Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

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River Rat
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Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Sat Jun 23, 2018 3:57 pm

Well been wanting one for years. Well I was searching Ebay I see one for the price I paid for model 22 years ago. So at halve the price they sell for I pull the trigger.
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What's a plus is the repair receipt so you know what ship it came off of any ships timepiece in my collection I don't know what ship it came off of. I know it's not off a military ship but merchant marine did serve like Liberty or Victory ships now to find info about the merchant vessel Cygus. Did ask the seller to cork the balance wheel so the movement don't get damaged in shipping hope he does it. This is what ships use to use for Navigation so they could do the math on the chart and use a sextant some thing our Navy should relearn if I was China or Russia taking out GPS satellites would be the first thing I would do if I planning a attack on the USA our Navy would be lost at sea our weapon systems would be out of business we would be fucked. The old school ways are best. The movement a Fusee uses a chain like on a ten speed bike the movement a piece of art. This was made when America knew how to make stuff.
Last edited by River Rat on Sat Jun 23, 2018 4:02 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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gonzomantis
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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by gonzomantis » Sat Jun 23, 2018 3:59 pm

Very cool, Mike!

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by ericf4 » Sat Jun 23, 2018 4:14 pm

That is incredible. I'd love something like that.

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by Chocodove » Sat Jun 23, 2018 4:27 pm

That’s awesome! Very cool.
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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by rockmastermike » Sat Jun 23, 2018 4:34 pm

Very cool, Mike - great catch

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Sat Jun 23, 2018 4:52 pm

Years ago I remember watching pawn stars on TV some one brought one of these to the shop to sell it. They got it for cheap because it did not seem to work. Then there clock repair guy come in looks at the movement pulls a piece of paper out from under the balance wheel and she works it was what we call corked for travel so not to damage the movement that clock repair guys says that will be 20 bucks and Rick said dam the cheapest clock repair bill ever. They got a deal on that Hamilton model 21.
Last edited by River Rat on Sat Jun 23, 2018 4:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by Heuerville » Sat Jun 23, 2018 4:54 pm

Holy shit, that's cool.
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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by aikiman44 » Sat Jun 23, 2018 5:25 pm

You don’t mess around!
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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Sat Jun 23, 2018 7:24 pm

Did find this about the USS Cygnus AF-23 has to be the ship it came off of.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cygnus_(AF-23)

http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/06/0623.htm

Any body remember the old movie Mister Roberts about a Navy crew on a supply ship in the back waters of WW2 kind of the ship it came off of. Kind of like the second ship I was on the USS Mauna Kea AE-22 we called it the Mauna Tuna a ship of boredom. But now it mite have some Navy history.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mister_Ro ... 1955_film)

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by unsub073 » Mon Jun 25, 2018 9:54 am

That is a really cool piece of history. Congrats.

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by hobbit712 » Mon Jun 25, 2018 10:21 am

Beautiful piece of art/history
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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by 1954Selmer » Mon Jun 25, 2018 10:26 am

Amazing history. Congrats and enjoy
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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by BSears » Wed Jun 27, 2018 3:31 pm

Good stuff, Mike. And congrats on the find!
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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Wed Jun 27, 2018 3:39 pm

When I was talking about one of the ships I was on The USS Mauna Kea AE-22 a Ammo ship. I had to be nuts youtube of one getting hit by a Kamikaze in WW2 and being a more modern ship we carried more ammo 500 and 1000 pound bombs and asrock missiles and small arms ammo and 3 inch 50 rounds with just enough room in the cargo hold to get a forklift through stacked high all most touching the overhead the celling for you none Navy folk we had 5 cargo holds 3 or 4 levels each .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMs4IJQVRYM
A spark or a combat hit and my ass would be gone the forklifts were electric with a static strap that touched the deck some tools had to be made of brass like hammers and some others tools if you needed them for work in the cargo holds. Another one blew up in Port Chicago in WW2 while loading pier side a anchor ended up on some ones yard over 300 dead. Was dangerous work I ask for tug duty and get a AMMO ship instead what luck.

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Mon Jul 02, 2018 4:57 pm

Well got it today. I pulled the corks pieces of paper that get put between the balance wheel to secure it from damage in shipping winded it and set the time you can only move the hands forward never backwards or damage to the movement can happen. Then you give it a genital shake to get the balance wheel going. And nothing happen over at the Omega forum I posted the seller photos of it when it was incoming and Canuck a member there said mine still had the stop up screw it's a screw in the regulator that screw down in-between a gear to secure it in shipping. I called Historic timekeepers Restoration Services who works on these. He said look between the plates and see if some is jammed he was going to seen a photo of what it looks like. Then I remember what Canuck said about that screw looked between the plaits there the screw in-between the gear stopping it. Got a screw driver raised the screw and she was working. Wonder if the seller thought she was broke and why it was sold cheaper my win.
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Stop up screw in down position stopping the movement from running.

