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Mad Dog
·Yeppers...Hammy 992...not just railroad grade...it’s all-terrain bike grade. 👍
Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs
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Darlinboy
··Pratts! Will I B******S!!!This thread has inspired me to wear one of mine today... a Hamilton Model 23 chronograph, US Military issue. This one was used during WWII, as Hamilton proudly advertised at the time. The movement is a Hamilton base 992B, with chronograph complication to meet mil-spec requirements.
Edited:
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Waltesefalcon
·A fresh purchase for me, courteous of Bidens bucks. It's an 1887 Illinois Model 2, Grade 5. It's an 18s, 15j, watch that is lever set, and adjusted to temperature and positions. When it was made it was a railroad approved watch, so this one will become the oldest railroad watch in my collection.
I bought it on Ebay, where the seller was listing it as a parts watch because while it runs the hour and minute hands don't move. I suspect it will be an easy fix and can't wait for it to arrive.
The photos are the seller's, I'll be sure to take a few when it gets here.
I bought it on Ebay, where the seller was listing it as a parts watch because while it runs the hour and minute hands don't move. I suspect it will be an easy fix and can't wait for it to arrive.
The photos are the seller's, I'll be sure to take a few when it gets here.
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Waltesefalcon
·This thread has inspired me to wear one of mine today... a Hamilton Model 23 chronograph, US Military issue. This one was used during WWII, as Hamilton proudly advertised at the time. The movement is a Hamilton base 992, with chronograph complication to meet mil-spec requirements.
That's a magnificently preserved watch and a heck of a nice looking chronograph.
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TexOmega
·Ball-Hamilton 999A Type 3 Sun Burst pattern
18s 21j circa 1911
Hamilton Display Case
18s 21j circa 1911
Hamilton Display Case
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Canuck
·Thanks for the good words and info, sir. Although the “blind man” dial is fairly nice, there is a slight radial hairline 3/4 of the way between the “1” and the “2”. Unfortunately, it’s not a Hamilton case. It’s an Illinois Watch Case Co. case which, from what I’ve researched, was not related to the Illinois Watch Co. Since it’s not a Hamilton case, I would venture to say that this was probably re-cased at some point. Also...yeppers...got it on the @DaveK lanyard...the only secure [and cool] way to fly! 👍
Hamilton shipped most of their watches, factory cased at around the time yours was made. But they also shipped movement only, so the dealer could outfit it to the customer’s taste, in whatever case they wanted. So it could very well be its original case! Nice, by any account, and you’re right to be proud of it!
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TexOmega
·A fresh purchase for me, courteous of Bidens bucks. It's an 1887 Illinois Model 2, Grade 5. It's an 18s, 15j, watch that is lever set, and adjusted to temperature and positions. When it was made it was a railroad approved watch, so this one will become the oldest railroad watch in my collection.
I bought it on Ebay, where the seller was listing it as a parts watch because while it runs the hour and minute hands don't move. I suspect it will be an easy fix and can't wait for it to arrive.
The photos are the seller's, I'll be sure to take a few when it gets here.
Very nice early Illinois, prior to them going to full Gothic font on their dials.
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Canuck
·Here’s the skinny on that splendid Ball of @TexOmega ’s. The display case really does it justice.
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/ball/669753
The grade 999 used on Ball watch movements was Ball’s way of honouring New York Central’s locomotive # 999 which established speed records. The Wikipedia story here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Central_and_Hudson_River_Railroad_No._999
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/ball/669753
The grade 999 used on Ball watch movements was Ball’s way of honouring New York Central’s locomotive # 999 which established speed records. The Wikipedia story here:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Central_and_Hudson_River_Railroad_No._999
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TexOmega
·Thanks,,,,,Yes, why hide such a movement?
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Canuck
·A fresh purchase for me, courteous of Bidens bucks. It's an 1887 Illinois Model 2, Grade 5. It's an 18s, 15j, watch that is lever set, and adjusted to temperature and positions. When it was made it was a railroad approved watch, so this one will become the oldest railroad watch in my collection.
I bought it on Ebay, where the seller was listing it as a parts watch because while it runs the hour and minute hands don't move. I suspect it will be an easy fix and can't wait for it to arrive.
The photos are the seller's, I'll be sure to take a few when it gets here.
@Waltesefalcon
Splendid! The model 2 was designed for a hunter case. It is a “transitional” model in the it can be wound with the crown, or with a key. It was versatile as it could also be sold as a key winder only, in an open faced case, or a hunter case. Read more about it here:
https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/711580
Chances are that the case it is now in, does not have the inner cuvette drilled to allow the watch to be wound by key, easily. The cuvette would need to be opened in order to wind with a key. This movement was easily converted by Illinois to create the model 3, for use in an open faced case.
