I picked up this Hamilton 992L with 2 hour hands on the script Hamilton Montgomery dial. Does someone know if this is original, or have any other information? Thanks.

Here is a picture of the works.

[Movement number: 1544616]

Your watch dates to about 1920 according to pocketwatchdatabase.com

That dial sig was used from approx.1905 to 1918 and a couple years either way are generally factored in.

Hamilton began using Montgomery dials in approx. 1912 (so I have read and can't back this up)

So until other info is posted I think you can assume your dial to be correct.


I am not a pocket watch expert but sometimes play one on the internet.

Thanks Lorne. Good to know about the dial. Still curious about those two hour hands. I've rad a little about them online, but just don'y know how common they were, or if they "fit" this watch. Maybe someone will know.

Those hands were in use long before your watch was made and used anywhere a railroader crossed time zones during the course of his work.

So now my only question is how do I set the second hour hand? The watch sets and runs fine, but I don't know how to set that hour hand separately. It just moves along one hour ahead of the other one as I set the watch.

That is what it is supposed to do, they are always one hour apart.

Unless it is a home made set-up those hands are a one piece unit.

Hmmm. OK. Thanks. That seems odd to me, but I take your word for it. Wonder what they did when they had to cross more than one time zone!

That would never happen, we worked about 120 miles each way out of our home terminal.

These days some crews work double subdivisions but the situation would still never arise. The crews would not be allowed to work that long.

I worked out of Jasper for a few years and the time change was officially at the provincial border.

When at work however a west train used B.C. time the whole way, east obviously used Alberta time.

Interesting. Thanks so much for all the information. I truly am appreciative.

If you are traveling and crossing timezones, it doesn't matter how far you go nor how long it takes as they remain at 1 hour differences [+/-] depending which direction you are going.

Let's say you are in a jet Eastbound and you depart CA. at 830 am, when you cross into AZ. you will have crossed into another time zone and a watch with "Dual Time Zone Hands" [DTZ] will be correct and +1 hour ahead of the CA time. Now as you cross into TX. you will be +1 more hour ahead of CA. AND it would now be time to have to re-set your watch ahead by 1 hour. Then as you arrive GA. you will advance 1 more hour and your watch will be correct IF it had DTZ hands. It will be "reverse order" if you are traveling Westbound.

regards,
bb

Douglas, since you live in Brentwood [TN], I'm wondering if you found the watch here in Tennessee?

As you know we live in a two time zone State. The train crews who worked on the NC&St.L.RR (CSX now) out of Nashville crossed into Eastern time just outside Chattanooga to end their fright run in the Wauhatchie yard, or passenger service at Union Station (Choo Choo hotel now). A watch like this with two hour hands would do the trick for the crews on those runs.

My 992E has these hands, and where I work for UT, it's kind of handy, as my campus is located in Central time, and the Knoxville main campus is in Eastern.

Regards! Mark

No, Mark...I got it on an EBay auction from a seller in Pennsylvania. It is a really nice example of the 992, and I was intrigued by both the Montgomery dial and the two hour hands.

Being new to this hobby, I was trying to find things out about it. This group is very informative, very responsive and very kind to "newbies" like myself.

I'm curious...do you work on watches yourself, or have a good local person who does it?

I don't work on them myself, Doug, but my 'go-to' watch man is Chris Abell, who is a member here. He is a master watch maker and located in Tyler, TX.

I also use Leon Harris for case work, and he's located in Livingston, TN.

There are also members here in Tennessee who work on watches, [Rob Carter] located in Kingsport, TN as a matter of fact.

You then have Samie Smith just north of you in Kentucky, and Billy Kuhn down here and just across the border in Huntsville, ALA, so we're surrounded by fine watch makers, all members of the 185.

Regards! Mark

I read that thread about Chris Abell's renovation of that old E. Howard & Co. watch. Then went to his website. Seems like a lot of work goes his way, and I can certainly see why! I'll certainly keep all of the recommendations you made on file. So far, the few watches I've acquired all are in working condition. Some probably could use a cleaning and servicing, but not sure it's really worth it to spend the $$. The 992 referenced in this thread runs great, and keeps amazingly good time!

Thanks again.

Problem I see with the 992 is the regulator is pushed all the way over to the fast side of the scale, telling me the watch needs a clean/oil/adjustment in the near future. The watch has slowed down to the point of the past owner has pushed the regulator over to compensate for the loss of time.

The regulator whip should be dead center of the scale and be keeping plus/minus 30 seconds a week, being a railroad grade/approved watch.

Keep in mind, if you have dirt suspended in the oil (if there's any oil left in the movement), it's like a lapping compound being injected into a bearing, which is what a jewel is.

You could be doing a LOT of damage running your watch without a general service.

Just something to keep in mind if you plan on running your watches for any time, let alone use them without knowing their service history.

Regards! Mark

Great advice Mark. I appreciate it and will definitely do that. Interesting that the two winds I have run it for, the first time it was practically spot on, and the second time it actually ran about 1:30 minutes fast in a day.

Yep, time for a service!

Regard! Mark