Info on Dual Time Zone 992

[Submarine Chief]

:?| I got this 992 about 8 or 9 months ago. I was intrigued by the hands.
I am just wondering how much of this watch is original. The crown, crystal, and hands are mint. The bow is tight. It shows only minimal pocket wear. The crown is "Hamilton Railroad" and inside the case it is marked Hamilton Railroad. I would appreciate any info or comments on it.
Thanks, as always.

Don Evans
Submarine Chief
NAWCC 0167325

[Fred Hansen]

Hi Don -

I think the crown has likely been replaced. Some of the Hamilton railroad cases with the bar over crown design (I believe models 2, 8, 10, 17, and late 2-tone version model 3) did have a "Hamilton Railroad" signed crown, but other model 6 cases I remember looking at do not have a signed "Hamilton Railroad" crown on them.

Here is an ad for the model 6 case that Robert Sweet posted in a previous thread, and had credited at the time to Don Dahlberg ...

http://static.flickr.com/67/178052612_175459aabe_o.jpg

Fred

[terry hall]

Fred pretty well hit the nail on the head there....

The time zone hands "could" be original, but it cannot be proved.

The model 6 was a short=lived case produced by Fahy's

can you post the number stamped in the back of the case?

[Submarine Chief]

Fred,

Thanks. I did have an ad for a #6 case, but the sides on the
Hamilton Railroad crown slant inward just about the same as
the #6.s. Can't see top of ad. I believe the only HR crowns I
have seen were with bar over configuration. Were the hands
an after market addition?
Don

[Submarine Chief]

Terry,
Here is a pic of the inside case. The same number is on the frame.
Thanks for your input. Don

[lak611]

Hi Don -

I think the crown has likely been replaced. Some of the Hamilton railroad cases with the bar over crown design (I believe models 2, 8, 10, 17, and late 2-tone version model 3) did have a "Hamilton Railroad" signed crown, but other model 6 cases I remember looking at do not have a signed "Hamilton Railroad" crown on them.

Here is an ad for the model 6 case that Robert Sweet posted in a previous thread, and had credited at the time to Don Dahlberg ...

http://static.flickr.com/67/178052612_175459aabe_o.jpg

FredI have a 992 with the case in the picture shown. Mine has a plain crown without "Hamilton Railroad" signature on the crown. My case says "14K GOLD FILLED -HAMILTON- RAILROAD MODEL". The serial number on the movement is 2440899. The serial number on the case is 715966. Mine is white gold, not yellow gold. The only difference in the picture you gave and in mine is the dial. Here is a picture of my watch.

[lak611]

Here are some larger pictures of my 992.

[Don Dahlberg]

Hamilton part number 8015 was a 16 size "double hour" hand blue and red. Hamilton also sold an 18 size version.

Don

[terofpa]

I ran across one of these last week on Ebay. Here is the link.

ter

http://cgi.ebay.com/X-HAMILTON-992-with-DUAL-TIME-ZONE-HANDS-X_W0QQitemZ270224515948QQihZ017QQcategoryZ10305QQs sPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[terry hall]

Don
Installed at factory or sold as material for field placement?

Like I said above

The time zone hands "could" be original, but it cannot be proved....or difficult to prove at the least.

[Submarine Chief]

Terry and Laura,

Thanks a million !

I think I'll leave well enough alone unless I can find a documented crown.
Laura, dial is like the old ad. I notice your's is different. Is the inside of
the back marked "Hamilton Railroad Model" ?

Don

[lak611]

Terry and Laura,

Thanks a million !

I think I'll leave well enough alone unless I can find a documented crown.
Laura, dial is like the old ad. I notice your's is different. Is the inside of
the back marked "Hamilton Railroad Model" ?

DonDon, mine is marked "14 K GOLD FILLED-HAMILTON-RAILROAD MODEL"

[terry hall]

FYI

Model 6 cases....

Yellow... marked 10k gold filled

White... marked 14K gold filled

Green... marked 14k gold filled

all should be marked "Hamilton Railroad Model"

There were the 'choice' of dials available for this watch at time of purchase.

Don's would shown as HG on the Box label if he had it... (Heavy Gothic)

Laura's would be shown as HA on the Box Lable if she had it... (Heavy Arabic)

Don, you may just have to 'accept' the crown as it is... replacements are not plentiful.

,

[Submarine Chief]

Thanks everyone. It is in really great shape and runs beautifully. It is the
absolute quietest pocket watch I own. Believe it or not, I got it on Ebay
out of Germany.
Don

[beta21]

On Don's watch the red hand is to the left, but in the auction that Ter refers to it is to the right. Were they made both ways or is one of them a reproduction?

Peter

[terry hall]

I remember seeing a document that explained the positioning of the hands...

but cannot locate.

I think the position had something to do with the direction of travel or "home" base.

I also recall some being 'adjustable' for the hour spread.

[Ralph Porter]

The dual hands I've handled are sleeved together with blue on top, so they can be moved and positioned. The metal that forms the hole of blue hand extends through the red hand forming a tube that the red rotates on. The edge of the tube is rolled to keep the red hand from coming off.

The fit is normally quite tight but they can be repositioned with very careful pressure where the hands join the ring. I have broken one off before so now I spray them with a penetrating lubricant, let them set an hour, respray and reposition them, then clean the hands before installation.

Terry, if you come on the info about positioning the hands I'd enjoy seeing it. A local retired L&N railroad man homebased in the Eastern time zone said he set the blue hand for East and red for the Central zone where most of his runs went.

Thanks,
Ralph

[Don Dahlberg]

Terry,

The part quote was from the material catalog. I can imagine two situations. If you were a railraod inspector where many of your customers ran through two time zones, then you might order a bunch of watches from Hamilton with the duel hands. Another situation is that the customer comes in asks for the duel hands when he orders the watch and the inspector has some on hand and swaps them (or if he has little call for them, he orders hands to swap them.) I do not think it matters. It is a Hamilton part intended to be on Hamilton railroad approved watches upon request of the customer. These watches went into service with the duel hands. That makes them original to me.

Don