As some Ball-Hamilton grade 999B movements have polished gold center wheels along with gold jewel settings on their center, third, and fourth wheels while most others do not, we thought it might be worthwhile to start a database in order to investigate further by assembling movement numbers and determine if there is any clear separation between those that do or do not have these and other distinctive features.

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Abbreviations used below...

GCW means a "Highly Polished Gold Center Wheel"
gold-C-3-4 is "gold jewel settings on center, third, and fourth wheels"
comp-C-3-4 is "composition (brass) jewel settings on center, third, and fourth wheels"

"early winding wheels" refers to a circular pattern whereas "late winding wheels" were plain "brushed" pattern

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(1943)

Variant 1 (2B prefix numbers)

2B188 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
2B332 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
2B370 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
2B417 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
2B479 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
2B496 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
2B499 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
2B505 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
2B540 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
2B545 - GCW, gold-C-3-4

Variant 2 (1B prefix numbers)

1B028 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B132 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B149 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B230 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B306 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B419 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B646 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B722 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B1062 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B1158 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B1202 - GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B1274 - GCW, gold-C-3-4

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(1945)

1B1333 - no GCW
1B1344 - no GCW
1B1583 - no GCW
1B1803 - no GCW
1B1836 - no GCW
1B1855 - no GCW, gold-C-3-4

1B2047 - no GCW
1B2048 - no GCW

1B2361 - no GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B2483 - no GCW
1B3119 - no GCW
1B3290 - no GCW
1B3324 - no GCW
1B3544 - no GCW
1B3610 - no GCW
1B3694 - no GCW
1B3699 - no GCW
1B3793 - no GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B4109 - no GCW
1B4493 - no GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B4505 - no GCW
1B4662 - no GCW, gold-C-3-4
1B4709 - no GCW
1B4873 - no GCW
1B5266 - no GCW
1B5481 - no GCW
1B6333 - no GCW
1B7112 - no GCW
1B7151 - no GCW
1B7333 - no GCW
1B7394 - no GCW
1B7554 - no GCW
1B7735 - no GCW, circular damaskeen
1B8081 - no GCW
1B8249 - no GCW
1B8841 - no GCW
1B9058 - no GCW

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(1948)

1B9422 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B9516 - no GCW
1B9576 - no GCW
1B9890 - no GCW
1B10142 - no GCW
1B11098 - no GCW
1B11149 - no GCW
1B11271 - no GCW
1B11582 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B11701 - no GCW
1B12123 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B12995 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B13574 - no GCW
1B13937 - no GCW
1B13954 - no GCW
1B14627 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B15264 - no GCW
1B15539 - no GCW
1B15548 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B15575 - no GCW
1B15757 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B15846 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B16048 - no GCW
1B16181 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B16199 - no GCW
1B16227 - no GCW
1B16292 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B16507 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B16863 - no GCW
1B17061 - no GCW
1B17951 - no GCW
1B17975 - no GCW
1B18005 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B18265 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B18475 - no GCW
1B18612 - no GCW
1B18960 - no GCW
1B19120 - no GCW
1B19320 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B19720 - no GCW
1B19775 - no GCW
1B19866 - no GCW
1B19942 - no GCW
1B19985 - no GCW
1B20065 - no GCW
1B20316 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B20359 - no GCW
1B21863 - no GCW
1B22720 - no GCW
1B23150 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B23217 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B24119 - no GCW
1B24287 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B24564 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4

1B25169 - no GCW, circular damaskeen pattern, "late" winding wheels
1B25282 - no GCW, circular damaskeen pattern, "late" winding wheels
1B25293 - no GCW, circular damaskeen
1B25465 - no GCW, circular damaskeen pattern, "early" winding wheels
1B25541 - no GCW, circular damaskeen pattern, "early" winding wheels
1B25805 - no GCW, circular damaskeen pattern, "early" winding wheels
1B26044 - no GCW
1B26322 - no GCW
1B26563 - no GCW, circular damaskeen pattern, "late" winding wheels
1B26743 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B26763 - no GCW
1B26794 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B26873 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4
1B26879 - no GCW, circular damaskeen pattern, "late" winding wheels
1B26999 - no GCW, circular damaskeen pattern, "late" winding wheels

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(1955)

Variant 3 (Straight-Lined Damaskeened Plates)

1B26902 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern <Confirmed image by Carlos Cons

As if to throw in yet another complication the final few hundred 999B movements were quite different in appearance from predecessors. For some reason they used the straight-line damaskeening pattern on the plates previously associated with Hamilton 992B movements for the last American-Made Ball Watches which we place as being from 1955 production.

