American steel WWII marine chronometer Circa 1942

Marine chronometer Hamilton Model 22
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An American marine chronometer from WWII made by the  Hamilton Watch Company in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States of America, circa 1942. This Hamilton model 22 has an open faced numbered plain case which is coated, screwed, has the original dome and was crafted from base metal. The original silvered dial features Arabic numerals, a subsidiary seconds dial at six o’clock with Arabic numerals, a power reserve indicator at twelve o’clock, and blued steel hands. The numbered movement is fitted with a chronometer escapement, 21 jewels, is adjusted to temperature, has six positions and is marked “US Navy-BU Ships 1942”.
The dial and movement are signed.
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Dimensions: 125 x 150 x 150 mm
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Signed: Hamilton, Lancaster, PA, U.S.A.
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Hamilton
The Hamilton Watch Company was founded in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. For over a century, it was a titan of American industrial watchmaking, particularly renowned for producing high precision pocket watches that became the gold standard for safety and timing. The company was named after Andrew Hamilton (and his son James), the original owners of the land in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where the factory was built. Andrew Hamilton was the Scottish born attorney famous for laying out the city of Lancaster.

Facing competition from quartz technology and changing market dynamics, Hamilton ended its American manufacturing operations in 1969, closing the Lancaster factory and moving production to its Buren subsidiary in Switzerland.

In 1974, the brand was sold to SSIH (now the Swatch Group). Today, Hamilton is headquartered in Biel, Switzerland. While its watches are now “Swiss Made,” the brand continues to emphasize its American heritage through collections like “American Classic” and “Khaki Field”.