Well this has been a long time coming, and I couldn't have done it without Lindell and Chapter 185.

Back in December I decided to finally acquire the Hamilton 992B I had long wanted to to go along with my old circa 1917 992. I started researching B's online when I realized after surfing ebay that I didn't know enough about them to make an informed purchase. As ya'll know, it's a jungle out there.

Well, that's how I found Chapter 185 and after reading some of the archives I decided almost immediately to join and learn even more. Lindell and many other members were extremely welcoming and encouraging to me.

My first post on the forum was about 992Bs. I got some great advice in what to look for and lookout for, too. I decided that a stainless model 15 case with a replacement dial would make a great combination for a carry B that I could use everyday and enjoy.

In emails with Lindell, I spelled out what I was looking for and he was kind enough to help me by looking at some auctions on ebay. I eventually found a nice looking movement with hands and Lin said he would be glad to source the rest of the parts and put it together for me. Well, how can you go wrong with an offer like that?!

Here is the result, and I just wish my camera and picture taking skills were up to the challenge of presenting the watch better. They don't do it justice. The movement is from 1951 and strong running and clean as a whistle. The case is one of the Star model 15 replacement cases and un-used, FLAT NEW. The dial is a LaRose Montgomery...exactly what I was looking for.

My lovely wife Barbara, who is NOT a watch enthusiast, was surprised by how nice the watch looks(well, it should...it looks NEW) and how easy the dial is for her to read. To say I am pleased with this B would be an understatement! I finally have a perfect carry 992B, and I couldn't have done it without Lin and 185. Thanks, Lin.

You got a great carry watch there Clyde! The Case 15 is about as close to wearproof as you can get, and with a LaRose metal dial, that's a very durable combination, and of course a 992B is hard to beat as a timekeeper. That's very similar to what I carry myself.

Thanks, Ed. I think it's a great combo for a carry watch...perhaps we could even call it the "Un-official Ch.185 Carry Watch" since so many members carry something like it or very similar!

That's a beauty Clyde. I don't think I can ever get tired of seeing a 992b. Restored and functioning like it was intended. Here I sit wearing my Seiko quartz instead of a mechanical pocketwatch. What the heck is wrong with me?

Larry

Clyde,

The watch looks great. If I was going to carry a pocket watch, this would be the one for me. How are you going to carry it ? pouch ? Chain ?

We are very lucky to be members of 185.

Hi Clyde

I am moving down the same path and looking for a 992B to wear. Presently I mainly wear a Revue 30 which has a tough Nickeloid case.

As a matter of interest, what did you pay for the movement, case and dial etc?

If Lindell sees this post I would appreciate some help like he gave you, to sort out a 992B. I fancied a case model #2,3,4, but being gold only will not be as good a wearer as case model #14 or #15. Therefore I guess case #14 or #15 is the way to go.

Gordon

Thanks, guys.
Larry, I know what you mean. I wore the watch today but I had to take a road trip to see my Dad and motor him up here for the weekend...so I also wore my easy-to-read-while-you're driving wristwatch!

Rich, funny you should mention that, but I am still trying to figure out the best way to carry this one. I have a stainless chain that will probably work okay when I wear a pair of khakis or something like that.

Right now I am using a piece of dark brown leather shoe lace made into a simple thin fob, which works okay in a watch pocket with a pair of jeans. I would like to have one of the great Kyle Shold Roo skin lanyards, but Kyle says he is behind right now and will let me know when he is caught up and "back in business" to take orders.

At work, I have a couple of options. My uniform work trousers actually have a watch pocket under the belt line, but it is hard to access with the heavy duty belt in place. I wear a whistle chain that runs from epaulette to breast pocket and I have carried a pocket watch there...very retro and "Great War" look, that.

For now I am mostly using the simple leather shoe lace/cord or fob.

BTW, My Dad loved the watch and we talked about old timepieces a while on the trip home. Dad worked part time cleaning watches in an old watchmakers shop in the late 40s, early 50s time period. He also recalled his father taking partial payment in trade in the early 40s on a house he built (my grandfather was a cabinet maker and carpenter) and one of the items Grand Dad got was a nice Hamilton watch. Wonder what kind it was?

Clyde, check out the leather belt pouches for 16s watch carry that Robert Jones has for sale in the classified. All proceeds go to the chapter, and you can wear your watch with ANY pair of trouser with a belt!

I have one on order!

Regards! Mark

Gordon, email sent.

Mark, I was looking at those. My only concern is my duty belt is extra wide, wider than the average belt and ...frankly I have run out of room on it due to a new piece of equipment we have to carry.

Hi Clyde:
Very nice watch. It makes a very sturdy combination to carry. Congratulations.
Joel

Clyde,

The one thing I did not hear you say is that you had the watch overhauled.

