Hello everybody!

I'm back with another Hamilton beauty. I really like it because of it's unusual dial. Btw, why is it called "NATO-dial"?

But please have a look now...

Now let's take it out of the box...





The engravings on the caseback are:

NAVIGATION MASTER WATCH
MFR'S PART NO. 3992B
0552 - 521 - 0243 engraved across the MFR'S No.
Broad Arrow SERIAL NO. 1488-1942
HAMILTON WATCH CO.
H.S. 3 struck through two times

The movement seems to be in top condition.



Detail of the movement with the engraved number 3C 1860.


Again some details of the movement's engravings.



I hope you like it.

Who can tell me the meaning behind the changed engraving on the caseback? Was this watch originally produced in WW2 for the Royal Navy where it's got the H.S. 3 class? Was this watched still used by the Royal Navy after WW2 and taken into NATO-stock? I hope you guys can give me the answers.

Have a nice day!

Regards
Gerd

Gerd

Great watch, that is one of the Hamilton's I have always wanted, they go for a pretty penny compared to their brother the 4992B.

I will have to leave the answer to the experts about the case markings. I am probably wrong but I was thinking I heard that the British Govt. struck out their markings when a item of property left their inventory.

Tom

Gerd,

This is one on my wishlist. Very nice and all original. I'm not sure why the HS3 case markings are struck out, but I've seen others similarly marked.

Nice one!

John III

Hello Gerd,

This is a very nice watch/clock, either way it is very nice....

Maybe Greg our Military Expert can shed light on your questions but my guess is that it was originally made for the U.S. Military (hence the U.S.Govt. on the movement) then transferred to the British, if it indeed came from the British inventory, some time after 1949 when N.A.T.O. was formed.

As far as the H.S.3 goes, if it was in the Royal Navy, seems to me that the designation would be HMS and not just plain HS, but I certainly am no expoert....just my opinion....

Regardless, it is a very nice piece, one of the best I have ever seen....

Regards,
Jerry

I believe the 3992B was made for the Canadian & British during WWII, the US used the 4992B. They are basically the same watch but different dial as required by each government. They were a lot fewer 3992B made.

The HS3 was for a deck watch adjusted for isochronims in a minimum of two positions, I think they used HS1, HS2 & HS3. Each designated a different type of duty for the watch
Tom

Very nice watch! Thanks for sharing the pictures. It really looks like its in great condition.

Someday I want to pick up one to go with my 4992B. I read the outer dial (1-10) was used for Timing Torpedoes on Subs.

After WWII, time pieces of various makes and grades were placed in storage. Including the above watch, which would have been provided to the United Kingdom through the WWII era Lend-Lease agreements.

As noted above, in the 1950's, the "HS" (Hydrographic Service) codes were replaced by NATO stores codes. It was during that time, that various WWII era watches were overhauled by the Chronometer Section of the Royal Hydrographic Dept. stationed in Hertmonceaux Castle. Depending upon the intended use, new dials were often fitted. The dial on your watch is the type often fitted to overhauled deck watches. Having an outer chapter ring marked to indicate 100ths of an hour was useful for more rapid mathematical calculations.

There may be more information about these watches in Konrad Knirim's new British Timepieces book, which recently arrived at my door from Germany. However, I have not had the time to read it yet.

Great watch and excellent images. Nice to see the original box with it.

Best regards,
Greg

Hi all!
Sadly I almost got my entire collection of watches stolen last week. But the two watches that the thief missed was my Mobilis tourbillon (found on the grass outside the window, cm from really hi grass) and my Nato dial 3992b to the right in the picture. That I´m actually really really happy for. The other one I sold a couple of years ago. Think I will try to get it back.

Nice pieces these "Hams"

/Bernhard

Aslo nice to see that our boxes are of the same kind (manufacture)

/Bernhard

In the Royal Navy HMS stands for either 'His Majesty's Ship' or 'Her Majesty's Ship' depending on whether a king or queen is reigning at the time.

The HS on these timepieces stands for something entirely different, it is for 'Hydrographic Service'. The Hydrographic Service was a branch of the Royal Navy whose job was to make make the nautical charts so the warships would be able to navigate safely and accurately and not run aground or hit submerged obstacles such as shallow wrecks, sandbars, or reefs. Their second job was to assemble accurate tide tables, again to help the warships to keep from running aground at low tide, or to know when the tide was going into or out of a port which was important to know when you were coming into or going out of a port. The Hydrographic Survey was not a combat part of the Navy, but their work was essential to the Navy's success. Just imagine a captain of a battleship or a submarine not having any accurate charts of the waters through which they were sailing to lay out on the navigation table on the bridge or not knowing the exact times for the tides along coastal areas where the depths shown on their charts were going up and down every 12 hours. High quality timepieces were important for the Hydrographic Survey to have to be able to make the nautical charts and tide tables for the Royal Navy ships' captains and navigators to use.

Bernhard - so sorry to hear of the theft of most of your watches. That is really heartbreaking.

If you have a list with serial numbers, you might want to post it, perhaps in the "private conversations" forum. Then you would have the benefit of our members worldwide on the lookout for them.

Many thanks Mary Ann!

Yes, I have talked to Lindell about it, maybe/hopefully we´ll come up with something.

/Bernhard

Hallo friends,
this Hamilton was first remarked to H.S. 3 Royal Navy deck watch and then redialed to a 'watch for work studies' with 1/100 minute industrial time scaling!

. Gruesse/Regards/Salute Konrad Knirim
PS: Have a look at my new book:
British Military Timepieces
. http://www.knirim.de

Hello everybody,

thank you all for sharing your knowledge and thoughts. This is why I really love this forum.

I wish you all a happy, prosperous and fortunate year 2010!

Regards
Gerd