April 29, 2005, 21:39
___________Ball-Hamilton 999B ... Gold Center Wheels? ... Other Features?
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
