1953 Lindsay

Change is hard, as they say.  Like old soldiers who never die, when it comes to watch styles they just fade away.

If you step back and look at the various models in Hamilton's lineup you can almost see points in time when design aesthetics changed.  I guess that's why a lot of collectors tend to gravitate toward a favorite decade.

For example - the earliest men's models were fairly straightforward geometric shapes with three piece cases and only a handful of choices.  They were moderately large, by vintage standards, and the variety came in terms of different case materials and dial variations.

Then "this was in" and watches became sleeker, smaller, and often "long and lean"... curved to fit the wrist.  Some watches became small enough you could argue they were intended for women.  In fact, some models were offered in both the men's and women's line.

Soon after watches started to get some added flair with intricately flowing case shapes and complex surfaces.  The addition of specially paired bracelets echoed the case design.

That led to futuristic design with a modern interpretation that echoed the countries interest in space and the beyond.

In the 1960s it "was the sky's the limit" and there was a little something for everyone... with literally over 100 unique models in the men's lineup.  You could develop an impressive Hamilton collection by focusing solely on the 1960s.

Design influences didn't neatly evolve at specific time intervals.  There were external factors at play.  For instance, several watch manufacturers offered rose gold models in 1940 and they were universally disrupted by WWII.  After the war, rose gold apparently wasn't in vogue.  Some design aspects persisted and others eventually faded away.

I find "one year wonder" models to be interesting mileposts of design watershed moments.  It's as if they are the last hurrah that marked the end of one era and the start of something new.

Take, for example, the 1953 Lindsay.  It was produced for only a single year.

The Lindsay looks like a lot of other models, like the Grover  or the Medford, for instance.  Why was it only offered for a single year?  Perhaps the design was simply played out, and it was time for something new.  Starting in 1954 all sorts of new things would be introduced... automatics, calendar complications, even Electrics were right around the corner.

Although the Lindsay was produced for just a year, it's not an uncommon model.  I've seen quite a few but I always have to look it up because the ubiquitous design is so similar to other models.

The catalog doesn't go into much detail about the Lindsay's features.  The 17 jewel movement would indicate that it has 12/0 sized 752 movement inside.  The natural gold filled case would likely be 10K gold filled, as 14K gold filled cases typically received a 19 jewel movement.  The dial is a butler-finished sterling silver design with solid 18K gold numerals - a hallmark of Hamilton quality.

My project watch arrived in serious need of some TLC.  It's crystal and minute hand are missing in action and a fair degree of "dial rash" has started to develop.  It does seem to tick - so that's a promising sign.

The gold filled case back shows stripes from what was probably a one piece nylon strap threaded through the lugs.  I should be able to clean this up nicely.

The inside of the case back makes identifying the model easy.  The 12/0 sized 752 movement is very similar to the 770 movement that would replace it in 1955.  Most of the parts are interchangeable.  It's interesting that the serial number on the barrel bridge still has black enamel while all the other bridges have lost their enameling.

While all the parts are being cleaned I will install a new glass crystal in the bezel.  Glass crystals typically require a little shaping with 600 grit wet sandpaper and are held in place with UV glue.  It can take quite a while to get them to fit properly and if you're not careful, you can chip them and have to start over with a new crystal.

All of the parts are now cleaned and ready to be reassembled.  The bezel is outside sitting in the sun so the glue will cure.

I got everything back together and the movement would not run.  The balance swung nicely but nothing happened.  It didn't take long to realize there was no impulse jewel on the balance!  It must have fallen out somewhere along the way.  It's held in place with shellac.  Without the impulse jewel there's nothing for the pallet fork to drive.   I looked in my cleaning jars and it wasn't there - it's so tiny that it could be anywhere and I'd never see it.

I have found that new hobbyists commonly think isopropyl alcohol would be a good liquid to clean watch parts with... it's readily available, it dries quickly, it's a solvent, etc.  Although that's all true, it also dissolves shellac.  So if you're thinking about cleaning your watch, don't use alcohol, as you will likely lose the glue that holds the jewels in the pallet fork and balance roller table.

Of course, the impulse jewel may have come loose from being 73 years old as well.  So who knows why it's missing?  Regardless, at this point I can install another roller table from another balance or I can use another balance assembly - assuming I have one (which, fortunately, I do).

A replacement balance gets the movement back in functioning order.  Based on the time grapher,  only a slight tweak is needed to bring the beat rate in line.  Everything else is looking good.

