A Piece of the Past: Hamilton "Bomb Timer" circa 1942

The Bomb Timer was originally installed in World War II Bombers. In recent years collectors have taken to converting the Bomb Timer into a wrist watch by attaching a strap to the upper and lower lugs.

The Bomb Timer measures 28mm at the waist and 35mm from top to bottom. From lug tip to lug tip the case measures 48mm. The outside of the case back is not signed or engraved. The inside of the case back is signed Keystone Watch Case. The original dial is black with two white timing rings. The top ring displays the hour and minutes of the hour. The bottom ring displays the seconds of the hour. The push pin protruding out of the top of the case is used to stop the movement-a "hack" feature used by the crew to synchronize time. The pointex hands were painted white so they could be seen more clearly on night missions. The crown and crystal are original to the watch. The movement is signed Hamilton USA 17 Jewels 980 G-284405.

This is truly a historical piece of military equipment! It is easy to understand why collectors turn them into wrist watches! The Hamilton Bomb Timer is pictured above.