Hamilton’s World War II-era pocket watches are sought after by watch collectors galore due to their timeless military style, rugged durability, and ingenious interchangeable parts. Founded in 1892, Hamilton Watch Company set out to make the highest-quality American watches available. Accuracy and precision were the Hamilton Watch Company's core values - ideals that were forged and perfected during America's railroad era. With such an uncompromising approach to watchmaking, it's no surprise that the U.S. military commissioned the company to produce over 1,000,000 watches during World War II.
The Hamilton 4992B & 3992B
If you appreciate or collect military pocket watches, or you’re familiar with Vortic Watch Company’s Military Edition, you have doubtlessly seen the Hamilton 4992B. Over 100,000 of these pocket watches were made during World War II. The 4992B was incredibly accurate and tough, which made it highly desirable for the United States military. To facilitate easy military time telling, the 4992B was created as a 24-hour watch. Not only was it labeled with 24 hours, the hour-hand made, but 1 rotation around the dial every day. Unbeknownst to many, Hamilton made a much more rare timepiece in a 12-hour variety. That pocket watch, the Hamilton 3992B, was primarily exported abroad.
Hamilton’s 3992B mimicked the 4992B in mechanics but not appearance. Its dial was made in white as opposed to the black dial of the 4992B military timepieces. The 3992B and 4992B mechanics are nearly identical but the 3992B’s hour hand does complete 2 rotations around the dial (for AM and PM) as opposed to the 4992B’s 1 rotation for 24 military hours. As is the case for Hamilton’s other military pocket watches, the watches had a built-in boost in their longevity because any parts needed to repair them were identical to those of the 4992B and thus were widely available.
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While records are somewhat dubious, most historians believe the 3992B was manufactured between 1942 and 1945. Only between 2,312 and 2,620 of these timepieces were made - again due to discrepancies in Hamilton’s records keeping. It should also be noted that the count may be off due to some 4992B’s that were effectively converted into 3992B’s after the war ended. This was done by swapping the dial and hour wheel to equate to a 12-hour time display versus a 24, and can be seen in Vortic Watch Company’s Post War Conversion Watch.
British Broad Arrow and Its History
Most sources agree that Hamilton produced 2,312 of the 3992B models for export, with 312 going to Canada and 2,000 going to England. Both are rare finds today due to such a small number being made in such a dangerous and destructive war. It is widely accepted that the watches exported to England were used partially for the Royal Navy and partially for the Royal Air Force. England ordered the watches due to their inability to order accurate watches from Switzerland due to the conflict throughout Europe. The 2,000 sent to England are highly desirable to collectors because they include the British Broad Arrow on the dial and hidden on the movement.
The Broad Arrow, also known as the crow’s foot or pheon, is one of history's most widely recognized markings. A simple symbol consisting of three lines that converge downward from one point, some consider it to be the earliest use of a trademark in modern history. Its exact origin is not known, but there are several theories about it:
- It originated with Henry Sidney, the first Earl of Romney. He was the country’s military governor from 1693 to 1702. That theory has a hole in it, as the symbol appears to have been in use earlier than that. For example, the marking was found on the remains of the ship “Mary Rose” in 1545.
- It originated in a letter written by the king’s steward, Richard de la Pole, in 1330. His letter describes a mark left on several wine barrels the king had purchased to ensure all those involved in the transaction knew of his ownership.
- The symbol may have originated even earlier; some believe Broad Arrow Tower, commissioned by King Henry III between 1238 and 1272, was named after the famous symbol.
It is believed that America first formally recognized this symbol in 1691, as it was added to the Massachusetts Bay Charter. Men working for the King of England used a hatchet to carve the marking on Eastern White Pine trees they were planning to harvest for the king’s royal use. This was but one point of contention addressed in the Revolutionary War in 1775.
The marking would resurface in American history more than a century later when some local watchmaking companies included it on pocket watches for the British military. Hamilton's 3992B models are likely the most well-known examples of those today and can be seen in Vortic Watch Company’s newest special edition, the Royal Pheon. 
While we do not know exactly how many of these beautiful vintage timepieces remain, both historians and watch aficionados can appreciate any that surface in modern times, especially those with a Broad Arrow on both the dial and movement.
Written by Jordan Roberts, aka "The Watch Writer"
References:
C.1942 British military Hamilton 3992B navigation master watch w/ original fitted wooden case
***sold***. Vintage Watch Specialist. (n.d.). https://vintagewatchspecialist.com/products/c-1942-
british-military-hamilton-3992b-navigation-master-watch-w-original-fitted-wooden-case
Encyclopedia.com. (2024, July 2). Broad Arrow. Encyclopedia.com.
https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/broad-
arrow
Hamilton: Timing heroes for more than 130 years. Hamilton Watch - History of Hamilton |
Hamilton Watch. (n.d.). https://www.hamiltonwatch.com/en-us/company/hamilton-watches-
history
King’s broad arrow. NELMA. (2022, August 6). https://www.nelma.org/kings-broad/
NAWCC Forums. (2005, June 8). Hamilton 3992B questions. NAWCC Forums.
https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/hamilton-3992b-questions.18175/
NAWCC Forums. (2020, June 11). Hamilton 3992B. NAWCC Forums.
https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/hamilton-3992b.60542/?highlight=3992b%2Bnato
Sirianni, M. (2023, February 24). Hamilton Watch History & Information: Hamilton Watch Repair.
Watch Doctor. https://watchdoctor.biz/hamilton/
Vintage watch life. (2022, March 5). History of the British military’s broad arrow and watches.
Vintage watch life. https://vintagewatchlife.com/en-
us/blogs/%E3%83%8B%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B9/%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AE
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