Hi all

I’m not interested in buying this Hamilton 992B Canadian railroader. Well I would be, but not anywhere near this price (case is 10k gold filled). But just out of interest, what is the red hand on this watch for? A GMT? Busy boxing week crowd and I couldn’t play with the watch.

Bonus though, a cool fob and a CPR inscription on the back.

Thanks in advance

 

Forwarded this on to a friend who is a bit of a nut when it comes to things that are esoteric and Hamilton.

 

His response: It is not unusual and hand sets were made aftermarket. It is for use by train crew who crossed timezones Was frowned upon by RR Time Services.

 

@Canuck is a railroad afficionado, I believe.
Let's see if he can join us.

 

That double hour hand was aftermarket. And normally, the two hour hands span one hour on the dial. And some operators liked the feature for use when their trip crossed a time meridian. Those who were obliged to carry a railroad standard watch as part of their job were forbidden by time service rules to ever re-set their watch. Only their watch inspector was permitted to do that. But if you talk to an old time railroader about this, they snicker and tell you they frequently re-set their own watch. This hour hand was likely for the more fastidious railroader who refused to re-set his watch, as per “the time service rules” he operated under. I hadn’t heard that railroads forbade them. These hands can be had on line, so buy a 992B at a price you like, then buy a hand and fit it. But I feel a watch so outfitted isn’t worth a premium.

 

Thank you Canuck (and the rest). Super informative as always.

The railroader watches are fascinating, and being Canadian, the CDN railroaders have a strong iconic resonance for me. I hope that 2020 will be the year I find a nice one