The new glass crystal, replacement minute hand, and a fresh black strap complete the restoration of this fine 1953 Lindsay.  I was able to clean the dial up nicely - it's not perfect but people tend to have spots when they're 73 years old too - so we can afford to give this little watch some grace.  It's a nice watch and now ready for wrist time.

1965 Accumatic A-506

I think if you were to imagine in your mind's eye what a 1960s watch would look like, you'd probably get pretty close to the design for the 1965 Accumatic A-506.  You'd probably imagine something very sleek, perhaps a little unusual, likely on a metal bracelet, arguably with luminous hands. 

That pretty much sums up the A-506.  It was introduced in 1965 and produced into the early 1970s.  Originally it was offered with a silver-colored textured dial as well as a black dial.  I'm not sure if the black dial was textured though.

In 1968 the bracelet design was changed and it appears, at least from the catalog, that the dial was changed to white and lost the texture.  The dial kept the distinctive angular font for the numerals though.

in 1972 the black dialed version was dropped and the priced increased a little to the equivalent of about $550 in today's currency.

I've seen quite a few A-506's in my travels and I would say that almost every one of them had the silver textured dial with the same moisture-related issues on the crown side.  My latest project watch is no exception.  However, it's not the worst I've seen.

As received, it features a well-worn crystal and the crown has an unfamiliar logo that looks like a U but is definitely not an Omega.  The dial looks okay but there's a little green toning around the 3 - clearly indicating moisture intrusion.  The finish on this dial is very susceptible to moisture and it would be impossible to refinish without losing the original textured details.   If you ever get moisture in your watch you want to open it up to dry out or get it serviced right away.

Without the crystal in the way you can see the toning on the right side of the dial more clearly.  It's not horrible but it is what it is, at this point.

The female side of the two piece stem is a bit rusted.  I'll replace that as rusted stems will eventually fail to hold the male side and the crown will disappear.  The movement is dirty and I didn't try to wind it so hopefully there are no lurking issues.  It's interesting that this movement has a 689 movement but a rotor framework from a 689A.  The framework for a 689 extends over the balance and you can see this one does not.  I recently learned the A in 689A is because the barrel in the 689A is anodized - that's a protective coating.  I've often wondered what made a 689A different from the 689 - other than the shape of the framework.  All of the other parts are identical - other than the barrel. 

Well, I did find one issue.  The ratchet wheel that winds the mainspring is missing several teeth.  The pinion on the wheel from the automatic framework is also missing a few teeth.  So there's no way this movement would be able to wind itself.  Both of these parts will need to be replaced.  I suspect the other wheels in the framework are bad as something caused these two parts to get jammed together and fail.

Everything is disassembled and cleaned before going back together with fresh lubricants.  You can't see well in the photo but the barrel is not the anodized version, it's bright and shiny.

With a replacement ratchet wheel, the movement is now wound up and ticking away with a brisk motion.

Looking good... just a couple of tweaks to reduce the beat error is needed... well, not so much necessary but it's so easy to do that I'd feel guilty not fine tuning it.

It doesn't take much of an adjustment to dial in the timing.

I replaced the framework with a proper 689 style and this watch is now winding as smoothly as it should.  Paired with a nice leather strap, this 60 year old A-506 is looking fantastic and ready for some wrist time.

1940 Kane - 917 Pocket Watch

One of the things I've enjoyed doing in the past is pocket watch conversions.  I say "enjoyed" because it was interesting to do, but it's not a task I particularly find enjoyable.  It's more along the lines of finding satisfaction by utilizing a fine movement in a manner in which it was not originally intended and would not have probably been used much otherwise.

My first interest in Hamilton watches was piqued by pocket watches.  I inherited by grandfather's railroad watch (apparently he worked on a railroad in his younger years).  According to my mom, he was very proud of the watch, although he never talked with me about it.  He was a pretty private guy, but I'm sure he'd be happy to know that I still have it.

There's something about the confidently loud ticking of an accurate pocket watch - like the closing segment of CBS's 60 Minutes news show.  I first learned to work on watches by tinkering with pocket watches.

Pocket watches come in all sorts of varieties and you could spend a lot of time and money trying to find good examples of all of the models that Hamilton offered.  Unlike other American brands of the era, Hamilton only produced high quality movements and up.  The entry-level Hamilton movement is far superior to what other brands offered, although other brands offered high end movements too.

The basic metric to use to establish "quality" is the jewel count.  The jewels are just that, rubies or sapphire stones used as the bearing surfaces inside the watch.  A movement is considered "fully jeweled" at 15 jewels. From there you can start adding jewels but most of them will be cap jewels that cover the end surfaces of other jewels.

