Did Hamilton make a two tone dial? I have a 927 movement (old style) and I thought I would get it out to see what it needs to get it running.

Well I got some bad news there. It needs a mainspring and a hairspring. It seems to have a good balance staff but I don't have the equipment to replace and time a new hairspring to the old balance wheel. I have never replaced a mainspring either.

I took the badly hairlined, chipped and dirty dial off and while it was soaking in the comet I straightened the bent minute hand.

I was amazed how good the dial looked after cleaning but I noticed the DS dial was a very light cream or tan color where the Roman numerals where and the second chapter and the piece that were signed "Hamilton Watch Co," where white.
It is a very faint difference but definitively different. I tried to take a photo but it did not show much. I can try again if anyone thinks it is important.

So now I am trying to save this dial. Has anyone every seen this before?

I have not seen this but my thought is that the outer ring was manufactured in a different batch than the inner disk. There could be a difference in porosity as a result and the one has taken up stain as a result. If this is the case then soaking longer MAY solve this. How long did you soak it?

It is also possible that the outer ring was married with the center part and is a different color porcelain. With out photos it is impossible to give a decent opinion as to the cause. A picture of the back of the dial would be helpful.

Thank you Mike and Eugene. I soaked it in a vibratory jewelry cleaner on low for about 35 to 40 minutes then I took it out and scrubbed it with a Q-tip soaked in comet for another 10 minutes or so concentrating on the hairlines.

I'll take some more photos and see if I can get the front to turn out and I will post a picture of the back also.

Well I got a better shot of the dial. It is a little more pronounced but this is pretty close. Let me know if you need a close up of any area.

The rear of the dial

That is just a color shift in the glass due to firing temperature, duration or both on the outer chapter. Nice dial, I would stop messing with it before you eat the numbers off.

Thank you David. It looked terrible until I cleaned it and noticed the two tone affect. I like it. Yes I have stopped messing with it. The edge chips will be hidden by the bezel. I have never seen a dial color shift like this before but then there is a lot I haven seen before.

Now all I need to do is fine a 927 parts watch with a good hairspring and I can get this one working again.

I didn't know Hamiltion made dials like this! Has anyone seen another? This is on an open face 924.

another photo

That is indeed a beautiful Hamilton dial Sam. No I have never seen one like that. I have seen fancy Hamilton dials but none like that. I believe I like yours better than the rest that I have seen.

Porcelain enamel is made by fusing a type of glass powder called frit with mineral additives to a metal substrate. The additives are selected to control the color, transparency and melting point of the finished enamel.

An infinite variety of shades can be created intentionally for artistic effect, as we sometimes see in multi-color fancy dials (see picture).

However, I agree with Mike, what you have there is just an accidental batch to batch variation in the enamel composition between the outer chapter and the center section.



Multi-Color Elgin Fancy Dial

In my opinion......I think a Hamilton worker might have had a few too many...the night before, when making that dial !