The 1961 catalog showed the Thinline 3000 was "sold out", so maybe it was only available for one year?
I haven't seen too many Thinline 3000s in the wild but I have seen movements with the dial fairly often - indicating the watch was scrapped for gold. : (
I recently landed a Thinline 3000 project watch and upon close inspection it looked pretty good. The dial has a slight tone near the three, indicating that water has gotten past the crown and affected the dial. The black numerals are uniquely shaped with a very thin font.
The watch has a one-piece case and opens through the crystal.
This watch really lives up to the Thinline name - it's extremely thin.
Inside is a 17 jewel 676 movement. You don't see this movement anywhere other than in a Thinline.
The inside of the case has a couple of watchmaker's marks. One of them is a simple "15".
Oddly enough, once the dial was removed, I saw "15" scratched into the manipulate too. You can see the 5 in the photo below.
There's a lot of extra oil under the barrel bridge. In fact the overall movement looks clean but feels grimy.
The Hamilton 676 is based on an Aurore 4201 ebauche. The shield logo with an AV inside indicates Aurore
All the parts are cleaned and ready to be reassembled.
Everything is reassembled and running. It looks okay to my eye but the timer will tell me for sure how it's running.
It's running a little slow and the amplitude is low but I only wound it a little bit.
I wound it more fully so the amplitude increased. The regulator index is very finicky... I could get it to run a little fast or a little slow but the sweet spot proved illusive. I'll leave it a little fast for now.
I'll put a new low profile crystal on, as the old one was a little scratched up. 30.6mm should do the trick.
A nice genuine alligator strap completes the overhaul of the watch. My merciless light tent exaggerates the yellow tone near the three on the dial. It's not that obvious in daylight. The dial is a radial finished pattern and I'd be hesitant to try to get it refinished.
what watch would you suggest for a 30-35 year old man to wear with jeans and jacket? Different price ranges 200 euro 300 euro 400 euro and 500 euro. Waiting for your reply :)
ReplyDeleteJeans and jacket (sport coat) is a fairly casual look. So a casual watch would work well - something round. I tend to match the watch strap to the belt and shoes I'm wearing so brown or black, depending on the day. The color of the watch metal matches the belt buckle - silver or gold. So having four watches is ideal... black / brown with yellow gold and black / brown with stainless steel. I think stainless steel is more casual so you could condense to two options. Brown is more casual than black - so you're left with a round stainless steel watch with a brown strap. From there the choice is yours... unless you want a metal bracelet... hmmm?
DeleteHamilton's modern watch line up has quite a few options in the 500 euro range. If you're going to go vintage - then there are lots of options at the lower end of your range.
Hi Dan, I have that exact same watch that was given to me by my father. It sounds as though the watch you have has some of the same characteristics as mine. There is a stain visible on the dial by the 3 as well but the watch runs fine as far as I can tell. The only other difference is that my numbers are gold and not black. I love this watch and would like to clean it up. Get a new crystal and clean the face. Do you think this is something a rookie should try and do on his own?
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Mike
Like a car, the most important part to maintain is the engine (power train) as opposed to the aesthetics / looks. So getting your watch should be cleaned and oiled every few years if you intend to use it. A running watch that’s not maintained will eventually become a non running watch with serious issues.
DeleteAs for tasks a rookie can do... changing a crystal is easy with the proper tools. Cleaning dials is a great way to ruin them.
The stain near the 3 is the result of moisture getting past the crown. Keep vintage watches away from water, even sweat, as a general rule.
Thanks Dan I guess I will leave the dial as is. I will try and find a local shop to get this thing serviced as I plan on wearing it on occasion. My newer Hamilton's are are very large and while I enjoy them I really like the feel and look of the smaller pieces.
DeleteGreat post. I have what LOOKS like a 3000, as the font matches your pictures perfectly, but the araabic numerals of 12, 3, 6 and 9 along with e markers are gold. Were any of the 3000s like this? you mention in the article as well as its listed in the catalog that the numerals should be in black.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what to tell you... maybe refinished dial?
Delete