Other than some very early movements, the Hamilton line up started at 17 jewels.  That meant that every wheel was supported by jeweled bearings.  So that's the center wheel, third wheel, fourth wheel, escape wheel and balance wheel - accounting for 10 jewels (one on each end).  The balance wheel has two cap jewels covering the balance staff pivots, bringing the count up to 12.  The balance also has an impulse pin or jewel - so that's 13.  The remaining four jewels are in the pallet fork and the jewels that support it... that's 17.  

A 15 jewel movement will often drop the jewels at the center wheel.  A 19 jewel movement will add cap jewels for the escape wheel.  A 21 jewel movement adds cap jewels for the pallet fork. A 23 jewel movement will add jewels to support the barrel.  Of course, that's generally what Hamilton did, other makers could do things differently.

As you can imagine, the more jewels added, the higher quality the movement.  In addition, Hamilton would add other attributes to high jeweled movements - like the wheels could be solid gold!  The quality of the machined damascening and plating could also be add-ons.

The sky is really the limit and a super high grade caliber like a 950 Railroad grade is truly a beauty to behold.

Eventually and unsurprisingly, I quickly realized Hamilton made a ton of wrist watches too - so my collecting interests rapidly evolved to watches I could wear and enjoy more often.  After that, I went deep down the rabbit hole, as this blog will attest.

Anyway, I still have a soft place in my heart for pocket watches and I will take them on from time to time.  I was recently asked to help with a watch that was an heirloom but not working.

Looking at it I was a little suspicious... does this dial look legit to you?

Hamilton offered all sorts of dials in varying degree of quality, but never anything "cheap".  I'm not saying this dial looks cheap, it just looks like you'd expect to see real applied gold numerals, as opposed to gold leaf.

Once I had the watch in hand, I was able to date it and it turns out it's 100% legitimate (or close to it).

It's a 1940 Kane.  Based on the catalog, I'd expect the hands to be blue spear style, instead of gold pointex, but maybe that was changed at some point.

Inside the case is a 17 jewel 917 movement.  This caliber was introduced in 1935 and made for a LONG time, well into the 60's.  The Kane was offered in 1935 as well and the catalog calls out the dial as a number E-5.

I know my project watch is from 1940 based on the movement serial number.

The case back has a little lip you can see protruding at about 1:00 in the photo below.  I can slip my case knife in there and pop the cover off.  The catalog states "without inside cap" as part of the description - that simply means there's no dust cover over the movement - just the case back.  Other 917 cases often have a dust cover under the case back and the dust cover will often have a presentation, if it was given for Christmas or graduation, etc.

This cover shows some wear but it's in good shape and I can probably improve it with a little simichrome polish.

As expected, inside is a 17 jewel 917 movement.  The next step up would be the 921, then then 923, and eventually there would be a 945 but in that case, the 45 doesn't indicate the number of jewels... for the other three movements it does.

This watch is not running for at least one obvious reason - the balance wobbles and that means the balance staff pivots are gone.  The crack in the crystal could be a clue to what happened - this watch was probably dropped.  That's the main reason I don't covert pocket watches to wrist watches any longer - they are not intended for the use and abuse that a wrist can deliver.  They are much better suited to the protection offered by a vest pocket or that little pocket in your blue jeans, inside the right front pocket.

The inside of the case back is ornately engraved Hamilton Watch Co with a serial number unique to this case.  That serial number is meaningless though, the movement serial number is used to date the watch.

The mainspring inside the barrel is old blue steel and likely has "set" into a coil and lost most of it's energy.

Yup, you can tell that I've seen this situation a few hundred times before.

A fresh Dynavar mainspring will provide a "lifetime" of service - as long as the watch doesn't get dropped again.

Everything is cleaned and dried.  I had a donor movement with a good balance so with any luck I can use that.  My stash of donor movements is almost depleted.  I have found getting replacement movements has gotten to be very expensive.  It's not unusual to see a loose 917 movement sell on eBay for well north of $150.  I guess more people are into wrist watch conversions. 

The first parts back on are the train wheels and once the bridges are in place, all of the wheels should spin freely.  Then I can carefully install the pallet fork.

The pallet fork is in place and I've installed the winding and ratchet wheels.  Now I can wind the watch and, with any luck, the balance will start ticking when I get it in place.

Success!  The balance is spinning briskly and even my camera can't freeze it in time.

It's running a smidgeon slow and there is a little extraneous noise.  I'll reclean the hairspring and that will clear that up.

A new crystal completes the restoration of the 86 year old Kane.  This was a really fun and interesting project - I'm glad I was able to save it so it can continue to be a treasured heirloom for it's owner's family.