Need Help identify Hamilton 992 pocket watch

[jackals7]

I came across this Hamilton Pocket watch. I am hoping someone can give me some information on it.
The information listed inside is as follows
Hamilton Watch Co
Lancaster, PA
21 jewels
992
2415385
Double roller
adjusted
5 positions

Bunn Special on the inside of back cover

http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg180/jackals7/HPIM0423.jpg
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg180/jackals7/HPIM0420.jpg

[Shangas]

It's a railroad-standard pocket watch. Nice find :) The serial-number dates your watch to 1931.

[Ray MacDonald]

Interesting and thanks for posting. Bunn Special was originally an Illinois model watch. This was around the time Hamilton was integrating Illinois into its own operations. I wonder if they had some leftover Illinois cases in the inventory.
Ron in Pa is our resident expert on Hamilton and I'd love to hear his comments when he drops by.

[jackals7]

Thank you both for you help. It is in perfect working condition. It does have a little rub wear along the edge's on each side. I don't notice and scratches or anything.

Does anyone know is a watch like this has any value?

Thanks again for the help!

[RON in PA]

You have one of approximately 600,000 Hamilton 992s made between 1902 and 1940. These are excellent timepieces, up to all RR standards of the time.

We cannot discuss values here, but do a Google/Yahoo search on Hamilton 992s and see what they are going for on Ebay or from retailers.

The case is a puzzlement, by 1924 Hamilton was selling its watches as cased units and the styles available for 992s were limited. The cases used by Hamilton were made by companies that specialized in watch case manufacture. I've never seen a late 992 cased in that style case and think what you have is a recase or as Ray has suggested may represent Hamilton using parts acquired with the purchase of Illinois. In the depths of the Depression all things were possible, Hamilton was hurting like everybody else. If your watch is using a case from another watch it may have extra marks on the case made by the screws original movement.

If you are interested in information on watch cases used by Hamilton for the 992 go to the message board on the NAWCC.org web site and use the search function.

[jackals7]

wow, lots of useful information there. Thank you very much.

I haven't messed around with the watch much at all. Just removed to back of the case. That back of the case also a has the following engraved on it

Bunn Special
model

Wadsworth
quality
10 karet
gold filled
Pat's pending
7422187

I'll check out the sites you suggested.

[Shangas]

If I were you, I'd send it to a good watchmaker, have it cleaned, oiled and regulated and use it as your daily timepiece. I know I would if I had a pretty thing like that.

But then, this is a *railroad* watch we're talking about. Perhaps you should get it adjusted as well! Although that costs considerably more...

[jackals7]

Since this is all new to me. Would you have a ballpark figure on what such work would cost me?. I guess I want to know a little before walking in the door with "sucker" written across my forehead.
Thanks

[Eeeb]

Ball park, $100 at a watchmaker's shop. More if via a third party or repairs are involved.

[Ray MacDonald]

A recase might make sense if it were originally a railroader's watch. The railroad guy would have to spend major money just to get his watch movement and this one would be a popular choice. Maybe his Bunn special had to be replaced so he just told the jeweler to put the Hamilton movement in the Illinois case. A railroader didn't worry that much about getting a real fancy case that matched the movement.
However as Ron said most Hamiltons in that era were sold cased from the factory. I guess it's a mystery we won't be able to solve.
The movement is one of the finest around so it's well worth spending the cash to get it serviced.

[Shangas]

A clean, oil and regulation shouldn't cost too much. For me, it cost $300, but that was because I needed to get a part repaired as well. Without that I'd say about $100-150.

A clean, oil and adjust (which is what a watch like this should really have done to it) would cost considerably more. Adjusting is a tricky process only to be undertaken by experienced watchmakers and it takes time and money.

[jackals7]

A clean, oil and regulation shouldn't cost too much. For me, it cost $300, but that was because I needed to get a part repaired as well. Without that I'd say about $100-150.

A clea, oild and adjust (which is what a watch like this should really have done to it) would cost considerably more. Adjusting is a tricky process only to be undertaken by experienced watchmakers and it takes time and money.

Thank you all once again for all the info. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with it. I actually found this watch along with some jewelry after cleaning up an apartment. The family told me they removed everything they wanted and I could either keep or throw out anything that was left behind. So here I am asking you all questions about this piece. It came across to me as something really nice.

[Shangas]

A railroad-quality pocket watch is a very fine thing. Service it, keep it and use it. Or if not, sell it here. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would jump at the chance to buy it. I would, but I'm saving up my money for other things.

[Ray MacDonald]

Very rare to get such a fine quality watch as this just left behind. We don't get into valuations but this is an exceptionally fine pocket watch. My grandfather waited his whole life to be able to buy a Hamilton 992B.

[jackals7]

In all my searching I have seen a lot of 992B. What does the B stand for? I haven't come across many 922 without the B. Would the "B" be engraved after the 922? I have yet to find this exact watch pictured anywhere. The closest I have seen had Hamilton written in Italic style print. This watch Hamilton is in bold. The other closest match I have seen didn't have all the seconds numbers along the outer edge.

[jackals7]

It was found in a green fold up velvet case that has a push style button lock. The watch actually has a little pouch inside that it sets in with a circle cut out so it can be viewed when opened. It actually folds out two times. One time when you open it to view it and a second fold out to remove the watch from the pouch. I'm guessing this is also original.

[RON in PA]

Just a bit more trivia about your watch, I just, this week, picked up a copy of the Hamilton finishing records from 1893 to 1933. This document lists the runs of Hamilton serial numbers and the dates that movements went to the finishing room before being sent to dealers. Looking up a serial number also tells you the type of movement, size, whether open face or hunter, number of jewels and whether single or double roller.

Your watch, s/n 2 415 385, falls into a run of one thousand with s/n from
2 415 001 to 2 416 000. This run went the finishing room between 7/30/1926 and 9/14/1926. The fact that these dates differ from the 1931 date from Shangas indicates to me that the info on Hamilton s/n out there is often erroneous. The 1931 date comes from the Hamilton list in " The Complete Price Guide To Watches", the "Bible" of watch collecting. Even the Guide authors state that the list is approximate.