Hamilton 974 Help

[nightstalker]

Hi. I am a new member and I hope you can help. I have just purchased a Hamilton 16 size 974 pocket watch. I have seen 974's before but this one has the word special just under the number 974. That is what drew my interest. It is a beautiful watch. Also, the dial has Hamilton Electric-Interurban Special on it.
Does anyone have any information that can help me? Have I been suckered?
Please help!
Thanks.
Ken Fields

[Kent]

Hi Ken:

Welcome to the NAWCC American Pocket Watch Message Board!

The 974 Special, adjusted to three positions, was marketed during the 1930s (and perhaps the late 1920s - starting around serial number 2,491,001). In a 1936 catalog, they'r listed as a "Traffic Special" although the dials weren't marked that way. Quite a few of these 974 Special watches have dials (frequently Montgomery dials) marked "Electric-Railway Special" or, in your case, "Electric-Interurban Special" They're nice watches, something that you can enjoy owning.

Would you mind sharing the serial number on your movement? Is it lever-set? What case is it in?

[Don Dahlberg]

The original Hamilton 974 was not adjusted to positions and had a brass escape wheel. It was their most important medium grade watch.

They also had a 978 which had a steel escape wheel and was adjusted to three positions (dial up, dial down and pendant up). This latter watch met electric railroad and interurban railroad standards. These were trollies. In order to decrease the number of grades they offered, they stopped making the 978 in 1924. As the stock of these finally was sold, they found the need for a replacement. Intead of re-releasing the 978 in 1928 they upgraded the 974 to the 978 standards and called it the 974 special. Now they had one watch that met the great demand for a medium grade watch and still meet interurban standards.

It is a super watch and makes a great carry watch.

Don

[Kent]

For additional information on these types of watches, see "Timing the Trolleys," Larry Treiman, NAWCC Bulletin No. 192, February 1978, pp. 3-19. This is available to members on loan by mail from the NAWCC Library & Research Center (http://www.nawcc.org/Library/library.htm), Choose the Lending Library Form from the menu on the left-hand side of the page.