Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

TexOmega · Oct 8, 2025

noelekal
You educated me TexOmega.

I had to do sone quick research upon your mention of the Hamilton “A” case.

So, my mid-1920s Hamilton 950 didn’t originally appear in a Hamilton “A” case.

The 1st gen "A" introduced in 1940(shoulders) and 2nd gen "A" introduced 1948(no shoulders).

TexOmega · Oct 8, 2025

And @noelekal , you inspired me to do a group shot.
950 from 1919 in a Keystone case. And the separating features are the pristine Montgomery Dial and that it is pendant set! 4400 produced.

noelekal · Oct 8, 2025

I will take time to post mine tomorrow.

I sure do like that 1919 950 in its case!

Updated to show a photo I already have up on an earlier page of this thread.

TexOmega · Oct 8, 2025

More of the case

And, hand tightened

noelekal · Oct 8, 2025

That is a most worthy Hamilton 950 TexOmega!

Waltesefalcon · Oct 9, 2025

My 950B. It's identical in layout to @TexOmega 's lovely example. My dial is one of the nicer melamine dials I've seen with only a minute amount of crazing near the 1 and 2. This one dates to 1951 according to the PWDB.

Waltesefalcon · Oct 9, 2025

Y'all are making me jealous with your beautiful 950s. I'll have to add one to the collection sometime.

Canuck · Oct 9, 2025

Waltesefalcon
My 950B. It's identical in layout to @TexOmega 's lovely example. My dial is one of the nicer melamine dials I've seen with only a minute amount of crazing near the 1 and 2. This one dates to 1951 according to the PWDB.

Earlier in this thread, I posted a picture of my Hamilton 950B which has had a double sunk vitreous enamel dial fitted to it. It came to me with a melamine dial which was factory original. When the vitreous enamel dial became available, I liked it better. I have saved the original melamine dial. I am showing my Hamilton 950B with the vitreous enamel dial again, along with a picture of the original melamine dial. The 950B posted by @Waltesefalcon sure appears to me to have a vitreous enamel dial, not melamine. You sure it is melamine?

SOG53 · Oct 9, 2025

My 950B display back. 1951

SOG53 · Oct 9, 2025

I think mine above is melamine dial, but not sure. Opinions?

Canuck · Oct 9, 2025

Waltesefalcon
Y'all are making me jealous with your beautiful 950s. I'll have to add one to the collection sometime.

Check the Hamilton 950B closely and you’ll find many 992B parts on it. Particularly the regulator parts. Compare these parts to the 950 model and you’ll see the difference. I hope to add a 950 E to my collection one of these days. Scarce!

Canuck · Oct 9, 2025

SOG53
I think mine above is melamine dial, but not sure. Opinions?

I would agree that this dial is melamine. The melamine dial is a die struck with a single piece substrate. The vitreous enamel dial is 3-piece, and you can see that in the detail. The spoilage rate in producing double sunk vitreous enamel dials was close to 40%.

Waltesefalcon · Oct 9, 2025

Canuck
Earlier in this thread, I posted a picture of my Hamilton 950B which has had a double sunk vitreous enamel dial fitted to it. It came to me with a melamine dial which was factory original. When the vitreous enamel dial became available, I liked it better. I have saved the original melamine dial. I am showing my Hamilton 950B with the vitreous enamel dial again, along with a picture of the original melamine dial. The 950B posted by @Waltesefalcon sure appears to me to have a vitreous enamel dial, not melamine. You sure it is melamine?

Sadly, it is not an enamel dial. When it is in hand you can see the places where crazing is starting, and there is one place near the center of the dial, below the 'L' in 'Special' that you can see a scratch into the melamine. I'll try to take a couple better photos and post those.

Fallout Boy · Oct 10, 2025

not a watch 😀 AB Kronometer

TexOmega · Oct 10, 2025

Waltesefalcon
My 950B. It's identical in layout to @TexOmega 's lovely example. My dial is one of the nicer melamine dials I've seen with only a minute amount of crazing near the 1 and 2. This one dates to 1951 according to the PWDB.

Sure appears to have sharp demarcations unlike melamine dials.🤔

Canuck · Oct 10, 2025

TexOmega
Sure appears to have sharp demarcations unlike melamine dials.🤔

My thoughts exactly.

TexOmega · Oct 10, 2025

Hamilton was at the end, pretty much had buttoned up the factory and from 1968 to 1971, were assembling 992B’s from what stock of parts they had on hand.
This one is from 1968, with their last case model, #17. Masonic dial.

Canuck · Oct 10, 2025

As Hamilton used up its inventory of 992B parts, they were eventually obliged to use up parts that had military serial numbers. I don’t recall ever seeing one of these military movements in civilian guise. When they finally ceased production of the 992B, the Ball Watch Co. was still receiving orders for railroad standard pocket watches. They started using movements produced for them by the Record Watch Co. of Switzerland. One of the Swiss Ball watches (grade 435C) is shown here. I’ve worked on the odd one of these, and I prefer the real Hamilton movements to work on. These were equipped with Incabloc shock proofing.

Waltesefalcon · Oct 10, 2025

Canuck
My thoughts exactly.

Man, y'all are a tough crowd, making me show all the warts on my beautiful old 950B like this. The crazing is hard to pick up because it is such a nice dial but it is there. You can also see the metal base plate when viewing it from the side.

Canuck · Oct 10, 2025

No doubt, it is melamine! But some melamine dials are absolutely gordawful! Early melamine dials were apparently much worse for deteriorating, but changes were made to the formula, so later ones weren’t quite so bad. My melamine dial (shown earlier) is without a mark.