Antique (1940-1968) 16S Hamilton 992B 21J Railroad Pocket Watch Model 12

  

At introduction in late 1940, it was advertised boldly as America's finest and most accurate railroad watch. It was also the last railroad watch, made and certified after others went out of production in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The Hamilton 992 and 992B may be the most popular railroad watches ever made. The 992B is the movement.

The earlier versions had flowery script, while the very recent version shown here has much plainer lettering. As railroads became more popular, trains started crashing into one another as the tracks got too crowded. If one train was running early and another was running late, instead of passing each other in the opposite directions as intended, they might be on the same track at the same time running in opposite directions. Men realized that accurate timing was critical to keep trains in the right place at the right time.

An inaccurate watch could put one train in the same place in the other direction as another train. Each railroad adopted different standards, but generally they required watches that kept time to within 30 seconds per week. Each railroad had a "Watch Inspector" or inspectors who were in charge of setting and maintaining the fleet of watches carried by the men. Typically the men brought their watches to the watch inspector every other week to be checked, and set if necessary.

The man would receive a "watch card, " or a certificate that his watch was inspected on a certain day, and would need to produce a current certificate if challenged by a manager. The watch inspector kept his reference time with a pendulum clock in his office. From about the 1950s, the pendulum clock was set to WWV. The item "Antique (1940-1968) 16S Hamilton 992B 21J Railroad Pocket Watch Model 12" is in sale since Saturday, July 11, 2020. This item is in the category "Jewelry & Watches\Watches, Parts & Accessories\Watches\Pocket Watches".

The seller is "denaaromasrgd4u" and is located in Grove, Oklahoma. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Year Manufactured: 1940-1949
• Case Color: Yellow Gold
• Brand: Hamilton
• Model: Hamilton Railroad
• Type: Pocket Watch
• Number of Jewels: 21 Jewels
• Style: Railroad Grade
• Dial Style: Arabic Numerals
• Case Material: Gold Plated
• Movement: Mechanical (Manual)
• Vintage: Yes
• Dial Color: White
• Pocket Watch Size: 16