Happy Veterans Day!

Would you like to share a picture of an appropriate pocket watch to post on this day?

Anyone? Comments?

Stephanie O'Neil
NAWCC Member 143979

Great idea!! Thank you all Veterans on this board and everywhere. Here is a U.S. Govt. marked 992B in a two tone case that is New Old Stock never used. Enjoy. Sorry about the picture quality I pulled these out of the archives and they were taken before I had a good camera.

Jim idealtime Walz

Movement

Jim idealtime Walz

Great watch Jim, particulary to show today! Thanks

Can anyone give us a little history regarding U.S. Government watches? Were they manufactured exclusively for Hamilton? If so, were 992Bs exclusive for U. S. Government watches? And, were they made during a certain period of time, run dates, amount manufactured?

And last, I find it interesting that the serial number is placed on the bottom plate. Any reason for that? I've not seen another pocket watch with serial number shall we say "tucked away".

Comments? Info?

Stephanie O'Neil
NAWCC Member 143979

Manufactured by Hamilton Watch Co.

The 24-hour comparing watch, 22-jewel, center sweep, hack watch, like the 4992B was also made under government contract by Waltham (grade 1622) and by Elgin (don't remember the grade). Outwardly these all look very much alike. Here are some other Waltham military timepieces - an airplane clock, wristwatch and 1/10th second timer with 5-minute register.

the backs of two of these --

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,

Wayne C.,

Thanks for the pics of your beautiful watch and 22 jewels! Odd jewel count.

Jerry T.,

Very nice collection of military watches! Thanks for sharing.

Bill C.,

Thanks for showing your watch as well. Interesting!


Can anyone answer Jessica's question with regard to military watches?

Thanks guys for posting. Pics are great!!

Stephanie O'Neil
NAWCC Member 143979

Stephanie O'Neil
Whats odd about the jewel count?

I can't speak for other military watches, but the 4992b Hamilton just has white hands...no luminescence. I would think for military use they would not.....It's like the third cigarette light off a match. 1. See it... 2.Take aim... 3. Fire!
A luminous watch could be a problem in actual combat.

Hi Wayne C.

When I see jewel counts, read them or even see them listed on ebay, I normally see or read 7 jewels, 15 jewels, 19 jewels, 21 jewels, and 23 jewels. I, personally, find the jewel count of 22 odd from what I generally see or read.

Stephanie O'Neil
NAWCC Member 143979

Stephanie,

The 4992B was derived from the 21-Jewel Hamilton 992B by adding a small bridge containing the 22nd jewel you will see toward the top in the center of the picture below. That bridge supports the gear that drives the sweep second hand. Another addition is the "hack brake" you see by the "4C8" of the serial number in the image posted below. That brake stops the balance wheel when the crown is pulled upward for synchronization purposes. It is interesting to realize how ingenious the 4992B design really is.

Jewel 22 at top center, the "hack brake" by "4C8" of serial number...

The screws on Lindell's 4992B are typical of many – some slots look a bit “chewed” and some slots look perfect. I wonder what accounts for this. Were the "chewed" screws those that have to be removed for disassembly, the other screws those that do not have to be removed for disassembly? Are there metallurgical differences? Are some screws old, some new? Or?

Remember how intense the magnification is on that image. You are seeing extreme detail. By the way, that 4992B is Wayne Anderson's now, only the pictures (including blue background) are mine.

You’re right of course Lin. The intense magnification allows us to see in extreme detail that (as in many other watches) some slots look a bit “chewed” and some don’t. Might this be accounted for by differences in disassembly requirements? metallurgical differences? replacement? or?

Stu, Probably all the factors you mentioned come into play.


Everyone,

The Hamilton 4992B was used for precision timing in military use. The last of them were assembled in the sixties for use during the Viet-Nam era. Look closely at the little brake on the balance wheel I mentioned above. That of course allowed them to be synchronized with other timepieces or a radio signal. The WWII era models with black dials were usually set to Greenwich Civil Time or "GCT" around the world. Even now the time on our IHC Discussion Site is set plus or minus from Greenwich Time.

These watches and those shown previously are great pieces of history. I have a Hamilton 4992B equipped with bezels and crystals on both sides. On Memorial Day last year I gave a talk at a nearby gathering and passed the view-back around as I explained its significance. It was really something to see the tears well up in the eyes of WWII Veterans when I spoke of the sacrifices of their generation and how these watches played a big role in preserving the freedom so many take for granted today. A retired municipal judge from our area was especially moved and while holding my watch in his trembling hand shared the story of how he and his Navy Buddies spent several days on a life raft after their ship was torpedoed and sunk. They had nothing but a compass, a radio and their 4992B without which they would have perished. He had not seen one of these in the last 60 years but immediately recognized it, explaining how much it meant to him to hold the watch and how it helped him relate the events of the eventual rescue. It was moving to hear this man in his eighties speak of heroism in a way few of us can even begin to comprehend. It was quite a day for me.

My friends, we are but caretakers of these important historical objects. We occasionally have opportunities to share our knowledge and love of timepieces with others in our local community. Sometimes we might even touch a heart or two and bring back a memorable event in the process.

Warmest Regards,

Lindell

Hi Lindell,
Speaking of the hack brake that you described above. Would it be accurate to say this was only employed when the watch on which it is tripped is being set, and only then when that watch is ahead in time from the source from which it is being compared?

I ask this because I saw a description on eBay a few days back (for a Navy Comparing watch), in which someone said that the hack on a comparing watch was used in order to synchronize others to it. But that doesn't make sense to me yet, because stopping the balance wheel, by any means, literally stops the time from incrementing on that watch. Correct? Or is there more to this than I have yet learned?

Thanks,

Tref

Thanks Lindell, glad to hear I had an accurate assumption on the subject.

I had almost forgotten. This is the night, or the morning preceding the day, when clock and watch collectors, and dealers all over the country will have the opportunity to "play" with their toys and/or merchandise!

Regards,

Tref

Lindell, Tref,

Lin, It was nice to read your old post.

The WWII vets were a special breed of men. They did their job and returned home and got on with their life's and didn't talk much about their experiences. They thought that's what you we supposed to do and made no mention of their heroics and went on with life and started families and earned their livings and bought homes and set the standard for us.

Back to watches. The hack feature was used to stop the watch when the second hand reached zero and then all the people in a group could set the hour and minute hands to exactly what everyone else who was in the group determined was the correct time. This was done so that when they were apart doing different missions and when a prearranged plan was put into play everyone could be sure that events would happen exactly when scheduled.

Example: A rifle team is sent out on ambush from a firebase and told to be at a certain coordinate at 10 o'clock. If they are not where they are supposed to be their own artillery could hit them. If they call in support and they give a time according to their watch they can travel to another location before the air strike hits where they called it in on. Every man on the mission has the exact time and knows where to be at a certain time because of the hack feature. Everyone is on the same page and time and there is less room for error because everyone has exactly the same time.

This also was used on ships and aircraft during timed bombing runs and ship support for infantry with the ships big artillery.

It was extremely important that everyone on a mission was on the exact same time.

These watches saved many a life and helped us win the war.They were superior to any other timepieces of the war.They were produced in large quanities so that most servicemen could have one. It was a dirfferent story on the other side.