1908 HAMILTON 18S 23J 946 POCKET WATCH 90+% Mint/Time within 3 seconds daily

  

I HAVE PROVIDED MY OWN DESCRIPTION OF THE USED CONDITION OF THIS WATCH, WHICH TAKES COMPLETE PRECEDENCE OVER THE PRO-FORMA DESCRIPTION. PLEASE DISREGARD THE PRO-FORMA "PRE-OWNED" DESCRIPTION. Hunting: The stem is at the 3:00 position, and the movement is meant to be mounted in a case that has a covering over the face. "Sidewinders" are hunting movements in openface cases. " style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; outline: none; background: transparent; color: rgb(165, 76, 0); text-decoration-line: none; cursor: pointer;>.

Adjusted 5 Positions 23 Jewels 946 Safety Pinion. This railroad model 946 watch model is the model which earned The Hamilton.

Watch Company a reputation as a prestigious watch that. Qualified for watch inspection service on all railroads in the US and Canada. Watch inspection service required a higher accuracy than ordinary railroad grade service, since it was a watch that was used by the station master to set other railroad grade watches, so that they were keeping accurate time. This was among the highest precision instruments of its day, and is still performing with that high level of precision 111 years later.

According to the previous owner, this watch has been serviced; however, how recently and what the service details were is not definitely known. That said, it is running very well and is very clean throughout, which indicates the likelihood is that service was fairly recent. Railroad watches in the US are particularly interesting because the watch industry in the US leapt to its feet from very little preceding history (unlike Europe with hundreds of foundational years of watch design and craftsmanship), and in the midst of a developing industrial production line environment produced railroad watches to meet the most rigorous, stringent, and demanding requirements established by the American railroads, where the previous absence of precise watches had resulted in serious disasters a number of times. It is thought that American mechanical watchmaking reached the pinnacle of its success with the development of the railroad watch.

A good number of companies developed to meet this need, such as Elgin, Waltham, Illinois, but Hamilton rose to the top, so much so, that for a time general advertisements, unrelated to Hamilton as a business entity, would refer to a train employee referring to his Hamilton! This is an excellent running watch, running within three seconds variance in 24 hours with the proper regulation. Both mechanically and cosmetically, this watch is in excellent condition, and can be described as in superb condition.

The case is a very clean gold filled case guaranteed for 25 years, as marked on the inside of the rear cover. The condition of this case can be described as excellent, with the only signs of having been used as described in the following sentences. There is no evidence of any brassing or any wear at all on the case, bow and crown, or the engraving on rear cover.

All are in completely unworn condition, and the case only indicates wear through the presence of. Micro-scratches, along some very small nicks in several places on the case. He bezel must be opened to set the watch, and to access the mechanism of the watch.

The bezel is threaded and screws on and off easily. Once the bezel is opened a lever is accessible at the 2 o'clock position, which in order to set the watch must be pulled out and then the watch can be set by turned the crown either clockwise or counterclockwise to move the hands forward or backward to the desired time. After this is satisfactorily completed, the lever is pushed back into the resting position and the bezel is screwed back on.

To aid proper threading, the bezel is marked with a circular scoring on the edge of the lid that should be lined up with the crown and then screwed on clockwise. Carefully lay the bezel flat on the threaded body of the case to ensure that it screws on properly. Winding is done with the case in closed position, by winding the crown. Accessing the mechanism of the watch is also accomplished by opening the front bezel, as described above. HOWEVER, in order to open the swing case, YOU MUST FIRST PULL THE CROWN OUT AS FAR AS IT WILL GO, then the swing can be easily opened by inserting your finger nail, or a case knife into the slot provided.

Failure to pull the crown out, will result in breaking the stem, which is hardened steel. The watch will have to go to the watchmaker, if this happens.

The crystal is a new-looking 1mm thick mineral glass crystal. The slightly domed crystal is made of plate glass chamfered to smoothly transition into the bezel, and is scratch-free, with excellent clarity.

There are no visible flaws in the glass itself. Transparency and clarity are both excellent.

