Some of you might enjoy this watch. I got lucky and found it at the show in Orlando. If you have an older "BULLETIN" dated August 2001 No. 333 you will find a great article by our own Ed Ueberall and Kent Singer.

This watch is not listed on their data base and is serial number 786,076 and the hand scrached number is 1612. It has a near perfect Montgomery Dial and is in a plain Philadelipha Watch Case Co. case.

The movement is a 2-tone checkerboard Damasceened and has good color.

Thanks for letting me hold it at the show!
Glad it is a *new* addition to Ed and Kent's database...

Very, very nice.


Thanks for posting

Hey Jim,

What a great looking watch!!! Beautiful dial and movement. I'm sure this one made the trip down south worthwhile.

Rob

I WANT ONE !!! lol

Great find Jim and thanks for posting here!

Have you set this movement side by side yet with a later 2-tone checkerboard RR service dialed 992?

Looks to me that the individual gold "blocks" on your movement are larger in size than those on the later movements with less nickel colored space in between, and it would be interesting to me seeing how the damaskeens compared between this watch and the later versions of the same.

Fred

p.s. Congrats again!

Jim,
Excellent find. Great dial! I am sure this made the trip worthwhile.
John

Fred,
I hadn't given a thought to the difference except for the dials. There are 4 different dials for the Adj. for R.R. Service 992's.

On the movements, let the pictures speak for themselves. The light was too bright to really show the gold color.

Fred, it appears that the later versions DO have a smaller Checkerboard pattern. Do you stay up all night studing watches? That's why you are the intelligent watch expert that you are. You have a fine eye for detail.

The dial.

Thanks for the kind words JP.I will post some other finds at Orlando in another thread.

hey uncle jim....i was wondering what case the 2,463xxx 992arrs had for a case...model 2?

Hi Don,
See you in Strongsville.

It is in a Keystone J. Boss R.R. Case that is usually mistaken for the mainliner. A model 2 would be right for it but I usually leave everything unaltered unless it's in BAD condition.

Hello Jim,
When you speak of Keystone "J. Boss R.R. Case", is this a single style case or was it made in different configurations or models? Thanks in advance.

Robert

Robert,
This is a hi-grade RR case used by all the different manufactures. Hamilton's version has "Hamilton Railroad" inside the back and has 2 ridges on the back edge instead of one.

Look in the Price guide and it is pictured as "The Mainliner." To be a Mainliner it has to have the features I mentioned above and Hamilton only used it on a 950E, so it is not correct on anything else. There has been much discussion of this. You can do a SEARCH on both this and the NAWCC board.

They are beautiful RR cases and came in Yellow, Green, White, Gold filled. Some had tuxedoes backs and some have raised or engraved Locomotives.
One sold on eBay several years ago for over $700 with the raised Locomotive. I sold one on eBay a couple of weeks ago for $250 with a engraved Locomotive, but it had initials on it.

Jim, Terry,
Thanks very much for your in-depth descriptions and images of the "Mainliner" and other "J. Boss, R.R. Cases".

Robert

Lindell,

Thanks, for all the excellent images showing the distinction between the "Hamilton Mainliner" and the other "J. Boss, R.R. Cases".

I really appreciate the way you, Terry, Jim, and others are able to answer questions not only with words, but with images that really tell the whole story.

Thanks,
Robert

One follow-up question, is the "Mainliner" the only correct case for the 950E? Thanks in advance.

Robert

I have an image of a box label for a 950e in a different style case... cannot access it right now.

Robert,
The 950E was sold in other cases.

To turn your question around as you have done, I will say that the Mainliner case is only correct on the 950E.

So we have the Mainliner case only correct on the 950E but the 950E correct in other cases.

can get to it now.....

Terry,
Appreciate the image very much. Do you know if this combination was advertised in Hamilton Catalogue?

Robert

Robert,

It is inconclusive at this point.... I have not seen enough late 30's catalogs to say for certain...
I know in the catalog that shows the "mainliner" it does not mention other cases..... the image I have of the '37 catalog is not clear enough for display.. not readable....

Terry,
Thanks as always for your very prompt answers.

Robert