I bought a Hamilton 974 that appears to be an early military piece. As it was a 1915 production date, it could be a WWI vintage. The watch case looks to be original to the piece. Rather than go any further I will add the pictures that may help discover it's use.

The movement, other than being well used, seemd to be a plain old 974 Adjusted Pendant setting watch. The pendant setting could be for it to be used as a comparator.

The dial is also pretty standard fare.
Anybody have any ideas what the markings on the case signify? Please comment.

I'm probably completely wrong but I seem to remember, long ago, that "S.S." meant Sea Service. However, that sounds more like British usage. Just throwing in some ideas. It'll be interesting to find out what it means, especially that symbol on the case back.

When it gets here, I will no doubt have it refreshed and re crystalled in a few hours. This piece is most worthy of some research. Sea Service woudl make sense, the number may be a hull number, I will work on that.

SEE THIS TOPIC FOR RELATED INFORMATION:

Whats this all about Hamilton 974 and 2974

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Hi, David.

I was wandering about to search some details about 974, without L or P, and I found this old post.

A bit too late, may be, but the markings are of a USN assigned watch, see below

Kindest regards, your Italian disciple

I have marking that are close to what you have on my walthan chronometer.
I think the one you have and mine were used before WW2 brands they used before WW2 Dueber-Hampden,Elgin,Hamilton,Howard,Illinois,Rockford,Southbend,Waltham,And foreign makers Agassiz,Karussel,LeRoy & Co,Longines,Nardine some of those names I never heard before.And one of the requirments was being a comparing watch was no less than 17 jewels and yours has the right jewel count.And they did use the 974 movement before WW2 I found this in a book when posting a reply I made a copy for you.

This watch was recoverd from the sub USS Squalus in 1939 it made a test dive and a disaster took place they were stuck at the bottom and it was the first sub rescued a total of 32 submariner's and captain and the naval architect with a McCain diving bell interesting story.I think you got a early US Navy comparing watch.

Mike do you have the Marvin Whitney Book (pictured with Bisbee the Ham/Cat)? It is the "bible" of this kind of stuff. He also did another encyclopedic work on Chronometers. In Whitney's Military Timepieces Whitney chronicles that in 1918 or so the Naval Observatory requested samples from many watchmakers to test them for Government service. That is the period of my watch. It is my understanding that all of these sample watches were released by the N.O. when WWII started for immediate service in the Military.

As for my N.O. 974, I did a side by side with the WWII period 2974 model to show their comparative movements. The interesting thing is that the N.O. was servicing 974's (Squalus ia case in point) for pre-war use, and as I expect happened, the later 2974 which was made hacking also designed to use 992B parts simply for sake of efficiency. As the 2974 was a Hacking "Comparator" watch they were made in much smaller numbers, more in keeping with the Model 21 and 22 Gimballed movments they would be used in conjunction with.

David I have both books.Do you have Concise guide to military time pieces 1880-1990 by ZM Wesolowski, I was thinking of getting it the price is right on it. If you do is it any good.
Mike.

David & Mike,
Very interesting thread.

It is my understanding the ZMW book concentrates more in the european stuff so I have not gotten it yet.

I read were they said it had a little of every thing US,German,Japan but most of it on european stuff.
Mike