1952 Boulton B

Other than the railroad pocket watches, I think the most prolific Hamilton model is the Boulton.  In fact, it's still being made today!

There should probably be an asterisk after name though, as the model changed a little over the years.  When I think about the Boulton I equate it to the Volkswagen Beatle - even though it has changed a lot over the years, you know a Beatle when you see one.

The Boulton was introduced in 1940.  It used the 14/0 sized, 19 jewel 982 movement.  In 1952 the 982 was replaced by the 12/0 sized. 19 jewel 753 movement.  Because the shaped of the 14/0 movements is different than the shape of 12/0 movements, the case back has to be a different design.  In addition, the dial feet are in different locations.  Because of these differences, Hamilton denoted the new version as the Boulton B.  However, the catalogs still called it the Boulton.  From the outside it looks identical to the 1940 version.

Oddly, there is no Boulton in the 1953 catalogs but it does show up again in the 1954 catalog.  This time it showed up with a bracelet or a strap.

After 1954 the Boulton was discontinued for a few years and was reintroduced in 1960 as the Boulton II.  The Boulton II looks very similar to it's earlier brethren but the numerals are sans-serif and more modern looking.

My project watch is the earlier version and you really can't tell what variant it is unless you take a peek inside.  It's sporting an aftermarket bracelet and the plastic crystal is a bit beat up.  Other than that, it looks fairly dirty and it doesn't appear to be running.

The dial is a bit mottled but it's evenly mottled.  I'll give it a gentle wash but if it doesn't clean up easily then I'll leave it as is.  The Boulton B is much less common than the Boulton and finding a nicer Boulton B dial would be a challenge.  I believe this is an original dial since there's no markings on the side to indicate it's been refinished.  I'll take a mottled original dial over a nicely refinished dial - it's okay when a watch looks it's age.

Check out the inside of this case back.  It's clearly marked Boulton B.  It very dark inside.  I wonder if this watch was in a fire?  There's some wear on the back so this might be evidence of a soldering attempt.  Ultimately someone put some epoxy inside to seal up any gaps - as you can see by the wet-looking area at the bottom.

The 19 jewel 753 movement looks a lot like the soon-to-be-introduced 770 movement.  The 22 jewel 770 replaced the 12/0 movements (the 753, plus the black 754 used in gold models, and the 17 jewel 752 movement used in 10K gold filled models).  The main difference is the 770 introduced shock jewels to protect the balance.

With the dial removed you get a clear look at the main plate and the extra jewels over the escape wheel pivots.  Covering the escape wheel on both ends brings the jewel count from 17 to 19.

Here's a photo of the outside of the case back to show you where there was a repair made at some point.

While all the parts are being cleaned I will prep a new glass crystal for installation.

Everything is nice and shiny.  Time for reassembly.

The reassembled movement is frozen in time but ticking away with a nice motion.  The serial number on the barrel bridge dates the watch to 1952.

It's running a little fast according to the timer but that's an easy adjustment.

Too fast, too slow, too fast, too slow - eventually I got it dialed in to +5 seconds per day.  That's a good place to leave it.

A new glass crystal and a fresh leather strap make huge improvements to the aesthetics of this watch.  I like the mottled dial - it good honest age and the solid gold numerals all sparkle.

1953 Dixon

 If the Hamilton Watch Company ever went through it's "awkward teenage years", it would have to be in the mid 1950's.  That would make them late bloomers though, since men's wrist watches began 30 years prior.  Designs in the 1950s got pretty funky though.  If Hamilton ever made an "ugly" watch it was probably in the 1950s.

The 1953 Dixon wouldn't win an ugly watch competition but it does illustrate some of the unique attributes that watches started to exhibit... lots of angle, contours, and aggressive features - kind of like a dog with a spiked collar.

The 1953 Dixon is the second model to share that name.  The earlier Dixon was produced in 1935.  Other than the name, there are few similarities between the two model.  The 1953 Dixon was produced for three years.  

The watch was cased in 10K gold filled.  The dial is sterling silver and features solid 18K markers and numerals.  Tucked behind the dial is Hamilton's' 8/0 sized 747 movement.  I guess it's possible that a 1955 version might have a 730 movement - which replaced the 747 in 1955.

