I am looking at a Hamilton military 24 hour in very nice shape. Can anyone give me an idea of what is a fair price? The info is as foloows.

CAL. 4992B
MOVEMENT #4C191512
KEYSTONE CASE #923703

Hi Kenneth, and welcome to our bunch, a Hamilton 4992B in excellent condition with original case showing Govt. marking, etc., etc., and 24 hour dial can bring as much as $400.00. The serial number you refer to is very high and must be a late production, unless that is a typo and the actual number is lower.

Thanks Mr Abbe, The serial # is AF43 29174

quote:

4C191512

excuse me movement #4C91512

The movement number is the one used to date the watch. The number on the outside of the case is a contract number which often contains the date of the contract, such as 43 for 1943. This contract date may not be the same as the date the watch was made.

Best regards,
Greg

Thank you Greg, I'm very new at this and a slow learner on top of that. I wonder if you'd answer a question for me. On the 4992B I just got. The case number inside the back cover and the case number on the movement housing (visible when you unscrew the crystal) are different. Is this common or did I get a watch made form 2 watches?
Thanks Ward

That Serial# is late WWII around 1944-45. There are countless reasons why the case back may not match the case body serial number, but more importan (to me) would be the condition of the Watch, Movement, and Display (Dial and Hands).

Nice watches such as these were used for many years by the military and then sold as surplus where civilians have used them ever since. Most have been through a number of overhauls by watchmakers either in the military (they used to have their own watchmakers) or by civilian watchmakers once they found their way into private hands. Up until a few years ago there was no particular regard for keeping numbers matching or even ensuring the exact correct replacement part was used as they were simply timepieces that were worth keeping in good working order for everyday use and they were not seen as collector's items.

Thank You Both,
It really is in VERY good shape, I was happily surprised when I got it. My Dad was a WWII pilot before there was an Air Force, and he had mentioned these to me.
Thank You