Highest Grade Hamilton 950B Housed in Bar Over Crown Case (1962)

Among the railroad grades that came out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the Hamilton 950B sits at the top of the heap. This example was produced in 1962, late in the model's run and only three years before Hamilton retired the 950B for good in 1965.

The movement is a Grade 950B, Model 6, 16 size, with 23 jewels and a nickel finish. It is adjusted to six positions, temperature, and isochronism, making up the full set of adjustments that defined the railroad standard at the highest tier of American watchmaking. Production of the 950B totaled roughly 32,500 movements over its entire run, a tiny number compared to the 992B's half million plus, and that scarcity is a big part of what makes a 950B worth fussing over.  

The 950B was Hamilton's flagship. Collectors prize it for the upgraded balance, the Elinvar Extra hairspring, and the cap jewels that set it apart from every other railroad grade on the market.  

This particular 950B is in excellent condition throughout. Inside and out, this is the kind of late production 950B that is increasingly hard to find.  

By 1962 the great age of the American railroad pocket watch was nearly over, with diesel locomotives well established and the railroads themselves transitioning out of their golden era. By the time this watch was assembled, Hamilton was effectively the last American manufacturer still building railroad-approved pocket watches, with only the 950B and the 21 jewel 992B remaining in the catalog. A 950B from this period is a closing chapter on a craft tradition that ran from the Kipton accident of 1891 to the last Lancaster movements in the mid-1960s. It is a cornerstone piece for any serious collection.

All vintage pocket watches are cleaned, oiled, and adjusted for accuracy and warranted for one full year from the date of purchase.