Hamilton Watch

[JAX]

Can someone please give me some info on this watch. It has a screw bezel. i don't really know how to find a serial number on it!! It runs great, was passed on to me from dad!!

Thanks,

Jaxhttp://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9981/pocketwatch025uh0.jpg

[Kent]

Jax:

If it has a screw bezel, the back probably screws off. In seeking information about a watch, it is the serial number on the movement (the "works") that is important. Basic information about a Hamilton watch may be obtained online using Henry Burgell's Interactive Hamilton Serial Number Lookup Table (http://www.nawcc-ch149.com/db_resch/hamilton_506.html). Since human error may creep in, there may be occasional errors in the results. Oldwatch.com's Hamilton Production Date Chart (http://www.oldwatch.com/Hamiltondate.html), or the PocketWatchSite's Hamilton Date Table (http://www.pocketwatchsite.com/hamiltonserials.html), are also an online means for determining the very approximate production date of Hamilton pocket watches. Hamilton's pocket watch serial numbers weren't assigned in strict chronological order. Instead, huge blocks were allocated by watch size. If you check the various published serial number lists,

Serial Number 1 - 194,000 (http://photos22.flickr.com/37806748_49dc2df6d3_o.jpg)
Serial Number 194,001 - 501,000 (http://photos21.flickr.com/37816247_b78aa4b56e_o.jpg)
Serial Number 501,001 - 923,000 (http://photos21.flickr.com/37816248_a8d3f4bd20_o.jpg)
Serial Number 923,001 - 1,513,600 (http://photos21.flickr.com/37816249_69ee5966ca_o.jpg)
Serial Number 1,513,601 - 4,523,000 & Letter Prefix Serial Numbers (http://photos27.flickr.com/37816250_c7b7ca933b_o.jpg)

you'll find the following:

- - - - - -1 - - - - 49,950 18-size
- - 49,951 - - - - 50,000 Unknown
- - 50,001 - - - -85,000 16-size
- - 85,001 - - - 300,000 All 18-size (except HWW models)
- 300,001 - - - 400,000 All 16-size
- 400,001 - - --700,000 All 18-size (except Ball models)
- 700,001 - - - 900,000 All 16-size
- 900,001 - 1,000,000 All 18-size
1,000,001 - 1,400,000 All 16-size
1,400,001 - 1,450,500 All 18-size
1,450,501 - 1,500,000 Unknown
1,500,001 - 1,750,000 All 16-size
1,750,001 - 2,300,000 12-size & Other
2,300,001 - 2,655,300 All 16-size (2,655,301 - 2,900,000 not shown)

Its a fairly safe bet that 100,000, 200,000, 300,000 or 400,000 of one size watch weren't made before making similar numbers of another size of watch. Examination of the Hamilton production ledgers shows that within runs of a grade, there can be several years of variation. Thus, attempts to use serial numbers as anything other than gross indicators of date of production are flawed to a greater or lesser extent. In general, we think of serial number lists (not just for Hamilton, but for other watch manufacturers as well) to only be accurate within a year or two at best, and recognize that there are numerous exceptions wherein which the dates may be off as much as 3 years or more.

Let us know the serial number on the movement and we ought to be able to tell you more about the watch.

Good luck,
Kent

[JAX]

The serial number I have is 580172??

[terry hall]

You have a grade 926

18 size
17 jewel
a bit over 84,000 production

this one produced in 1908 or so

the 926 was a 'medium' grade watch, not 'normally' accepted into RR service...

[JAX]

You have a grade 926

18 size
17 jewel
a bit over 84,000 production

this one produced in 1908 or so

the 926 was a 'medium' grade watch, not 'normally' accepted into RR service...



Thanks Terry!:clap:

[HenryB]

But even with this early "medium" grade Hamiltons (as Terry indicated), It is marked adjusted and some of the 926's were completely gilded with gold lettering and gold colored adjustment indexes, making it a very nice watch to look at.

In the hand, the gold gilded 926 is one of my favorite watches to look at.

[terry hall]

I agree Henry....

These are not a POS watch... and there are some variations in the grade that are certainly not ugly....

I just don't know if they made a 'really' "bad" watch ....

[HenryB]

I just don't know if they made a 'really' "bad" watch ....

Agree, Heck I collect them, and I do not know of a "bad" watch.
Most Hamilitons start at 17J as their "low" end.


Here is pic of my 926 gold gilt flashed movement.
Also have a 927 gold gilt flashed movement, and have thus far managed to "miss" a couple of the 928 gold gilt flashed movements.

http://www.burningfiles.com/modules/xcgal/displayimage.php?pid=5014

[pocwatjim]

Henry,
I love these nicely finished Hamilton's too. In the factory ledgers they refer to these as G T , which signifies Gilt Trimmed.

When I hear the term gilt flashed I generally look for a movement or plates that are colored in gold .

Thank you for the time and work you have put into your lookup data base for serial numbers. It is a real asset to the watch community.

Hamilton Database
http://www.nawcc-mb.com/bbv2/bbBoard.cgi?a=redirect;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Enawc c%2Dch149%2Ecom%2Fpw%5Fdbresearch%2Ehtml (http://www.)