1B27117 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern
1B27133 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern <06/10/2009
1B27137 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern

1B27203 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern
1B27234 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern <07/22/2008

1B27307 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern <02/19/2009

1B27405 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern <07/04/2008
1B27472 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern
1B27491 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern

1B27538 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern
1B27541 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern
1B27582 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern <09/09/2008
1B27585 - no GCW, comp-C-3-4, lined damaskeen pattern <01/22/2011

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We are maintaining this as an on-going data-base and will update as more information surfaces. We also invite additional information sent to the ihc185@roadrunner.com address. Be sure to read our "Basic 999B History and More!" topic.

To determine approximate year of production check "The Hamilton Movement Number Listings Preserved by John F. Gelson" and specifically numbered page 21 lines 2-14 in the upper-right column of that page.

Lindell

1B10142 - No GCW

Mike

Here are several 999B's that I harvested from several internet sites. The one with the gold center wheel is in my personal collection.

1B1202 - Gold CW

1B1583 - no gold cw
1B3610 - no gold cw
1B4709 - no gold cw
1B11098 - no gold cw
1B16048 - no gold cw
1B17061 - no gold cw
1B17951 - no gold cw
1B19720 - no gold cw
1B19866 - no gold cw
1B26763 - no gold cw

I have 1B149 (pictured) and it DOES, of course, have the gold center wheel. My 1B028 and 2B370 also have gold center wheels. I have 1B9890 and it DOES NOT have a gold center wheel. Also, last week I viewed 1B1836 that I used to own and it DOES NOT have a gold center wheel, as early as 1836 is. We need some more examples for this topic!

Regards,
Larry

More examples need to 'come to light' to make a determination....

I pulled two out of the safe....

1B18475
1B24119

They both have the non gold center wheel....

Let's see what else turns up........

I had to look closely at my watches to determine if they had gold jewel settings or not. It seems that the gold center wheel and gold jewel settings may run hand-in-hand on these 999-B's (as an assumption). My three early ones (1B028, 1Bl49 and 2B370) have both gold jewel settings and gold center wheels. Jumping up to 1B9890 and 1B14627--I find gold neither place...must have been trimming production costs.

Phil & Terry--That is excellent color on those two sharp images of the 999-B's Phil owns and submitted. Thanks to both of you for participating in this topic. See if you can find some more to view, guys.

Larry

non

Picture from eBay auction. S/N 1B1202

Gold center wheel

1B24564 non-gold center wheel, non-gold settings.

Here are two more--confirming what would be expected for these late examples...

1B23150 -- no Gold CW/JS
1B26743 -- no Gold CW/JS

Larry

1B230 has GCW and GJS

Here's one I have:

1B18005 No GCW/JS

A few more ...

1B1803 – no GCW
1B2047 – no GCW
1B3699 – no GCW
1B4109 - no GCW
1B7554 – no GCW
1B11271 – no GCW
1B26044 - no GCW
1B26322 – no GCW

Fred

I have
2B545
with both GCW and GJS.
J Smith

Here's another for the list.
1B3324 - not gold
And yet another!
1B4505 - Not Gold.
Cheers!
Joel Sarich

1B15575 - no GCW

1B27137--as you would expect with NO gold CW--JS. However, this one does have straight-line damaskeening like a 992, instead of the circular pattern common to 999-B models!
Larry

1B21863 - Not gold.
Joel Sarich

ANOTHER UNUSUAL LATE HAMILTON-BALL 999-B MOVEMENT

On the right is 1B27137 another very late 999-B example with straight-line damaskeening that is seldom seen. It resembles the Hamilton 992 pattern used many years prior. The standard circular pattern damaskeening used on Ball 999-B's can be seen on the very early example on the left--a pattern that continued right up to near the 1B27000 serial number. The crown and ratchet wheel patterns and their retaining screws also did change--just as they did on the 992-B Hamilton sister movements.

Best regards,
Larry

My 999B with straight line pattern==1B27538

999B Serial# 1B7735: No GCW, circular DMK

Not really new info, but it confirms what has been discussed already.

Here's another 999B. Serial number 1B19942 no GCW. This thread really interests me. I have collected these on and off for 30 years, and never knew of ones with gold center wheels. The straight line pattern just blew me away! The things we as a chapter can learn and share are astonishing! I love it! Thanks Fred!
Cheers!
Joel Sarich

Found another 999B ser. no. 1B1274 DOES HAVE gold center wheel and gold jewel settings, helping to close-in on the changeover time frame.

Regards,
Larry

Here's mine: (ex-Wabash Railway by the way) 1B3793 Center wheel not gold: jewel settings appear to be gold as they are highly polished and have that pinkish hue seen on earlier Hamilton gold jewel settings. Circular damaskeening, porcelain ORR Std Ball SS dial, pretty typical.

serial. 1B25805 not gcw, cir pattern

1b2361 appears to have gold settings but a non gold center wheel. the settings have a sparkel but I am not sure if they are gold or not. Bob

Here is my 999B 1B11582 no GCW/JS. Hope this helps.
Weldon