Daniel Oliver 
The observe that started off it all for me was my grandfather’s Hamilton 992B pocket watch. He experienced quite a few careers more than his lifetime ranging from prison guard, to railroad guy, to storekeeper. When he passed absent I inherited his pocket watches and for above two decades I carried them from location to area in an previous cookie tin.
In around 2007 I made a decision to see if I could find anyone to repair them for me. I experienced watches in all designs and sizes and in many makes from New York Standard, to Elgin, to Waltham, to Hamilton, and a couple of a lot less typical brand names way too. I realized a lot from all those pocket watches, starting off with numerous watchmakers will not function on them, considering that not all previous watches are serviceable, with the exception of increased quality brands like Hamilton.
I obtained my grandfather’s observe functioning and I was so enamored with it that I begun to accumulate other pocket watches. Then I understood that Hamilton made wrist watches as well. I understood that I did not have a pocket watch quite typically and wrist watches have been a lot additional handy. Following that I was “off to the races” as they say.
It’s a story that quite much each and every Hamilton collector shares.
I was a short while ago questioned to operate on a different 992B, incredibly very similar to my individual, so I imagined I might showcase it.
The 992B is a 21 jewel 16 dimension Railroad-quality design that was launched in 1940 and produced by 1969. That tends to make it a person of the longest production run products, whilst the authentic 992 experienced an even for a longer time operate! Railroad-quality watches experienced to fulfill several prerequisites, together with the accuracy of a number of seconds over a 7 days. Most pocket watches are not railroad quality.
Based on the timeframe, you could purchase the 992B with different dials and unique circumstances. They also came with a unique bakelite storage scenario.
My undertaking enjoy is appealing in a number of approaches. 1st, it’s from the WWII era when manufacturing was supposedly focused to the war effort. I say supposedly mainly because the motion serial amount dates to that timeframe but the movement won’t say US Gov’t, as I have viewed in other illustrations. 2nd, the circumstance is created by Keystone and not marked Hamilton. Keystone was a Pennsylvania-based scenario maker that made scenarios for Hamilton and other look at manufactures. The scenario style is not one particular that is proven in the Hamilton catalogs for the 992B but it was applied in the 1930s in a design known as ‘The Mainliner”.
So how did it get into this case? It doesn’t seriously subject, but it’s only an interesting factor that will make up this watch’s tale. Possibly it was at first cased in a solid gold circumstance that was offered for gold when situations bought difficult? Maybe the first situation was ruined and desired to be replaced?
Of class, given that this watch dates to 1944 and components ended up in shorter provide, perhaps Hamilton cased it in no matter what they had in stock.
Only the authentic operator is aware for confident.
As been given, the observe appears well used but it is in great condition. The crystal is scratched and there are some faint hairline cracks in the double sunk dial but almost nothing distracting or overly recognizable.
The case back is frivolously engraved with a monogram so I will depart the circumstance unpolished so I do not chance dropping the engraving.
The two case screws are free but normally all the things seems to be in great shape.
I generally you should not wind a view just before I perform on it as it really is largely irrelevant. If it has challenges I will have to deal with them in any case. However, in this case I required to see what I was up from. Dial up it operates okay, a tiny quick and with reduced amplitude. I did not wind it much too significantly even though, just ample to get it jogging.
Pendant up it operates a tiny slower. This is due to possessing much more friction as all of the wheels in the gear practice are using on both equally ends of their axles, as opposed to just one particular conclusion. Now I have a good baseline to assess to just after it can be been serviced.
There are a few dial toes that maintain the dial in location but this observe is lacking 1 of the dial foot screws. I’m definitely not the 1st particular person to get into this check out.
The operator described a concern with the established lever becoming incredibly close to the dial and really hard to access to set the time. You can see the established lever at 1:00 in the photo beneath. When you slide this lever out, it moves the keyless functions into the time setting placement. You want to scrape the lever with your fingernail to get it to arrive out. You may frequently see dials that are a small chewed up at the 1:00 place from many years of time environment.
The set lever is held in position with a established lever screw, accessible on the again of the movement. It’s the darker screw closest the edge of the barrel bridge. You can see the established lever is slid out in this photograph.
Evaluating the layout to an before 992 layout, the 992 established lever is related but the set lever screw is accessible from the dial side – so the set levers are not interchangeable.
The mainspring is an older blue steel design. It can be almost certainly set but I’ll check out it anyway, as altering pocket observe mainsprings is extra complicated than wrist watch springs. They are Considerably more robust.
Anything is cleaned and completely ready to be reassembled.
It is really all back again alongside one another. Now I just want to wind it up and see how it runs.
Fully wound it operates a little fast but the amplitude is nonetheless very low. I experimented with to modify the first beat mistake prior to assembly but I moved it the completely wrong course and manufactured it even worse. I’ll have to try out yet again.
There… right after numerous makes an attempt I bought the conquer mistake back in line. It can be not fantastic but receiving from .8 to . is just about a make any difference of luck and every single try dangers ruining the balance. The amplitude is also lower although so I’m likely to have to alter the mainspring just after all.
I have various possibilities of mainsprings. I’m heading to use the newest of the lot, as it really is precoiled and smaller enough that I really should be in a position to insert it into the barrel if I am blessed.
I have to pull the barrel bridge to get to the mainspring barrel. Then I am going to install the new spring and put it back again with each other.
The previous spring is “established” in a coil and you can see it really is shed most of it truly is possible strength. It naturally powered the observe sufficient to operate but it wouldn’t electrical power the check out to operate as extensive as a clean spring will.
Soon after a swift adjustment I have the reassembled movement jogging very nicely now.
It operates just as very well pendant up.
I installed a new glass crystal in spot of the worn plastic crystal that arrived with it originally. This look at now appears as fantastic as it operates, and it operates great.
