I haven't seen any mention here of this version.

What's this all about, it looks very different from what I've see before?

A really good 12-hour watch Hamilton was producing during WW2 was the military 992B of course.

Here's C80563 (circa 1944) from my collection. It's got a CPR-style 24-hour dial with red 13-24 numerals, "ORDNANCE DEPARTMENT" engraved on the back cover and "US GOVT" engraved on the train bridge.


U.S. Military 992B -- C80563 (1944)

This document may be of interest because it shows that the first two sample 3992Bs were really converted 4992Bs and they are the only known factory altered 4992B watches.

Don

As Lindell mentioned, the movement was modified by some watchmaker and then a dial from a Hamilton railroad watch was added to it, and then this was dropped into a case from another watch. Some resellers tout watches like this as 'special' or 'rare' but they are not being forthcoming by not saying it was a put together assembly of modified and unrelated parts.

I agree with Lindell that it is likely a very nice and accurate watch to carry for telling you the time, but it is not something that I would consider to be a military timepiece with any historical attributes.

Yes, Hamilton made many 16-size 12 hour watches for the military in WWII.

They made 18,938 21 jewel railroad watches (992B) for the Army.

They made 220 for the Navy as Aircraft Navigation Watches. These had to be 992Bs as well, because they were also 21 jewels. If they were 3992Bs or 4992Bs, they would have 22 jewels.

They also made 15,563 17 jewel comparing watches (2974B)

These are war production numbers. Some of these were produced after the war as well.

Don

Hi Ed,

I have a 992B (SN C80806) with the same case and dial as the one you posted above. My case has no military markings, but the movement is marked US Govt. I was later told that all of the 992B's that Hamilton supplied to the military during this time had a Montgomery style dial, and that the CPR type with 24 hour markers was an aftermarket replacment. Do you agree or could this type of dial be original? Thanks,

Tom

Tom,

To the best of my knowledge the CPR-type dial (Dial 090) with the red inner track was original to these military issue 992B's.

Whitney says that 12 hour 992B and 24 hour dial 4992B watches were both military issue and used by Army Corps of Engineers railroad personnel. Their original cases would be either nickel or base metal with a screw back and bezel, and the backs are engraved:

U.S.
ORDNANCE DEPT.
WATCH - R.R. GRADE
MFRS. PART NO. 992B
SERIAL NO. OE - xxxxxxx
HAMILTON WATCH CO.

Thanks guys - I now feel much better about my own version of this watch! My case lacks the military markings Jim described, so I assume it's a replacement. But it's good to know that the dial and movement are correct.

Best,

Tom

The dial on the frankenwatch that started this thread - the one with the converted 4992B movement with the extra second hand - is not the same dial that was used on either the 4992Bs or the 12 hour 992Bs, though it looks very similar to the 12 hour 992B style dial. The biggest difference is the 992B 12 hour dial's numeral 3 has a flat stroke for the top of the 3 while this one has a rounded top to the 3. There are other smaller differences as well.

Many thanks for the copy of the Hamilton document with the information on the two sample master navigation watches that were converted from 4992B to 3992B specs. However unless there is something more, the wording in this memorandum does not convince me that these two were anything but special "one-off" samples that were made for the purpose of creating two specimens for the purpose of meeting a particular contractual requirement of the British Purchasing Commission rather than as a regular activity.

This is what I think Lindell referred to as a "post war conversion" of a 4992. It is excellent condition and extremely accurate! It is signed as a 4992B . . .

The watch is not a "Hacker".

I have been told a thousand times that there was a conversion kit that included a new hour wheel, minute wheel, dial, hands and case back. I have never run across any documentation to veryify this.

Don

P.S. Here is the 090 dial that Ed showed:

Here is the 091 dial.

Don

Here is the 084 dial.

Don

And finally the 079

Don