I just stumbled on a Hamilton 992B “Railway Special” at a local antique mall and I’m buzzing. Before I make an offer, can the pocket watch/railroad brain trust help me vet it and (maybe) help me build a quick originality checklist for future buyers?
Here’s what I saw:
- Movement: 992B with C29xxxx serial (late-’40s?), marked 21 Jewels, Adj. Temp & 6 Positions. Clean bridges, no screw-down jewel chatons (so it looks like a true B, not a 992).
- Dial: Double-sunk “Hamilton Railway Special,” Montgomery minute track, bold numerals. Looks like enamel at first glance, but I’ve heard lots of late-’40s RWS dials went melamine and tend to craze.
- Hands: Spade hour, whip minute, heavy seconds. Heat-blued.
- Case: Yellow 10k GF Hamilton case, bar-over-crown style bow. Inside back looks Keystone with a Model 11-style layout, but I didn’t have a loupe long enough to confirm every stamp.
- Condition: Crystal clean, bow tight, crown action smooth. No obvious brassing, light pocket swirls only.
- Ask: $850 USD, no service history.
Questions I can’t shake:
1) Dial correctness vs serial: For a C29xxxx 992B, is a double-sunk RWS Montgomery enamel dial plausible from the factory, or is melamine more likely? Any foolproof tells in-hand to separate a clean enamel DS from a early melamine DS besides the usual “crazing” look?
2) Typography nerd check: Did the “Railway Special” font or the shape of the “R”/“S” change by supplier or year? Could that help date the dial to a narrower range?
3) Case pairing: Would a Keystone Model 11 be a period-correct factory case for late-’40s Bs? If so, what are the exact inside-back stampings I should verify (and bow shape cues) to rule out a later marriage?
4) Hands: Are heat-blued spade/whip the default for this configuration, or were baton/lozenge hands also shipped on RWS Montgomery combos?
5) Price sanity in 2025: Assuming it’s correct and just needs a COA, is $850 fair-to-good? What premium/discount would you assign for enamel vs melamine, Model 11 vs stainless Model 15, Canadian 24-hour inner track, boxes/papers, etc.?
6) Parts/service reality: Are balance staffs, mainsprings, and jewel sets for 992B still readily available from reputable sources? Any modern mainsprings to avoid for timekeeping or longevity?
7) Transitional quirks: Were there known late-’40s factory oddities (e.g., leftover enamel RWS dials used alongside melamine, or early Model 11 case variations) that would make “one-off” combos less suspicious?
New idea for the community: if folks are game, I’ll compile a living 992B “Railway Special” reference from your replies:
- Serial ranges vs. likely dial material (enamel vs melamine), dial code if known, and typography tells
- Correct case models by timeframe with inside-back stamp examples
- Hand styles by catalog period
- Quick 10-point originality checklist and current market ranges by configuration/condition
If you can share movement serials, clear dial macros (especially of the “Railway Special” script and seconds bit), and inside caseback photos, I’ll stitch it into a one-pager we can pin for newcomers.