Internet Horology Club 185
992 Dial Questions
May 12, 2013, 22:12
Paul Gill992 Dial Questions
Hi every one I am new here. And I wanted to say hi. I have this Dial that came off a Hamilton 992 # 1539883. Which for what I determine is from the 1920s my question is does anyone this this dial is fake or been restored at some point
May 12, 2013, 22:13
Paul GillAnd the back
May 13, 2013, 10:32
Roger StephensPaul,this dial was used on 992's of that time frame.It is model#577 I believe to be porcelain and it looks like it is original condition to me.Hope this helps.
Roger
May 13, 2013, 10:44
Larry LamphierHi Paul, Welcome aboard! I'm sure you will find everyone here helpful. There are a lot of people who can answer about any question you me have.
Take a look at this and I think you will get a pretty good understanding of the Hamilton dials.
Dial Info That dial is a CPR "Canadian Pacific Railroad" dial. Here it is on an early model Cross Bar case from our President Lindell V. Riddle
Wadsworth Data base with a picture of your dial. Regards,
Larry
May 13, 2013, 16:03
Larry BuchanI could add to this that this CPR dial was used on their Eastern lines from the Lakehead on Lake superior at Fort William, Ontario to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the 24-hour type were used on Western lines from Fort William to Victoria, British Columbia
Larry
May 13, 2013, 16:08
Roger StephensJust a question.Could this dial also be used on the American railroads?
May 13, 2013, 17:45
Mike HodgePaul, Welcome. You'll find this a great source of information.
May 13, 2013, 22:13
Paul GillThank you all for the info. You all have been very helpful. The little crack between the 3 and 4 happened when my butter fingers dropped it when I was taking the pictures. The chip by the leaver was already there. Thanks Paul
May 13, 2013, 22:14
Paul GillAnd thank you all for the warm welcome
May 14, 2013, 00:19
David AbbePaul, welcome to our bunch of antique watch and clock collectors (pun intended).
You dial looks like it has some old smoke stains which will wash off pretty easily with a soak and gentle handwash in dish soap and warm water. If that leaves some stains still in the seams, try a toothbrush with medium to soft bristles.
(NO BLEACH!)
Please try not to drop it again!
May 14, 2013, 00:52
Larry LamphierPaul, here is a very informative topic on dial cleaning. Just be sure that you are very careful.
"Porcelain" Dial CleaningRegards,
Larry
May 14, 2013, 06:28
Edward L. Parsons, Jr.Paul,
Welcome aboard! It's good to see that you are alerted to the potential pitfalls of fake, altered or reconstructed dials that unethical sellers often try to pass off as correct originals, without disclosure of the material facts.
Best Regards,
Ed
May 14, 2013, 12:05
Larry BuchanHello Paul:
Just another correction the dial was made for the Canadian Pacific Railway not the Canadian Pacific Railroad, a common mistake most British and Commonwealth countries like Canada used used Railway, while in the United States Railroad was the more prominent term, with some exceptions Like the northern Pacific Railway and the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway.
Larry
May 14, 2013, 15:01
Lindell V. Riddle
During the 1924-25 time-frame Hamilton was promoting this dial along with their then-new "crossbar" style case. The numerals were the same style used by the Canadian Pacific Railway and we know they used a 24-hour version on their Railway Station Clocks, we also find the folks at Hamilton referring to this 12-hour style as "C. P. R. dial" in the 1925 advertisement shown below this post. (Notice how the "Hamilton" name is somewhat exaggerated in the artist's rendering for advertising purposes.) The good-looking C. P. R. dial was very popular because of its simple lines and clear legibility. 
Advertised in the 1925 "Time Book" from Hamilton...May 14, 2013, 17:00
Paul GillThank you all for the warm welcome. And no sir I will not drop it again. Thank you for the info.
May 14, 2013, 17:03
Paul GillI have one more question what was the purpose of the crossbar case?
May 16, 2013, 03:25
Donald TrumbleCrossbar purpose.
It helped keep the chain clasp from getting down around the crown, avoided getting it tangled which could cause loss of control when taking the watch out of one's pocket are two reasons that come to mind. There is also a screw that goes through the hollow bar and that can be tightened as mentioned in the advertisement:
"The bow is fitted with a bar screw that holds it in place and provides for adjustment when needed." Consider the fact that from 1924 through to the end of Hamilton Railroad Watch production nearly a half century later in the 1969-70 time frame there was always at least one "bar over crown" case to choose from. They were very popular then and are highly sought after by collectors today.
Don
May 16, 2013, 11:20
Paul GillThank you Don.