Hamilton Model 23 Military Chronograph was widely used during WWII as a navigator's 'stop-watch'. Based on the super-reliable 992B with Elinvar hairspring and mono-metallic balance, the Mod 23 adds a chronograph mechanism, making it one of the most complicated watches produced by Hamilton. Waltham Pocket Watch Serial Numbers Use this table to look up your Waltham Pocket Watch serial number of and hence the year of manufacture. When looking for the number on your watch you should be looking at the serial number on the movement, not the case. Apr 12, 2017 For example, a Waltham pocket watch with serial numbers between 29,100,000 and 29,399,000 was manufactured in 1936. The caliber of movement could be used over several years or even decades. Many watch repairpersons keep pocket watch data to order parts. Lists from many pocket watch manufacturers, even those no longer existing, are published online. Oct 04, 2002 These two serial numbers are unrelated. For more information see the Watch Serial Number web page. You must give the letter prefix of the serial number, if there is one. If you don't have an exact Serial Number, you can use many other Search Options. There is a lot of flexibility here. Remove or open the back cover from your watch and look for a number engraved into the movement; this is the serial number for your watch, and by using it, you can find the closest years it was made on these tables. Please note there is a difference between the number marked on the movement and the one marked on the case. Having stated that, there are limited instances of collectors having gathered case serial number vs. Date data for a very limited number of factory-cased, 1920s-plus Illinois, Hamilton and perhaps Ball watches. To my knowledge, this data has yet to be published.

• [ELGIN] Pocket Watch Serial Numbers: Date, Grade, Jewels
• Hamilton Pocket Watch Serial Numbers

BALL & Co., Cleveland (Ohio). Order of Railway Conductors, No. 307412, Series VIII, circa 1893. Very fine and exceptionally rare, 18K gold screw back and bezel, Brotherhood railroad watch.

Archival document 'Instructions to Watch Examiners' circa 1888. Outlines the system Webb C. Ball implemented as Chief Examiner for the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Division. Grew into the system that covered 75% of American railroad. Shows original notes & amendments discussed.

BALL Watch Co., Cleveland (Ohio). Roman index and sunk subsidiary seconds, white enamel dial, 18-size, 17 jewel movement with inner dust jacket, circa 1898. Very fine, gold-plated 'Commercial Standard' watch.

Cyberlink power2go 4 free download. Archival document 'Time Inspection Service, Circular No. 1' circa 1891. Shows system implemented on Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway after the Kipton Disaster. Spurred evolution of Ball store into BALL & Co. - watch inspectors, retailers, and watch company.

BALL Watch Co., Cleveland, (Ohio). Brotherhood of Locomotive Fireman and Engineers, No. B269465, circa 1922. Very fine, yellow gold-filled, keyless, Brotherhood railroad watch.

Archival newspaper account '112 Miles An Hour' circa 1893. Announces the new speed record of the Empire State Express No. 999, an engine whose high-speed route was planned & timed by Webb C. Ball. Ball announced a commemorative '999' high-grade pocketwatch in 1895 that remains among the finest examples of the Railroad Watch.

BALL & Co., Cleveland (Ohio). Hampden Watch Co. 18-size, 17 jewel movement to BALL Standard, No. 761682, circa early 1890s. Signed 'BALL's Standard - Superior Grade - Adjusted'

Archival BALL Salesman's Manual 'The New 16-size Model' circa 1896. Shows growth in collections to include 16-size railroad watches. Details several associated Ball trademarks & patents, with pricelist at bottom.

BALL & Co., Cleveland (Ohio). Vacheron & Constantin, Switzerland 16-size movement with swan's neck regulator to BALL Standard, No. 290976 circa 1890s. Signed BALL's Standard - Adjusted

First share certificate of BALL Watch Company. No. 00000, framed & preserved to commemorate the incorporation of The Webb C. Ball Watch Company in Cleveland (Ohio), November 1897.

BALL Watch Co, Cleveland (Ohio). Circa 1920s. Blued hands, Arabic index, yellow gold-filled barrel case wristwatch.

Archival BALL Salesman's Manual 'Blue Book Sales-Herald' circa 1925. Produced by Norris, Alister-Ball Co., Chicago, Illinois. By early 1900s, Ball maintained offices in Cleveland, Chicago and Winnipeg to serve the railroads. Over 30 watches were approved for use on the 54 railroads overseen by Ball.

BALL Watch Co., Cleveland (Ohio). Circa 1940s. Skeleton hands, Even Arabic index, military style steel wristwatch.

Archival Report 'Semi-Annual Examination of Watches' circa 1892. Produced for Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway by Webb C. Ball. Details watches carried by railroad men. Majority of watches carried by Conductors, Engineers and Firemen.

BALL Watch Co., Cleveland (Ohio). Brotherhood of Ball, Cleveland (Ohio). Circa 1950s. Two register chronograph with telemetric scale and pulsemetric scale wristwatch.

Archival document 'Proceedings of Third Triennial Convention' circa 1907. Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers suspended their rules to honor Webb C. Ball and appointed him as 'Honorary member of the Grand Body'.

