G'Day all,
I was at a Clock & Watch show this morning and purchased a HAMILTON 996 with 24 hour dial. The watch came in a nickel HAMILTON sales / skeleton case. This particular case has the "snap on/off" bezels, with both bezels inscribed HAMILTON. The watch appears to have been in the case a seriously long time if the oxidation inside the case edges is any indication. I am curious how a Railroad Standard watch would get into circulation with this type of case. It certainly does not make it easy or convenient to lever set the time.

Would like to hear any thoughts on this. Thanks for your time and attention...……….Joe......

In the early days the common practice was to buy the movement and then pick out a case , those salesman case's where just to hold it in at the jewelers , NOW common practice is to remove it from the case and put it back in a salesman case , funny how everything comes back around . I try to keep them in original case's when possible.

As Kevin said, those cases were never intended for carry, they were just a temporary holding case. They should have made them with a hinged or screw bezel, being a lever set RR watch, it would be a pain to set the watch. A case like that would never be railroad approved .A 996 is a really nice one that deserves a nice proper SB&B case.

You might wish to clean up the Hamilton sales display case and offer it for sale on the IHC185 site. Alternatively, there is a ready market for these type of cases on eBay.

You may also wish to check eBay to see the 16 size cases that are available. They vary widely in both cost and condition.

I have had good success in using eBay for a source and recently purchased a beautiful 18 size watch case for my Elgin Grade 240 B.W. Raymond winding indicator watch. The case was in NOS new condition. (check out the photo...)

Jim C.

Sample cases are good if you're just showing your watch and not carrying it as you dont have to take the back off to show it off (and a 996 is a "show me off" watch with that beautiful damaskeening)

They have gone thru hot selling periods to almost dead and everywhere in between thru the years. It seems new collectors were always more attracted to them then as they move on not so much so. As James said there always seems to be a ready market for the cases.


I have my 18S indicator in much the same style case as yours. I dont think you could find a better model case for it

Thanks Tom, the case is the same as that which originally housed this movement when it was acquired by me. It was a watch that I believe was used by my maternal uncle Henry Word when he worked as a railway agent.

I still have the original case, which was also a B&B "Royal" 20 Year case. It was quite worn however, and didn't do justice to the movement so I always had a wish to recase the watch. The watch is now just as I like.

Thanks everyone for the input. I wondered whether anyone would have been able to offer a specific reason why this watch was still in this case when it obviously should have been in a case that would make it easier to set the time. Much appreciated.
Thanks for sharing the photo of our 940 Jim.