Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

Ooooooh, thank you for the ping as it’s a beauty. Hard to say without seeing the case back, looks 1920s to me in any event.

A few more similar examples for you, pictures only I'm afraid.
These are from the Omega Bible, A Journey Through Time in the section titled "Creation - Art Deco Period".

@Canuck was spot on with the date, these are very similar in style, all from the early 1920s. Excuse the photography, taken with my iPhone6.

all beautiful and interesting, very early art deco then- I should look at AJTT more often as I happen to have the book👍

Several months ago, I got a phone call from one of the watch repair fraternity in town, enquiring if I had a regulator arm for a Hamilton, 18-size, grade 940 pocket watch. He was servicing his customer’s pocket watch, and lost the regulator arm. After days of sweeping, probing with magnets, and otherwise scouring his shop, he was not able to find the part. I took a look at the watch while in his shop, and thought to myself that I had the part he needed. When I got to my shop, I checked. I have a totally ratched Hamilton grade 940 which long ago was relegated to “parts only” status, and I had the regulator arm he needed. I phoned him, and told him that I had the part. He told me he wanted to buy it. I told him that I don’t sell antique watch parts, but I would supply the part IF I got the whole job! Not what he wanted to hear!

There are four different regulators in the parts list, for Hamilton 18-size movements. I gave him the part number for the part he needed, and suggested he try eBay, vintage watch parts suppliers, etc. He did. He found the part he needed, but the price was $185.00 (U S $), plus exchange, plus brokers fees, plus shipping. And there were no guarantees it would be the correct part, or condition.

His customer was losing patience, and put the bee on him as to when the watch would be done! He phoned me in desperation, and said the job was mine. I brought it to my shop, and checked it over. ROUGH! Someone had made a mess of the balance wheel, it was filthy, and there was a bent balance pivot. I phoned him back and declined the job. He told me to do my best with it, no guarantee, and he promised there would be no follow up. He just wanted it running, so he could get it back to his customer, NO guarantee!

I did the job. It turned out far better than I expected it would. For the price I charged him, I didn’t replace the balance staff, so it was not possible to poise the balance wheel, but it now runs true and flat, and has been within two minutes in the last week. Not good enough if the job had come to me originally, or if the watch was being added to my collection, but good enough under the circumstances. I turned out rather well. I charged him $300.00 (Cdn.).

The arrow on the one picture points to the regulator arm I supplied.

In your opinion, should I have sold him just the part?

Yes

I guess I shouldn’t have asked!

The Hunter Case to the 940
Grade 941and Marked such
RR grade
serial # 419491 circa 1906
18s 21j gold gilt lettering and decoration
Columbia case


Serviced and a top runner

My Hamilton grade 941.

I don't own a 941, so my 940 will have to do.

Nothing wrong with a Hamilton grade 940. Especially as nice an example as yours.

This was my college graduation gift from my father, a private label Hamilton 924 grade from circa 1908. Our family has a connection to the US state of Maine, where we had a vacation home for decades, which explains my father's connection to this watch, which was made for CS Osgoods in Houlton, ME to commemorate a particular railroad line, the B&A Special. The back is extremely worn, but originally showed an inlaid locomotive with some nearby scenery. The movement was fairly low quality by Hamilton's standards, but surprisingly well decorated, with gilt trim. The case is also interesting; the movement has a release and then swings open.

@Dan S


I've never seen a B&A Special......very nice plus family history makes it TOPS in my book.

Loaded with i phone. Read bottom of this post first. My text ended up down there for some reason One of our neighbours has incredible yard sales a few times a year. This is where I bought a 50 cent Accutron. He always saves leather for me. Today’s leather was well worth the $40, plus I got a few junky pocket watches - better with me than in the trash. An incomplete set of 1972 Olympic tokens, and most interesting was a pile of Hamilton watch adverts. They looked right out of a National Geographic magazine. I have selected the ones that contain pocket watches. Grab a coffee if you plan on reading each one. Lots of photos. Viewer discretion advised. Some photos are not representative of today’s values.

Fabulous, thanks for sharing @Duracuir1 👍 Wouldn’t it be great to find the full-line catalogues and stories mentioned in the ads.

Not many companies would advertise their watches as being used to hint down endangered gorillas any more

That just happens to be @DaveK ’s favourite Hamilton case! If you’re keeping your 992, you might want to pull the picture! 😉 I think the numerals on that dial are called a “box car” style, aren’t they? Case and dial look just fine on your watch. (I promise I won’t give Dave a heads up!) You called your 992, a “turd”. Actually, I think it is an excrement example! 😁

😁😁😁



Sweet watch 😎 Those Hamilton Model #11 cases are the bees knees 👍

Bees knees = business, I have always thought.