What does this look like to you guys?
Came in on a 1948 Hamilton 992B
Hamilton logo, and numerals look SMALLER than a 436 dial, looks like a 1940s 024 military 992B dial with the smaller font and numerals but without marginal minute markers.

Notice the #2, #5, #7, they are shorter and stubbier like the 024 rather than like the 436

It is porcelain enamel single sunk. Am I imagining things, or is this a different dial than the 436 from a later date?




Here's the watch. Movement and case #s match 1948 production, has the blued hands as well. Could this be some kind of later replacement dial they produced, a 1948 dial option, or?? I just don't know but am going to find out.

Tom I can not answer your question but I can tell you what I know or I think I know. Hamilton started producing this dial in approximately 1918. Hamilton switched over there dials to this design by approximately 1924. During this period Hamilton was using this style dial along with the leftover Hamilton in script dials. This dial would have been used on the lower end Hamilton 17j movements that were still being produced after this dial came out. Do I believe this dial was used on the 992B, no I do not. Can I be wrong absolutely. Did the 992B come with SS dials? Yes. So I think this diad came from another watch movement. It will be interesting to see what the experts have to say.

Harry

This is interesting as my 18s Hamilton 940 single roller from 1901 has this dial, so sometime during its life its original got replaced.

Regards! Mark

Harry; I just dont think it's a 436 dial. The Hamilton logo is MUCH closer to center post, like the 024. Also it is SMALLER, again, like the 024.
And the numerals are not as tall and stubbier like the 024. Just too many things different on this one. I am doubtful it came from the factory on this 992B, just trying to find out what it IS. If anyone has any 974s or 978s with this dial then we would know for SURE. The ones here that I checked all have the earlier script dial or the 436.

Hi Tom,

No it is not the 436 dial. The 436 dial is double sunk your dial is single sunk. I have many many Hamilton's with the same dial (not this one) but the same style. There is small differences in the dials. What I think is either Hamilton had contracts with more than one dial supplier to supply the same dial but they end up being a little different since they come from different manufacturers or they were made by the same manufacturer at different times much like the movements. Two identical movements on one the serial number will be more shallow and on the other it will be deeper and bolder. I have a lot of 16s Hamiltons and I will look at them but I think most if not all are before 1918. I will let you know what I find out.

Harry

Tom as I feared I do not have any of the newer dials like this one. One thing you have to remember that Hamilton started switching over to the new Hamilton in block letters in 1918 and did not finish the transition until around 1924. I am not sure but I know all of my 978's had double sunk dials and really the only 17j Hamiltons in this time period would be the 972, maybe the 973, 974,975, 978 and the 956. I have a 972 from the 1921/22 year and it has a Hamilton in script double sunk dial and so does my 996 from the same years. My 978's have double sunk dials and so do a lot of my 974/5's in this time period. The 956 has a lot of dials I have not seen on any other Hamilton's. Your dial looks a lot like the single sunk dials of earlier Hamilton is script dials except yours is in block. I have also seen Hamilton parts dials Hamilton made for their old 4 post dials except they were in block. I have seen both double sunk and single sunk. The single sunk dials look just like yours except they had four post. With the excess of script printed dials and maybe 8 years or so of making the lower grade watches and moving to the 992, 992B's etc... I do not believe Hamilton had a lot of opportunity to use dials like yours so I do not believe they turn up that often. Like you I believe your watch has the wrong dial on it but who knows. Hamilton may have had extra dials they needed to use because by 1948 there had not been a 974/5 etc... made for 20 years I do believe it is a Hamilton dial. If it came with that dial I feel that not many did. I did a search and did find a 992 with that same dial on it. But you know when these watches were everyday tools to keep time i doubt if anyone could care less about keeping them original, they were just tools of the trade back then

Harry

Tom here is what I was alluding to. Of course this is not the same dial but is an 18s double sunk dial that will illustrate what I was talking about when I said they may have been in different batch runs or more than one vender to make the same dial.

These two dials are the same dial in my opinion however the one on the left the red 5 minute numbers are larger and the black Roman numerals are heavier and the dot under the Roman numerals are rectangular. Where as the dial on the right the red 5 minute markers are smaller and the Roman Numerals are thinner than the dial on the left and the dots under the Roman Numerals are round not rectangular like the dial on the left. I have noticed similar differences on a lot of Hamilton dials that look like they are the same dial.

Harry

Thanks Lin for solving the mystery!

YOU ARE RIGHT IT IS A 502 DIAL!

I forgot about the early 1936-39 traffic specials in the unmarked Model 16 cases...this is for sure that dial

SEE BELOW FOR PIC OF A 1936 TRAFFIC SPECIAL
IN A HAMILTON STAR (MODEL 16) CASE WITH THAT VERY SAME DIAL!

Now at least I know what I have. Unfortunately,
to replace with an 080 dial or similiar would be cost prohibitive as the watch here altho nice is by no means a premuim example It has been carried.

SO...I'm going to sell the watch as is where is and state it has a 502 dial on it.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!