Your purchase is not done until the watch has been properly cleaned and overhauled. Perhaps the seller sold it as cleaned and oiled, but I never trust them unless I know their work. So many people use the combination oil and cleaning solution, which is not a proper cleaning and can cause great damage to the watch. Anyway, someone who knows watches can at least look at the movement and see if it is clean and if there is oil in the jewels. Even then you should have it properly cleaned at least every three years if it is your carry watch. I would make the first time sooner than later.

Don

Don,

You're absolutely right, and I couldn't agree more. Lindell looked this one over pretty closely and ran it for accuracy and I suspect it was cleaned recently, but I don't KNOW.

A clean, oil, and adjustment from somebody good who understands these watches like our own Samie is probably in order. As it will be a daily carry watch I suppose it would be best to err on the side of caution.

The more technical name for "service" is COA, which stands for clean, oil and adjust.

Don't forget about the adjustment! Many watches will NOT run to their best potential with a mere cleaning and oiling.

A good watchmaker can make many adjustments on even a clean and running watch. Pivots can be dressed when they are worn or peened. Hairsprings can be leveled and properly positioned. The hairspring collet can be adjusted to provide perfect beat. Mainsprings need to be cleaned or replaced if they have taken a "set." Broken jewels must be replaced.

When you actually carry a watch, you will subject it to various positions and many, many transitions from one position to another. If you have ever seen a watch, on a timing machine, you will note the difference between a well adjusted movement and others, during the period of transition. A properly adjusted movment will hardly vary it's timekeeping when moved to another position. Others will take some considerable time to "settle-in" to the new position. These transitions can really add-up over a day of carry. That's why even a watch that "times in all positions," might lose minutes per day in actual carry.

A "proper" service is worth every penny, even though it sounds like a great expense. I know Samie is swamped with work. If you can find a good watchmaker, willing to do this kind of work... be extremely nice to him!

I purchased another 992B last night. According to the current owner, the seriel # begins with the letter H.

I have not found any reference to any 992b with a beginning letter in the # other then a "C".

Does anyone have different info?

I should have the watch by the end of the week to check. I may have been ebayed.

Hmmm. I haven't heard of an "H" Serial Number on a 992B either but....

Do you think, he might have been looking at a "4" and thinking it was an "H"?

There are a number of "4C" 992B's out there, that might have been produced after Hamilton stopped fabricating their pocket watches in the US. This thread in the 992B forum, details the facts that are known about these watches.

Foster,
He may have given you the case serial number.

Just a thought!

Robert

I was thinking that too. The picture- (hard to see) looks like a modlel 10 BOC case. For just over $200 I think it was worth the gamble to find out what it is.

The last one I bought like this for $225- with such a bad desciprtion turned out to be a beautiful 992e- in a model 15 stainless case. When you get lucky once- it makes the gamble more appealing!

It was sent out this AM, but I am going out of state for the rest of the week. I have "coached" my wife with the basics for when it arrives. I will posts the results.

Well, it has been a few weeks and I have been having fun keeping track of the timing of my new 992B. I'm not a watchmaker, and I don't have a timing machine so I have been using the "check the atomic clock" method of timing.

The watch started out running a bit fast so I adjusted the regulator screw a few quarter turns and it seems to be doing pretty good now. Everybody said these 992Bs ran very well...I believe it!

This is a chart I have used, just a word document that I update every day when I wind the watch and check its time for variations with the atomic clock. I had been keeping the chart up when I saw on Les Zetlein's site a better terminology for his chart in his Seiko reviews...that's where I got 'Variance' and 'Difference from True Time' for mine.

In the last three weeks my 992B has lost eleven seconds. The greatest variation was in week one when it lost eighteen seconds; still within the railroad required thirty seconds. I have carried it nearly every day the past month, subjecting it to the various knocks and bumps a watch endures as a carry watch. The movement dates to 1951 so for a fifty-six year old mechanical watch, I think it is doing pretty good.

Here's the chart:Hamilton 992B C340261

Difference from true time(secs) Variance(secs)

start 3/29/07 at 1517 eleven seconds 1517 six sec(5.0 slow) n/a
3/30/07 at 0910 (15.0 fast) +20

3/31/07 at 0917 (28.0 fast) 13
4/01/07 at 0756 (42.0 fast) +14
(reg.screw turned, less ¼ turn)
4/01/07 at 2111 (51.00 fast) +9
(reg.screw turned, app. ¼ turn)
Time re-set 2117 (6.0 slow)
4/02/07 at 0516 (6.0 slow) 0.0

