I have a 144.022-68 Speedmaster and there’s a very faint etched number on the back of one of the lugs. I believe it says 9N-2191 on it.

Something I’ve wondered about. Anyone know what it means or who would have done that and why?

 

Probably a watchmakers mark, they did things back in the day which would never be done today. Remember these were just tool watches at one time and not collectables.

 

It's hard to believe, but some watchmakers used to vandalize watches in this way.

 

Dang it!

This is on one of the lugs of my 105.003-64...and on a positive note, the penmanship is fabulous!

 

So would they do it to not get parts mixed up? Or like how the dry cleaners irons a bar code into your pant waist?

 

No, it's more or less the same as what my dog does as he walks around the neighborhood.

But seriously, it's usually a code to indicate what work was done, and when. More often, it's inscribed (or written in Sharpie) inside the case-back.

 

I'm not so sure this was a watchmaker thing. I'm more inclined to believe this is a mark from some seller that was maybe some sort of stock number. In all the conversations I've had with fellow watchmakers (including many old timers) about service markings, no one has ever mentioned to me that they would or have heard of marking the back of the lug like this.

 

Or maybe an owner marking his property.

When I was a kid, my crazy grandmother came to our house with an engraving tool and wrote my mother's social security number on everything of value. She had heard that it would discourage theft.

 

Color me misinformed, always learning!