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Canuck
·This thread has inspired me to wear one of mine today... a Hamilton Model 23 chronograph, US Military issue. This one was used during WWII, as Hamilton proudly advertised at the time. The movement is a Hamilton base 992, with chronograph complication to meet mil-spec requirements.
@Darlinboy ,
You indicate that you model 23 is based on the Hamilton grade 992. Was it not actually based on the totally different 992B? The data base indicates these were produced between 1942 and 1946, long after the 992 was replaced by the 992E, and the 992E then replaced by the 992B. Splendid, in any event!
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Darlinboy
··Pratts! Will I B******S!!!@Darlinboy ,
You indicate that you model 23 is based on the Hamilton grade 992. Was it not actually based on the totally different 992B? Splendid, in any event!
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Canuck
·
Pardon me for showing this one again. But I was encouraged to, by the ad posted by @TexOmega which shows the Ball 20th century model. The ad doesn’t specify, but the 20th Century model of Hamilton Ball, 16-size models had 23-jewels. Mine is a marriage between a gold filled Ball 20th Century case, and a grade 999, 21-jewel Hamilton Ball movement.
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dsio
··Ash @ ΩFDoes anyone collect particularly complicated pocket watches? Not like George Daniels level but heading more in that direction with chronographs moon phase, perpetual calendars etc?
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Canuck
·@dsio ,
I don’t know if this is an answer, but here’s how I see it. The U S watch making companies were not as much into minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, equation of time, some of these features incorporated into watches with three-register chronographs, or rattrapante chronographs, as were the Swiss. Through these 22 pages, I suspect you might be able to count on perhaps one hand, the number of Swiss-made pocket watches that have been shown. The largest preponderance have been U S made watches, the majority of railroad grade, or railroad approved. With many that were neither. And IIRC, none of the Swiss ones that have been shown could be called complicated. Now that you have asked the question, however, who knows? Let’s see if anyone out there has some examples.
Of course, the one sparkling example of a complicated watch that has appeared here is James Ward Packard’s Patek Philippe Grande Complication pocket watch from the late 1920s (?). The most expensive watch ever sold at auction. This watch is legendary.
Let’s sit back and see what pops up.
I don’t know if this is an answer, but here’s how I see it. The U S watch making companies were not as much into minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, equation of time, some of these features incorporated into watches with three-register chronographs, or rattrapante chronographs, as were the Swiss. Through these 22 pages, I suspect you might be able to count on perhaps one hand, the number of Swiss-made pocket watches that have been shown. The largest preponderance have been U S made watches, the majority of railroad grade, or railroad approved. With many that were neither. And IIRC, none of the Swiss ones that have been shown could be called complicated. Now that you have asked the question, however, who knows? Let’s see if anyone out there has some examples.
Of course, the one sparkling example of a complicated watch that has appeared here is James Ward Packard’s Patek Philippe Grande Complication pocket watch from the late 1920s (?). The most expensive watch ever sold at auction. This watch is legendary.
Let’s sit back and see what pops up.
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Darlinboy
··Pratts! Will I B******S!!!One of my watch regrets is passing on an early Jaeger LeCoultre minute repeater - I didn't want a pocket watch. I keep telling myself it would've just been a giant money pit in the end, but what a beautiful movement.
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Canuck
·One outstanding U S A made, fairly complicated watch shown in this thread was the Hamilton Watch Co. grade 23 chronograph posted by @Darlinboy .
And @Mad Dog posted this Swiss made Valjoux 24 pocket chronograph by Breitling (above).
Almost twins...... one American, one Swiss.
And @Mad Dog posted this Swiss made Valjoux 24 pocket chronograph by Breitling (above).
Now that I’d love to see too
Almost twins...... one American, one Swiss.
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Fritz
·I also let go a Jaeger, a beautiful WW2 RAF navigators pocketwatch with a chonometer grade movement. I often feel bad about trading it away, but then I look at the Waltham railroad watch i ended up with, a 23 jewel beauty with a wind indicator and I don’t feel so bad anymore.
especially as the navigator’s watch had enough radium on it to fry a salmon at 10 yards.
especially as the navigator’s watch had enough radium on it to fry a salmon at 10 yards.
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Canuck
·I also let go a Jaeger, a beautiful WW2 RAF navigators pocketwatch with a chonometer grade movement. I often feel bad about trading it away, but then I look at the Waltham railroad watch i ended up with, a 23 jewel beauty with a wind indicator and I don’t feel so bad anymore.
especially as the navigator’s watch had enough radium on it to fry a salmon at 10 yards.
I wonder if the navigator that used it, sired any offspring that were affected by his exposure? 😉 Maybe he wasn’t
affected because he had “lead in his pencil!” 😁