Hamilton pocket watch

[DanTin]

Hello, I have this watch after my great grandfather. He bought it on a long trip to America (I believe Seattle). This was in 1925, so the watch is close to 100 years old. It still works. Is it possible to open it up on the back, and if so is the case, how? My grandmother told my father that it is gold, but it could be just golden steel or whatever. I tried searching for it on Google, and found one that looked similar, but miss the markings on the backside, and is at least 20 years younger.

Edited December 31, 2023 by DanTin
Added pictures

[RichardHarris123]

Sorry, only just seen this.  Some backs screw on , some are snap on. Try looking for a  small indentation on the back to put a case opener in or Try to unscrew it.  Post photos if the sides. 

[CYCLOPS]

its a screw-back and front, you have to un-screw the front an pull a lever out around the 1 on the dial to set the hands, I think it is gold-filled, 16s Hamilton 992, 992B, 950 or 950B which would be awesome as they are rail road watches and highly jeweled, could be a 17 jewel, Hamilton made some of the best pocket movements, you have a keeper.

[JohnR725]

On 1/3/2024 at 5:44 AM, RichardHarris123 said:

Sorry, only just seen this.  Some backs screw on , some are snap on. Try looking for a  small indentation on the back to put a case opener in or Try to unscrew it.  Post photos if the sides. 

This is one of the weird features the message board I didn't see this either until @CYCLOPS brought it back to life.

You want to be extremely careful with the suggestion you just made. This is a screw back and I would agree with Cyclops as to what exactly this is. It looks like a railroad grade watch the back screws off.

One of the problems with overenthusiastic people who try to open a pocket watch cases is prying a screw back. Somewhere in another discussion group several years ago someone had a very nice Hamilton 950 pocket watch. They attempted to open it with a knife and of course now for ever are the marks on the side of the case which are not what they appear to be at all they are mutilation of the case. But to the untrained eye it looks like this is where you should pry the back off. But they said it was a screw off back this watch very clearly looks like railroad grade the screw off back. Although sometimes I can be on dreadfully hard and require effort to get off

 

[JackH]

I would love to see what movement is inside. Does anyone know what the large number 18 on the seconds dial signifies? I see this on some Hamilton watches. **Edit I see that it is part of the inner dial markings for 24.

Edited January 16 by JackH

[JohnR725]

16 hours ago, JackH said:

I would love to see what movement is inside. Does anyone know what the large number 18 on the seconds dial signifies? I see this on some Hamilton watches. **Edit I see that it is part of the inner dial markings for 24.

I had to go look at the picture and I usually associate the 18 with 6 o'clock for those of us that had a 24 hour dial at one time. Then yes it is interesting how the 18 seems to be all by itself until all this they realize oh look there's the rest of the numbers. Then it's interesting how the numbers on either side got trimmed off or just work printed with the dial is made which of course adds to the mystery of the 18 floating around all by itself.

Oh and then regarding the movement yes always nice to see a picture of a beautiful railroad grade Hamilton pocket watch. But that would assume that the original posting person comes back to us and? It'd be interesting to see statistics on the message board of how many people post a question and never come back at all.

On the other hand if the person would come back and post a picture of the moment we get a serial number and find out approximately when it was made and information on the movement and of course the case which is probably not solid gold it's probably a gold filled case which is basically very heavy gold but not solid.

[JackH]

The dial on the Hamilton 974 I just serviced has markings in red at the outside edge of the dial. I guess there were many variations and the other may be a railroad style dial. Interesting that my dial also has the name of the shop "The Watch Shop" instead of Hamilton. I love the gold details in the movement.

Edited January 17 by JackH