4/03/07 at 0634 (7.0 slow) -1


4/05/07 at 0727 (6.0 fast) +8
Friday 4/06/07 at 0530 (19.0 fast) +13
(reg.screw turned, app. ¼ turn c/clockwise) @0700
Running 20.0 seconds fast n/a
Saturday 4/07/07 at 0854 Atomic (23.0 fast) +3.0
Sunday 4/08/07 at 0930 (23.0 fast) 0.0
Monday 4/09/07 at 0700 (20.0 fast) -3.0
Tuesday 4/10/07 at 0709 (23.0 fast) +3.0
Wednesday 4/11/07 at 0530 (15.0 fast) -8.0
Thursday 4/12/07 at 0520 (0.0) 15.0
Friday 4/13/07 at 0520 (2.0 fast) +2.0

VARIANCE after one week, 4/06-4/13 : - 18 seconds


Saturday 4/14/07 at 0745 (2.0 fast) 0.0
Sunday 4/15/07 at 0725 (3.0 fast) +1.0
Monday 4/16/07 at 0815 (10.0 fast) +7.0
Tuesday 4/17/07 at 0625 (12.0 fast) +2.0
Wednesday 4/18/07 at 0625 (6.0 fast) - 6.0
Thursday 4/19/07 at 1110 (14.0 fast) +8.0
Friday 4/20/07 at 0730 (10.0 fast) -4.0

VARIANCE after one week, 4/13-4/20 : +8 seconds
VARIANCE after TWO weeks, 4/06-4/20 : -10 seconds

Saturday 4/21/07 at 0655 (16.0 fast) +6.0
Sunday 4/22/07 at 0655 (22.0 fast) +6.0
Monday 4/23/07 at 0625 (24.0 fast) +2.0
Tuesday 4/24/07 at 0905 (25.0 fast) +1.0
Wednesday 4/25/07 at 0848 (9.0 fast) -16.0
Thursday 4/26/07 at 0949 (6.0 fast) -3.0
Friday 4/27/07 at 1112 (9.0 fast) +3.0

VARIANCE after one week, 4/20-4/27 : -1 seconds
VARIANCE after THREE WEEKS, 4/06-4/27 : -11 seconds

It also matters how you store the watch at night. If you hang it from a hook or place it on a polished surface, it will rock as it beats. This causes it to run fast. The effect can be huge, over a minute a day. The more it can rock, the greater the affect.

I find the variations you record as rather large for the ability of this watch. They are acceptable, but large. I suspect you have some positional error unless it can be explained by rocking at night.

Don

Don,

I agree with your assesment. The watch usually rides in my pocket during the day, and rests dial up in a felt lined jewelry box at night.

I think the greatest variations are due to positional errors, though the watch seems to be self-correcting enough that by the third week, its loss or variation for the week was only one second. Not bad.

My four year old Swiss COSC rated chronometer Omega Seamaster Pro is more consistent, usually losing one to three seconds a day, with not as much wide variation as my 992B shows.

The B probably could benefit from a careful adjustment by a watchmaker, but overall I am pleased with its performance so far. The overall variation of eleven seconds for three weeks, due to its "self-correcting" is something I can probably live with for now.

That is EXACTLY what I use, Lindell.

My reason is not to obtain perfect timing. I don't work on the RR and I can always set it off my cell phone.

But... my dresser can become a jumble of car-keys, change, wallet, money-clip and assorted odds and ends. I want my watch in a secure place without the case-back or cyrstal exposed to scratching.

These were called "Watch Dogs" back in the 1860s. Watches had huge positional errors back then, so keeping them stem up was very important to keep any kind of time.

Don

Fascinating, Don...I had never heard that before. Guess I will have to invest in a "watch dog"

I hang mine from a cup hook screwed into the bottom of a shelf next to my bed. I use a piece of soft leather between the bow of a watch and the hook so there's no vibration or swinging due to the movement of the balance. Works great, and my watches have kept their time just fine with this practice.

To add to what Lindell posted, the time study guru Fredrick Taylor wrote the definitive book on time study in work practice back at the turn of the 20th century. One of his very first practice studies was the one regarding how a man should put on his vest, watch and chain in the morning. After several different ways were tried, it was determined that leaving the watch in the pocket, chain in the button hole, and just hanging the vest on a chair overnight was the most time saving way of dress. All a man had to do was pick up the vest, swing it on, then it button. Watch and chain were already in place, and the man was out the door. Of course Taylors time study book didn't dwell on such frivilous things as dressing in the morning, but did go on to study things like the manual moving of coal to a boiler and the type of shovel used (things like that), but it was a practice study on how little things can affect the use of a persons time in what they do on a daily basis, and the different variations that exist in doing the same job in repetition.

This study didn't make Taylor's book (needless to say, it wasn't considered a useful time study after several years had passed and the use of pocket watches fell out of fashion ), but the study is still occasionally mentioned by old engineering professors.

I wonder if Hamilton picked up this Taylor study at the time and used it in their advertisements and advice to the watch buyer?

Regards! Mark