As a Hamilton wristwatch specialist I don't have many pocket watches, but I admire them deeply and I love the few I own. I wonder if anyone can enlighten me further about two-tone 940 movements like this one. I find only fleeting references in standard books and the few collectors I've talked with have little to say. This one dates to 1902. Are there any references indicating exactly how long they were made, at what price, and for what market? It's an extraordinary movement, pretty amazing when you consider that it was hidden inside a case where only the watchmaker would really appreciate it!

What is, if there are any, the difference between the "special" mvt and the ordinary one?
The later 940 is marked double roller, when did the 940 got equipped with the double roller or was it from the beginning but not marked that way?

Thanks for showing great watches!
/Bernhard

The Model 72 Walthams were really wonderfully detailed. On the 21J model 72, the damasceening was also under the plates, down the sides of the movement, and under the dials. Two showed up damasceened inside the spring barrels.

THERE were 4 OR 5 different 2-tone patterns for the 940. I have a 2-tone that is different from both shown above and is marked "EXTRA" and another regular non marked with a sunburst type DMK.

The serial number for double rollers started at 512220 and also solid pallet fork after 653000.

Rene,
I would speculate that the 2-tone patterns were the result of the ordering customer and if they were a large volume dealer Hamilton gave them their own Damaskeening patterns.

I have noted this on large volume customers. I will give you some examples to illustrate my point. All of the movements marked "BANNER" were sold to Stein & Ellbogen, Chicago Ill. and all movements marked "UNION" were sold to H.F. Hawn,Chicago, Ill. Each has it's own DMK pattern.

These large volume customers had their own Damaskeen pattern assigned to them. I believe if you contracted as few as 5 watches you could qualify for this. I have counted as many a 60 different Patterns on the 18 size watches so far.

I have a "John Hood" 940 but mine is not in two tone. Wonder how many variations there were for this PL?

Excuse the poor image but as good as my scanner will do.

One has to remember that watch manufacturers were in business to sell watch movements, not to make art. They only made art when it helped sell watch movements.

Accordingly, I propose the following as likely reasons for the fancy movement to be made:

• To show customers (retailers and retail buyers) what they were capable of
  
• To establish an aura of quality connected with their name in order to attract customers
  
• Because some retailers paid them to do it (specials, extras. and private labels with their own damaskeeing patterns).
  
• As a selling point at the retail store (the customer might buy the prettier movement even if he wasn't going to be allowed to open the watch after purchase to see it - like the railroad men buying a watche to go to work with).
  

I've also seen a "claim" that they did this to keep the workers awake in the factories (they assigned them to a Rose Engine, where they had to pay attention instead of doing a boring repetitive job), but I doubt if this claim can be proved.

Remember - nobody built a pocket watch with the collector in mind - they were trying to provide added value to the peices of metal they sold by making them into watches, and anyuthing they could think of that would allow them to sell more watches (at a larger profit) would be attempted.

Thanks for the interesting input. I have one other question -- has anyone seen any other grades of two-tone Hamilton movements besides the 940?

Several grades are found occasionally in 2-tone, often as private-labels or specially marked watches.

Here are a few that come to mind ...

928/929
936/937
940/941 <
974/975
992/993

... and I am sure some of our other members can expand on this list.