked Hamilton Railway Special, simulated double sinks

168 Heavy gothic numerals, no center sink, marked Hamilton Railway Special

379 Marginal minute [montgomery style] marked Hamilton Railway Special
Have also seen this dial marked Hamilton Railway Special 23 jewels, but have no indication of a dial number

151 marginal minute [different style of numerals] marked only Hamilton [but this dial has been seen marked Railway Special but i do not know the hamilton number for it.]

There is also the dial seen on many 950B movements

A 'railroad track' around the outer chapter, used with baton hands... 1947 material cataloge show this dial as a number 535... but I 'think' this number is for a "porcelain" dial... Later 950b box labels indicate this melamine version to be a number 332

And then there is the melamine dial with 24 hour markers, mostly seen on watches in canada.. the "3" has rounded corners have seen reference to this being called a 'sans serif' dial or in early time books a CPR dial [but this cpr dial had no 24 hour markers in the time book] marked only Hamilton

Additions? Corrections? always welcome...