992B dial question.

June 15, 2012, 13:19

Harry J. Hyaduck Sr.

992B dial question.

Pardon my ignorance but I don't know much about the 992b.

I notice that the Hamilton Railway Special dial comes in two varieties, the single sunk and double sunk. For example dial 121 which appears DS and dial 168 which appears SS.

Does it matter which dial you put on a 992b movement? If not does the DS 121 add value to the 992b over the SS 168 dial?

Thank you for any input you may have,

Harry

June 15, 2012, 14:03

Phillip Sanchez

Harry, Do you already have these melamine dials?

June 15, 2012, 16:16

Harry J. Hyaduck Sr.

No Phil I don't. The dial on my 992b is a Montgomery but it is chipped at the 57 position. I was going to start looking if I could find a good deal on another dial and I noticed that the 121 was DS and the 168 was SS and I was wondering if it mattered which dial you would put on a 992b.

June 15, 2012, 20:08

Dr. Debbie Irvine

Richard Romero and Lindell put this together in effort to sort out the dials and cases...

CLICK FOR: "Hamilton 992, 992E, and 992B Case & Dial Identification"

Lindell is quoted as saying... "Hamilton began phasing-in melamine dials in 1948 and by 1950 the change-over was complete for 992B movements, after that time no porcelain-enamel dial is considered to be correct by serious collectors." You did not state your movement number, that is essential to providing information for your production year. Consult... "HAMILTON 992B MOVEMENT NUMBERS" to determine your year of production.

Now, to narrow-down your dials, the 168 you mentioned is from only the circa 1948-1951 time frame whereas the 121 was used beginning in 1948 and through the end of 992B production. Collectors often like Double-Sunk dials better but correctness and condition are always the most important decision-making criteria.

Hope this is of help you and others,

Debbie

June 15, 2012, 20:23

Harry J. Hyaduck Sr.

Yes Debbie that was a great help. I was just using those two dials as an example. It really wasn't about the year. So Hamilton was using SS and DS dials on 992b's at the same time and of course depending on year of the watch depends on the choices you have in dials.

I had read that and I kinda figured either one would be correct for a certain serial number and year. I just wanted someone who knows more than me to verify this for me.

Thank you very much Debbie.

June 15, 2012, 20:25

Dr. Debbie Irvine

Thank you Harry, glad to be of help!

Debbie

June 15, 2012, 21:00

Phillip Sanchez

Harry, A lot easier to find a great RWS DS porcelain enamel dial than hunting up a good melamine.

June 15, 2012, 21:23

Harry J. Hyaduck Sr.

Hi Phil,

I can get a good SS Melamine dial now for $68 dollars but I don't want a Melamine dial. Although the dial is a 168 it has no paint cracks on it but it would be my luck to put it on and the next day it would crack to pieces.

The dial that is on there is original and it is a Montgomery and it looks real nice but at some point I will want to change it and I was just checking to see if I had one choice (DS) or if SS was an option depending on how good a deal I could find.

So yes the correct porcelain dial would be my first choice.