Celebrating its 30th Anniversary year, RGM adds another Railroad dial to the Model 222-RR series.
Inspired by America’s Great Railroad Watches from the past, the Model 222-RR is a modern wristwatch with a vintage heart, featuring a Hamilton pocket watch movement. RGM was the first to use these wonderful classic movements in a wristwatch.
These vintage Hamilton movements are rebuilt using parts that are in optimum condition, including a new mainspring made for this movement. The watchmaker of RGM flat polishes the steel parts by hand on a tin block to better-than-original condition.
The entire process of careful reassembly to precise adjustment of the movement is managed by one watchmaker. The grade 921 movement has 21 jewels and was made in large quantities; the grade 923 has 23 jewels and is rare, with less than 4,000 movements manufactured.
The Grand Feu Real Enamel dial is modeled after American railroad watches from the past. The blued-steel hands remain true to the classic form and the 1:30 crown position pays homage to early 20th century timepieces. It’s also very natural to read the time when worn on the left wrist.
Henry S. Montgomery was the General Watch & Clock Inspector of the AT&SF Railroad from 1896 to 1923. Mr. Montgomery patented his first marginal minute safety dial design Type I around 1906. This is the design that has inspired the new version of RGM’s Model 222-RR watch.
A Montgomery dial displays minutes 1-60 along the outer edge, with every fifth number in red. Some collectors say that a “true” Montgomery dial must have an hour number 6 visible inside the seconds’ register. Dials approved for use on the railroads needed to be functional and readable, even under adverse conditions. Most American watch companies used Montgomery dials on many of their railroad-grade watches.
The watch features the crown at the 1:30 position. During the Transitional Period from the early 1900s into the 1920s, some wristwatches appeared with the winding crown in this less common position on the wristwatch case.
Some watch companies converted movements and dials that were originally designed for a pocket or pendant watch into a wristwatch by making the crown position on the wristwatch case at the 1:30 or 2:00 O’clock.
Celebrating the unique look of those early wristwatches is the inspiration behind the RGM Model 222-RR. It also keeps the orientation of the sub-second in line with the 12 O’clock position thus preserving the original design of the railroad-style dial.
Technical details
Movement
10 Size Vintage USA made Hamilton grade 921 or 923, manual winding
21 or 23 jewels
Frequency: 18,000 vph
Power Reserve: 42-45 hours
Rhodium
Circular Demaskeening
Motor-Barrel
Anglage
Functions
Hour / Minute / Second
Case
Stainless steel with the crown position at 1:30
Diameter: 41.0mm
Height: 12.0mm
Lug Width: 22mm
Sapphire crystal front and back
Water-resistant to 5-ATM
Dial
Glass Enamel, Grand Feu (“Great Fire”)
Hands: Blued-Steel Railroad style
Crown: Stainless steel
Strap
Thick Leather with contrast stitching
Price
$6450 with the 921 movement
$7950 with the 923 movement