My older brother inherited our Grandfather’s 992. Serial number indicates it is from 1909. Some years ago he took it to a watchmaker to have it cleaned. Unfortunately, the guy chipped the porcelain dial (in the pic, near 10 hour). Unforgivable. He said he’d repair, which he did (sort of) but the sloppy repair is clearly evident.
As heartbreaking as that experience was, our question is, Should the dial be replaced, or retained in its original condition? My nephew will ultimately inherit the watch, and maintaining the value is important. It runs, keeps very good time for its age but not railroad time, has 25 year gold filled case, minor scratches on crystal. Is the watch more valuable with a replacement dial, or with the original?

I am not a railroad watch collector; they might see things differently. If you could find another Hamilton dial of the same design, a real one, not a reproduction, no one but your family would ever know that the dial hadn't been on the watch as long as the present one. A watch with the correct dial definitely is worth more if the dial is pristine than if it is damaged.

However, I doubt that your watch would be worth more than the cost of the new dial plus its present worth.

What's more, the watch isn't especially valuable because it is quite common (unless it is a rare variant, which I wouldn't know). And value shouldn't be a significant factor, in any event, as to an heirloom that your family does not intend to sell.

This brings me to perhaps my key point. If your family replaces the dial, your family will know that the watch does not have the dial that it had when your ancestor owned it. If that detracts from its heirloom quality in your or their eyes, I'd leave it as is.

If it were me, the value would be in the fact that the watch was my Grandfather's and replacing the dial with something that wasn't his would take away from that value. Just my opinion.

It is up to you. You can replace that dial with an exact Hamilton original dial for $50 to $75. It would need to be that exact dial. If it were me I would replace the dial. That dial will only continue to get worse over time. The repair will get more yellow. Also if your grandfather was still alive do you think your grandfather would replace the dial or live with a damaged dial? If you replaced the dial you could keep the old dial for prosperity. As for the value you can not say for certain that the dial has not been replaced before. If your grandfather purchased it new then only he could say it was original and since he is longer with us there is really no way to prove it is the original dial. By replacing the dial with a new dial the value would go up. It would not go up a lot but it would be easier to get a higher price should you ever decide to sell it.

I agree with Harry

Roger

I'd replace it, but save the old dial in case another family member inheriting it wanted to put it back on.

Sell Grandpa's watch someday ? No Way ! I would keep it exactly as is ..
I would love to have my Grandpa's watch in any condition. For me, it not about collector value. Jack

Lets look at it this way. If you inherit your grandfathers old Model A and it had a burnt out headlight would you replace the headlight or keep it just the way it was when grandpa owned it? If grandpa's old Model A had worn out tires would you replace the tires so that you could safely drive it. Anything and everything wears out and needs replacing. Being the owner of these antiques we have a responsibility to keep them maintained.

Lindell makes a very good point. If that is a 4 post dial to get one without hairlines or chips would be a minimum of $100 if you could get it for that much less find someone who would part with one.

Ah ... good inf.
Watch has movement number 755177.

Steve your watch has a 4 post dial. Soooo it would take a lot of money $100 or more to replace that dial. You could probably replace that dial for less than $100 if you buy one with hairlines. I would stay away from ones with chips. It all depends on you and how much you want to spend or not spend.

Thank you all for responding.
I think it will live on with the original dial.
I should look so good at 109 years old.

There are many pieces and parts to a watch... But the watch was a tool more than an object. Back at one point in time the watch was also a symbol of prestidge. Today it is a remembrance of times past and we try and keep it as a piece of history and a momento of loved ones who may have owned it.

There are 3 main parts to a watch, movement- which must be oiled and cleaned periodically, case- which if worn to brass is replaced to look good, and dial- which when cracked and unsightly we replace to return it to its days of glory, functuality, and yes beauty. That is what we have become- caretakers of these wonders.

Since the dial was not touched by the loved one and not damaged by the loved one, then there is no story to be told of our loved one, but only of an inept repairman.

I would change that dial to one that is as near mint as possible, have the movement serviced- cleaned and oiled by a professional, of which, we have several members who are great watch repairmen on our site, then it will keep good time and no damage and further wear to parts will occur since it presently doesn't keep great time, which means it's due for routine maintenance. Then if the case is worn out and unsightly, I would replace that also to one that displays well, is period correct for the movement, and that the caretaker will be proud to show to others.

That's what being a caretaker means and unless it has great value then we maintain them and we keep the watch in the same great shape it would have been back in that time period. What's important is keeping the movement now in it and having it maintained and using original replacement parts in it, when needed. The movements serial number is how we tell when the watch itself was produced so that we the caretakers can keep the case, dial, and even hands period correct and changed when they become damaged and need be. The Hamilton 992 is not rare and over 600,000 of those exact movements were made. A value for the movement only in today's market is $100-$125.

So I would opt to do these things and if you want, have the repairman save the dial and put it in a 2"x2" plastic snap container that you may keep as a momento of the dial that was once on the watch. However that particular dial may or may not be the original dial that was on the watch when it left the factory. There is no way to ever acertain that ! Also get a glass dome protective watch holder and display it proudly in the caretakers home so that the remembrance is there and so that you can now proudly show it to others when it is in great condition much like when it left the factory after you do these things.....

regards,
bb