If you were cuckoo for Hamilton field watches you could amass a fairly decent collection of different, but similar models - way larger than the uninformed novice would imagine.
Before the days of internet shopping, mail order was the way people would shop for things that weren't available in their local stores. In fact, mail order shopping goes way back to the 19th century and you could even buy a house by mail order - with some assembly required, of course.
In the 1970s a new company called Avirex was started and it specialized in aviation-related military surplus like pilot's jackets. They introduced a mail order catalog and eventually expanded their featured products beyond military surplus, including a field watch manufactured by Hamilton.
The same was true for other catalog stores like LL Bean, Orvis, and Brookstone, to name a few.
Hamilton marketed the same watch as the original Khaki model and it evolved over the 1980s to two different case designs, the 9219 and the 9415 (or 9415A). Both are based on the military models that Hamilton produced at the time - the GG-W-113 and the Mil-W-46374D.
The 9219 case preceded the 9415 and although they look almost identical, they utilize different movements. Regardless, they are both high quality models and regardless of what brand is on the dial, they have become really popular with Hamilton collectors. The challenge now is to find all the different variants - if that's your thing.
My project watch arrived in the usual condition of a field watch in need of a trip to the spa - the crystal is beat up and cracked. The parkerized stainless steel case can take a beating though so other than being dirty, it's issue-free.
The case back unscrews using a case wrench. I see a couple of minor scrapes so I suspect I'm not the first person to try to get into this watch. The spring bars are parkertized too and not removable so this watch is intended to be worn on a one-piece NATO style strap.
The movement inside the 9219 models is an ETA 2750. This caliber is often marked as a Hamilton 649 - and it's the same caliber used in the GG-W-113.
The case back has a couple of prior service marks inside so this watch has had some maintenance done over the last 40 years - which is great.
The dial is held on with two small clips that rotate outward to free the dial feet.
Once the balance is removed you can see 2750 is stamped on the main plate. If you happened to need a part, this info is critical to identifying the part number of what you'd need.
The outside of the barrel has a coating of mainspring grease. This could eventually dry and gum up the works.
While all the parts are in the ultrasonic, I'll install a new crystal in the case. Even the reflector ring has a parkerized finish.
It's now time for reassembly. I like ETA movements, even though the calibers can differ, they all go back together in the same, familiar, way.
The reassembled movement is ticking away with a nice motion. It looks about the same as before but now there is fresh oil inside and that makes a huge difference in the longevity of the watch. It's important to have a watch cleaned and oiled every few years if you're going to wear it.
The timer is looking pretty good. Notice this watch has a faster beat rate than pre-1969 Hamilton models. This watch ticks 21,600 times in an hour, versus the traditional 18,000 times. The amplitude of 263 degrees is plenty and the beat error of 1.4ms is within my tolerance but it's so easy to adjust that I'd feel guilty leaving it as is.
There... a couple of fine adjustments and the beat error is reduced to near-zero. Notice that improves the amplitude slightly - the beat error is the measure of how far the balance swings from one side to the other. When it's perfectly aligned, it swings the most side to side. I also tweaked the regulator to bring the beat rate down to +3 seconds per day.
With a new crystal, my finished project now looks and runs like it just arrived in the mail from the mail order catalog it was originally purchased from. All it needs now is a 17.4mm strap (11/16") but an 18mm is probably the best you can do. The fun thing about these watches is you can find straps in all sorts of colors and change them out with ease. This is a very unique, and rare watch.
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