BALL Watch Co., Cleveland (Ohio). 'Official Railroad Standard' Trainmaster, automatic ETA movement, circa 1978.

Archival Report 'The Man Who Holds a Watch…' circa 1921. Biography by The Horological Institute of America honoring Webb C. Ball shortly before his death in 1922.

BALL & Co., Cleveland, Ohio. Vacheron & Constantin, Switzerland, No. 288336.

Archival sketches 'The BALL Railroad Time Service' circa 1910s. Original handmade sketches used in producing the new Trademark for the Time Service.

Some of the earliest watches signed 'BALL's Standard' were Swiss made. Despite its decorated hands, this watch's movement would have passed inspection in the 1890s.

Archival advertisement circa 1880s. Webb C. Ball announced the opening of his small repair shop, using his former employers Whitcomb & Metten as references.

This rare 'salesman's watch' was used to demonstrate the inner workings of BALL pocket watches to prospective retailers and customers. The major components of the BALL Standard Watch are laid out vertically to show the quality and finish.

Archival document 'Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway' circa 1904. This letter is one of many appointing Webb C. Ball as General Time Inspector.

This is one of Webb C. Ball's personal watches. It demonstrates his trademark circular damaskeening on the movement and proudly displays his 'WCB' monogram on the case back.

Archival photo of BALL storefront. Webb C. Ball's busy corner store was the initial headquarters of the BALL Watch Company and also sold fine jewelery and silverware.

The Webb C. Ball Co., Cleveland (Ohio). Circa 1930s. 8-day manual winding Swiss movement. Thick applied numerals and satin-finish dial.

Archival photo of the 'No. 999.' The Empire State Express 'No. 999' was the train that first broke 100mph, timed & scheduled by Webb C. Ball himself. It was the fastest vehicle in the world.

Sidney Ball took over the company after his father's death in 1922. Here is a very fine, 'SYB' monogrammed watch carried by Sidney for many years.

Early BALL badge with insignia of Brotherhood of Locomotive Fireman (BLF). The BLF badge was among many gifts from BALL Watch Company coveted by the men of the Railroads.

BALL Watch Co., Cleveland (Ohio). Two-time zone movement to Official Railroad Standard. The red GMT hand could hide behind the main hour hand when not needed.

Including Serial Numbers and Production Dates

Cleveland, Ohio

1879 - 1969

Webb C. Ball was born in Fredericktown, Ohio on October 6, 1847 and became a jeweler and watchmaker. When Standard Time was first adopted in 1883, he was the first jeweler to use time signals, bringing accurate time to Cleveland, Ohio.

After the infamous collision between Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railways at Kipton, Ohio, which allegedly occurred because an engineer's watch had stopped unnoticed for about 5 minutes, the railroad officials commissioned Webb C. Ball as their General Time Inspector in order to establish precision standards and a reliable timepiece inspection system for Railroad Watches.

The Ball Watch Company did not manufacture watches directly, but the company helped develop the specifications for watches used in railroad service. Webb Ball established strict guidelines for the manufacturing of sturdy, reliable precision timepieces, including resistance to magnetism, reliability of time keeping in 5 positions, isochronism, power reserve, accompanied with record keeping of the reliability of the watch on each regular inspection.

[ELGIN] Pocket Watch Serial Numbers: Date, Grade, Jewels

The Waltham Watch Company complied immediately with the requirements of Ball's guidelines, later followed by Elgin Watch Company and most of the other American manufacturers, later on joined by some Swiss Watch Manufacturers. The Ball Watch Company branded and distributed watches made by Hamilton, Waltham, Illinois, Elgin, E. Howard, and Hampden. Conan exiles download for android. Watches marked 'BALL & Co.' are much more difficult to find than those marked 'BALL WATCH Co.' Ball watches are today some of the most collectible of the American railroad pocket watches.

Today's criteria for the certification of each COSC Officially Certified Chronometer are still based in part upon Webb C. Ball's standards.

At the end of his career, Webb C. Ball was overseeing over 125,000 miles of rail tracks in U.S.A., Mexico & Canada, having greatly contributed to the security of all railroad systems.

The colloquial phrase 'on the ball' purportedly derives from Webb C. Ball's watch standards and their reputation for accuracy.

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Ball Watch Company

Total Production: Approx. 200,000 Watches

The table below is specific to the Ball-Hamilton grade 999B, which used its own sequence of serial numbers. Almost all of the Ball-Hamilton 999B watches used a circular damaskeening pattern, but a small number of watches were produced in late 1954 featuring a straight line damaskeening pattern.

Hamilton Pocket Watch Serial Numbers

Be sure to use the serial number on the movement (the works) of the watch. Do not use the serial number from the watch case.

Can’t find your serial number in the table? Click here for an explanation and example of how to use our serial number tables.

Need help finding the serial number on your watch? Click here for instructions on how to identify and open most common case types.

At Renaissance Watch Repair, we are experts in the repair and restoration of Ball watches, and they are one of our personal favorites to work on! We are also always looking for Ball Watches to purchase. Please contact us if you have any questions about the repair of your vintage Ball watch.