I have had this Hamilton 946 with a Montgomery dial for about 5 years and ever since then I have never seen another one with the 'Double Roller' engraved in this position on the movement. I just wondered if it was unusual.
Posts: 134 | Location: Blackpool, England | Registered: February 04, 2010
Peter, I don't know how unusual that position is for "double roller" but I did find a photo of another one, sn 459360, marked the same way. If I read your sn correctly it is 459380. If so during the period when they were finished (1912) that was the way they got marked. Don't know how many were done that way.
Bob
Posts: 346 | Location: Woodland Hills, California in the USA | Registered: January 07, 2011
I tried to clarify the image to improve the many markings Hamilton so proudly made on the Barrel cover. About this time the "new" RR Time act rules added that all features were clearly engraved on the movement, including model number, # of Jewels and # of Adjustments. Hamilton chose to add their own other features such as Motor Barrel (very complicated on this model) and the Double Roller (good idea).
Posts: 6492 | Location: Southern California in the USA | Registered: July 19, 2007
Bob; That photo that you mention with the serial number 549360 is indeed mine. I made an enquiry on another site about 3 years ago. At that time I was told that there were five known barrel plate versions. Evidently this is the 4th version and the first to be signed 'Double Roller' but this position was switched on the 5th version, and I've only seen 5th versions since I was given this information three years ago. Hopefully someone may know the start and end of the 4th version?
Posts: 134 | Location: Blackpool, England | Registered: February 04, 2010
Thanks for confirming 549360 as your movement number.
Checking my collection I found 550696 which is from the same run as your 549360 (please everyone, always post your movement number to avoid confusion) which is 549001-551000 produced over a wide period of time which is 1908 and 1912-1913 production. My movement 550696 was later than yours but does not carry "Double Roller" markings although of course it would have been a Double Roller equipped movement.
I also have 1409459 from the final 946 run consisting of 1409001-1409500 during 1920-1921 production and on that one the markings were moved around for the final time. As you can see below the last Grade 946 movements have 946 moved to the center above Hamilton and Double Roller positioned over to the far right.
All the watch companies changed their movement markings from time to time.
Lindell
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
Here is a Private Label 946 from the 523k serial # range. This movement was made roughly 26k prior to your marked double roller above the jeweled mainspring barrel. What is interested about the PL is the 946 is below the jeweled barrel.
I guess someone at Hamilton enjoyed juggling the data around the mainspring barrel plate.
Posts: 7178 | Location: Illinois in the USA | Registered: November 11, 2011