The double sunk, 12 hour dial is in perfect shape, with the only flaw being a very shallow micro size chip and an almost invisible 1/8 inch long hairline both located at the six o'clock position. This is predominantly hidden under the bezel and for the most is only slightly noticable when the bezel has been removed in order to set the time. Numbering consists of dark black arabic numerals 1-12 on the outer ring of the dial. The minute chapter is marked by a set of dark hatch marks that circumscribe the outside of the dial at the minute positions, with a red arabic numeral from five to sixty at the five minute locations. Five minute locations are marked by broad black hatch marks.

The center of the dial is marked with script lettering Hamilton Watch Co. The seconds dial is sunken at the bottom of the main dial at the six o'clock position. Hands are a matched pair of spade hands, and are deep-blued in pristine shape.

The matching deep-blued second hand is also pristine, and is fully functional. The movement rear top plate is very clean and bright. The solid gold jewel chatons are brightly polished. The top plate is fully damaskeened, and very ornate and attractive, as shown in the photos of the listing.

The signature and all wording inlays on the rear plate are gilded, as well as the ornate design inlays on the balance cock. The micro regulator is a Goldthwait regulator and functions well. 23 ruby and sapphire jewels are set in solid gold settings.

The single roller movement is numbered 550517, and went to the finishing department in November 1908. This movement has a Hamilton patent motor barrel.

Please see the opening part of the Description (credit to the Pocket Watch Database) for a more completely detailed itemization of the significant features of this Hamilton 946 railroad watch movement. The movement starts up during the wind of the watch. If ever it should not start during winding, a simple slight flick in the rotational plane of the movement will immediately start it. If it still does not start, look for possible interference, especially of the hands. The hands on this watch have been adjusted so that this should not happen, but if they are touching in any way, even the second hand touching either of the other two hands will stop the watch from running and prevent it from starting.

Following are some additional details of the mechanism of this watch. This watch uses 23 ruby/sapphire jewels. Ruby jewels are a red corundum, and sapphire a white blue corundum, and are both 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, at the peak of the scale, just under diamond, as the hardest jewel material. This kind of hardness offers the best jewel material for durability on watches.

This watch is designed with a Breguet hairspring. This is a significant improvement over flat hairsprings. Brequet hairsprings have an overcoil turn which allows the hairspring to remain close to a perfectly concentric spiral, allowing the best possible spring action, resulting in the best possible timekeeping.

Some earlier grades of Hamilton watches were designed with flat hairsprings. This watch has a bimetallic split balance with solid gold timing screws for truing the balance wheel so it does not have heavy and lighter areas around the wheel. The bimetallic split balance solved most temperature issues by having two dissimilar metals joined together, steel on the inside and brass on the outside. Each has a different coefficient of thermal expansion and when temperature rises the split ends curl inward decreasing the effect diameter of the wheel and conversely when the temperature decreases. The effect of this change is actually to compensate for the change in the conventional steel spring, which, as temperature rises increases in thickness such that the balance wheel slows down and conversely when the temperature decreases.

So the changes in the balance wheel diameter compensate for the changes in the hairspring performance (when the temperature rises the bimetallic wheel bends inward at the splits, causing the balance wheel to run faster, thus compensating for the hairspring slowing it down, and conversely when the temperature decreases). This watch has a Hamilton patent motor barrel mainspring. This is most valuable in a reliable timekeeping, since this style of mainspring (as also the going barrel) did not impact the running of the watch when it was being wound. This Hamilton patent type of motor barrel mainspring design is coupled with a safety pinion arrangement on the center wheel to ensure that a broken mainspring does not damage the wheel train of the watch. This watch has solid gold jewel chatons (settings), held in place by two screws per setting.

The value of these settings is two fold. First it permits a softer setting material to position the jewel accurately, without damage to the jewel. Second, if the jewel is damaged and needs replacement it permits an easier, cleaner way to replace the damaged jewel with a new jewel. This type of setting is once again a sign of the highest-grade American timepieces.

