Hello All, I need some help. An elderly friend of mine has a family watch collection handed down to him from his uncle. Never learning much about watches and needing to pay off some Dr. bills he has decided it's time to start selling watches. After putting one watch on eBay with crappy pictures and getting half of what it was worth he elected/entrusted me to help him sell his watches. I have the first 6 watches and need help with the dial on this 992. Serial number 2522312 shows up as a 1934 992L. What's the L for? It looks to me like a BOC #2 14K white gold case. The dial looks like a 121 RWS Melamine Double-Sunk HG. Am I correct about the dial? If I am then this watch has a 992B dial. I will be listing this watch after I get things figured out with the help of the board.







Thanks
Richard

The case is from 1928. If the watch he listed on ebay was like this one. It was no wonder that it brought so little. Case, dial and movement are for 3 different time periods. This is watch collects call parts watches or frankenstien watches. I'm sorry to bring the bearer of bad news.

The hands are from a late model 992b. If they are black. It appears that the case has been so polished that they have removed all the jewelers marks that should be on the inside of the case.

Richard,

The L stands for lever set.

I share Gene's concern about how mixed up this watch is. If the others are like this, you'd do better to part them out. Collectors are not going to pay much for a frankenwatch. Remember:

Correctness + Condition = Value

I can see all of the jewelers marks with my loop. I thought this case was used for many years and a patent date shows that it was made after that date and not before. Can you clear that up for me. I don't know for sure that's why I'm asking.

Thanks
Richard

I think I have a 992 dial for it but I need to know about the case for sure.

Richard

Check out the IHC Hamilton-Wadsworth Database. There you will see that because the case number starts with "04" it was made in 1928. That's all there is to it.

But the Case 2 in WGF was still being made in 1934, so I wouldn't worry about it, technically it is incorrect, but not obviously so.

Changing out that melamine dial has a much higher priority, that sticks out like a sore thumb, as obviously incorrect.

Richard,
I'm showing your movement as 1928-1929 on the gelson list. Does the case back number match the one on the case frame?

OK Thanks, how about the hands? I have a 1909 992 that has skinny blue hands and a later 992 that thas thick blue hands. All of my 992B's have thick black hands.

Richard

Aha! So we're good on the 1928 case. Now the dial is the only authenticity issue apart from the hands. Those are black 992B hands, same style but blue is needed here.

Thanks for the year info. I got mine from the price guide. Case front and frame E1304, case back 0441304.

Richard

Sorry Richard I took the movement date from your original post. I did not check sorry.

I am not a hamilton expert but your skinny hands are most likely ok for 1909.

That's OK, I'm just trying to do right by my friend. I'm going to gather all of the info I can and switch a part or two if I have to. So I can get him the money the watches are worth. I might just send him the money for his bill that's due by the end of this month so I'm not under such a time crunch.

Thanks
Richard

Where do I get reliable serial number listings for Hamilton? I have 3 992B's I need to figure out. C108926, C109303 and C187233.

Thanks
Richard

I was confused about the case not having the chevrons on the pendant area but after looking it up I see the change occurred the year before this case was made. The hands on the watch are the correct style for most the 992 dials, just the wrong color.

Here's the link to the Gelson list: Hamilton Movement Numbers and Hamilton Horology Reference Materials At the bottom of the Gelson listings you can click on the link for 992B serial numbers.
RR

Thank you Richard. Looking @ the hands I can see blue in places and in other places they are darker and dull with some fading. Would this be natural or did someone at some point screw with the hands trying to darken them up?

Richard

You're welcome Richard,

It's hard to say how the hands got in the condition they're in. Rust is a major issue with hands. I try to not touch them after they're clean. Sometimes running the hands through the watch cleaner solution cycle cleans them up nicely.

RR

Richard, was 1948 the first year of the Melamine dial?

Here is part of a compiled explanation that Lindell posted previously...

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.

Thanks Richard, I think I know what I need to do for this watch. The other 5 he sent in this batch look to be correct.

Richard