Anthony Gray Clock Repair and Restoration

WWII Hamilton M22 gimbaled deck watch

Said by some to be one of the finest production watches ever made

At first sight the M22 watch mechanism looks like a large ordinary lever-escapement watch of high quality. Its pillar plate is 2 1/4 inches (57 mm) in diameter. However several features distinguish it from other navigation watches: it is powered by an exceptionally long mainspring in a going barrel,  and it is fully jewelled back to the centre wheel. It also incorporates Hamilton’s famous ovalising balance and an Elinvar balance spring, whose elasticity varies very little with temperature It has a safety setting button so that the hands cannot be accidentally set while winding and it has an up/down wind indicator on the dial.

Price band A

Description

As the Second World War loomed, the United States realised that its navy was going to need a great many chronometers. They had no real chronometer industry and the British had no spare capacity to produce chronometers for others. Switzerland, the other main maker of chronometers apart from Germany and Britain, found themselves in a difficult position: their German neighbour in effect forbade them to sell chronometers to the Allies.

The Hamilton Watch Company stepped up to the mark and began delivery of their Model 21 box chronometer with detent escapement in April 1942 in June of that year they began delivering the Model 22 deck watch of which this is a fine example.

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