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gonzomantis
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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by gonzomantis » Tue Jul 03, 2018 8:48 am

Awesome! It's always nice to have a happy ending to a story like this.

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by ncstate1201 » Sun Jul 08, 2018 8:50 pm

Cool find, I had one for a while, but was not near as complete as yours. It had an aftermarket box and unfortunately not an easily traceable history. Even after owning one the person I bought it from nor I knew about the screw mentioned...

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by ericf4 » Mon Jul 09, 2018 4:45 am

Seppia wrote:Wow Mike you always get the good stuff!

Seriously I’ve said this before but I believe it 100%: pound for pound you have the most kickass collection of the whole forum in my opinion.

Big congrats on another great score.

Also, I’m curious about the genital shake, can I get one?

:gayumbrella:
Genital shake.....priceless

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Mon Jul 09, 2018 6:21 am

I called a few who work on these and who knows the last time this had a service. The detent the main part in these chronometers that part alone $600.00 bucks so you want some one with experience there tricky to take apart. If you take it apart like a watch some parts still have power and will let go and damage parts did a lot of home work. So maybe next week off for a service. Surprising parts are still available there's a guy who bought all of Hamilton's parts for these when they went out of Business got a part from him for my Hamilton model 22 the model 21 little brother when my watchmaker could not find the part during servicing it.

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Thu Jul 19, 2018 8:59 am

Well sent it out for service on Monday. My watch repair guy got it on Wednesday had a quick look at it said it looks like it's in good shape but you never know until it gets taken apart. He is working on a Hamilton Model 22 chronometer now and my Model 21 is next.

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by Chris S. » Thu Jul 19, 2018 12:04 pm

That is so Cool !
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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by Rackness » Mon Jul 23, 2018 5:39 pm

Very nice that makes an excellent centerpiece to a collection! Now show us what it looks like on a nato

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Thu Jul 26, 2018 7:09 am

Some of you mite laugh at me this could be my last timepiece buy for a long while. This has been a clock grail for years these sell for 2000-3000 depending on condition and the price kind of stayed that way for years. This popped up for 1700 buy now most of the time some thing else was on the radar and could not justify 2000 on a clock. But nothing was on the radar and the price was great so hit the buy now. Not many grails I can afford these days if you can't afford your vintage grails what the point of buying a second place watch. Glad I got some grails when the price was right but I feel I mite be done. Mite even sell off some of the pocket watch collection I never use them they were what got me into this hobby before vintage wristwatches and military timepieces became my main hobby still enjoy the history of military timepieces and learning more about them.

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Thu Jul 26, 2018 9:21 am

This shows how important this was in US History here is serial No. 1 the first one ever made in the Smithsonian museum.
http://americanhistory.si.edu/collectio ... mah_855355

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Re: Incoming Hamilton model 21 chronometer

Post by River Rat » Sun Jul 29, 2018 12:53 pm

Well the chronometer is done getting serviced. Should get it back next week. Only one part needed detent trip spring is worn down so needed replaced. Keeps good time +0.5 seconds in 2 days. I read these were kept running 24/7 aboard ship they were so good they only lost a minute a year. In the US Navy if the quartermaster whose responsibility is to wind it every day failed to he could be court-martialed even though they run 48-56 hours shows how important these were. Our Navy in WW2 mite of had another out come with out these you had to know how to navigate the ship to the right location in WAR to be on time and on station. A Battle Ship or Carrier had three on board in different location so if one got damage due to combat there was all ways a spare. In the book military timepieces the author of the book worked at the Naval observatory that did maintenance on these. His brother was on the USS Abner Read DD 526 he lost a brother on that ship during the battle of Attu well they got a chronometer from that ship to service each chronometer has a log with it and he found out how his brother died it struck a mine and lost the fantail the fantail is the back end of the ship so a quarter of the ship got blown off also the end were the prop is he had to get permission from the Navy to pass the info to his parents how his Brother died. The USS Abner Read DD 526 lived to fight another day it was towed to Puget Sound Navy Yard refitted and repaired. A lot of history with these Chronometers. In that log it would tell any incident that mite change the time in the chronometer like if they did shore bombardment how many rounds were shot if a kamikaze hit the ship and like when that ship hit a mine must of been hard to read about what happened to his brother. The USS Abner Read DD 526 was later sunk by a Kamikaze.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Abner_Read_(DD-526)

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