This watch is a single roller jewel escapement. In addition, this watch has a micrometric regulator, a Goldthwait micro regulator, which is capable of very fine regulation, allowing the watch to be easily regulated within a second or two daily variance, or even better if it is in superb shape, as this watch is.

Stem wind and lever set. This watch is wound from the stem, but in order to set the time, the bezel must opened up and the lever pulled out as shown in the second picture (next to the 2 o'clock position on the dial).

With the lever pulled out, the stem is turned in either direction to set the time. Remember to push the lever back in, before attempting to close the bezel. Since it is unknown when the last full service was performed on this watch, if it is intended to use this watch on a daily basis it would be worth the cost to have a full service done to protect your investment. I receive no compensation for recommending this watchmaker, but have found his work to be of the best quality, and of an affordable price.

This watch is from my personal collection of pocket watches. I will try my best to respond within 24 hours. Please look at the pictures, as they form a significant part of the description.

I try to provide complete and accurate descriptions in my listings and provide notes about the particular watch to the best of my ability. All my running watches have been tested as running for an extended time (usually several or more months) before listing them. This allows me to determine if they are able to keep time and how consistently they are running, which I do my best to describe in the listing. This does not indicate future performance or accuracy of timekeeping. It is not known when the last service was performed on this watch.

However, the top plate and gold jewel chatons. Are in excellent clean condition, suggesting that the watch was not used much since that service. The gold chatons have little sign of being scratched, suggesting that the service was done by a professional watchmaker. The winding is very smooth and easy, and on a full wind it runs for a full day at a minimum. Provided that the watch is not mishandled by dropping or other significant shock to the watch, it will run for years until the next service is required.

The oils used in recent era service are far better than the oils originally used when this watch was first put into service in 1908. Recent oils are synthetic and, unlike the original petroleum based oils, do not harden into wax, allowing the watch to wear longer between services. If it is intended to use this watch on a daily basis, it is recommended that a full service be performed on the watch to protect your investment, and ensure accuracy and greater durability for such use. (I do not receive any compensation for my recommendation). It is generally not recommended to wind the watch all the way (especially not to force it beyond the point it stops), if it is not known to be a new mainspring, as mainsprings break sometimes on antique watches, and overwinding makes failure of the mainspring (by breaking) more likely. ALWAYS stop winding if there is any resistance. Older watches sometimes need a gentle rotational movement to start the balance wheel turning, after winding. Some may start running during the wind, which is even better.

Also, some may only run in certain positions. My watches have all been running in an upright bow up position, and have not been tested in other positions, unless so stated. This watch runs in all positions, but has not been tested for accuracy in other than the bow up position.

However, in any case, if you are having a problem, however, please contact me, and I will do my best to help you. SOME DESTINATIONS MAY NOT BE INCLUDED. The item "1908 HAMILTON 18S 23J 946 POCKET WATCH 90+% Mint/Time within 3 seconds daily" is in sale since Wednesday, May 8, 2019. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Watches, Parts & Accessories\Pocket Watches\Antique".

The seller is "drademacher1" and is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Bahamas, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Barbados, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Brunei darussalam, Bolivia, Egypt, French guiana, Guernsey, Gibraltar, Guadeloupe, Iceland, Jersey, Jordan, Cambodia, Cayman islands, Liechtenstein, Sri lanka, Luxembourg, Monaco, Macao, Martinique, Maldives, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Reunion, Uruguay.

• Number of Jewels: 23 Ruby and Sapphire Jewels
• Model: 946
• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
• Style: Railroad Grade Pocket Watch
• Escapement Type: Single Roller Lever w/ Goldthwait micro regulator
• Pocket Watch Size: 18 size
• Material: Guaranteed 25 year Gold Filled Case
• Movement: Stem wound and stem/lever set
• Year of Manufacture: 1900-1909
• Features: Double Sunk Dial
• Closure: J. Boss 25 year Gold Filled Keystone Watchcase
• Brand: Hamilton
• Serial Number: 550517