One interesting trivia item with the Dixon is in 1955 the dial changed.  Can you spot the difference?  The dial markers are squares and not elongated diamonds.

My project watch would appear to be a 1955 model, based on the dial.  It's a bit beat up and is missing the second hand but looks like it should clean up well.  The crystal is plastic - a good clue that it's not original.  It's also a "cylinder" and domed from top to bottom, while the catalog shows the crystal is flat.

The case back is engraved with a presentation from "Mom and Dad" from April 1955 - another good sign that this is a 1955 example.

With the bezel removed, you can get a clearer look at the dial.  I can tell from the finish that this is an older refinished dial.  I can also tell by the little notch on the side of the dial by the 3 marker.

The movement is a 747 caliber.  One thing that is interesting is the balance doesn't have straight arms.  Instead, they are curved.  This was an attempt at shock protection.  When the 730 movement was introduced, the big improves was actual shock protection for the balance staff.

The inside of the case back makes identifying the model easy - the name is right there in the back. 

With the dial out of the way, check out how dirty the movement is!  You can hardly see the pivot on the 4th wheel for the second hand, it's obscured by dust.

While all the parts are in the ultrasonic being cleaned, I'll prep a new glass crystal for installation.

Somehow during the cleaning process the outside layer of the crown lifted off.  This is due to the wear on the knurling.  Fortunately it's still attached so I'll secure it with a little glue.  Eventually it may need to be replaced but it should last for a while.

Okay - everything is nice and sparkly and ready to be reassembled.

With the watch wound up and the balance reinstalled the now-running watch is put on the timer.  A quick adjustment should be able speed it up a little.

There... 15 seconds fast per day is a good place to leave it for now.

The finished watch looks great with a new crystal.  A replacement second hand is a nice improvement too.  It's now ready for some more wrist time.

A tale of Two Datelines - 1967 Dateline A-680

 Some of the most collectible Hamilton models are the asymmetric models.  Asymmetric models have a lot of visual appeal because they don't look like every other watch from the time. 

However, what does "every other watch from the time" really mean?  After all, there are only so many things you can do with a symmetric design... typically they are round, square, or rectangular.  Sometimes you can spice things up and round the corners so a square becomes a cushion.  You can also mix and match, like a square watch with a rectangular dial, or a rectangular watch with a round dial.  

I guess that's why there are so many models.  Once you have the case design and dial shape, then you can add markers or numerals, maybe some color, sweep second hands or sub second hands, heck - why not through in a custom bracelet too?

So asymmetric models may not be so special after all.  Well, they are pretty cool though.

One very unusual symmetric model is the 1967 Dateline A-680.  It's unique because the case is oval shaped.  There aren't too many oval shaped watches in Hamilton's line up.  The case also has a Florentine pattern engraved on the bezel.  The dial is round.  So the Dateline A-680 is the only automatic model with an oval case and round dial.

The Dateline A-680 came in a 10K RGP case.  You had your choice of a paired metal bracelet or a strap.  The bracelet featured Florentine engraving to match the bezel.  I'm sure it looked really sharp.

My project watch came with a distant cousin... well, it's more like an imposter.  The real Dateline A-680 is on the left.  The watch on the right has a dial from another model - a Dateline A-678.  Did it come from the factory that way?  I doubt it - but it's interesting that it fits together so appropriately.

The Dateline A-678 was introduced in 1966 and featured a cushion-shaped case with a round dial - a little less unique than the Dateline A-680.

Looking at the back of the project watch, you can see it has a deep pie-pan shape.  That's a good clue that it's an A-model and not a T-model (as in Thin-o-matic).  

With the beat up crystal out of the way, you can see the dial more clearly.  There's a slight scratch near the 11 marker from a prior opening.  Other than that, the dial is unremarkable other than it's a very clean design with no indices for minutes or seconds.

There is no known 1967 catalog so how do I know this is a 1967 model?  The inside of the case back has two numbers - the top one is a unique serial number.  The other number is the model number and it ends with 67 - indicating it was originally introduced in 1967.

This watch is missing it's female stem, as indicated by my tweezers.  The watch requires a two-piece stem since the case is a one-piece design and opens through the crystal.  The male side of the stem is in the crown and the female side should be in the movement.  This movement has two different length stem choices so choosing the correct one would take a good guess.  However, since I have the other mis-matched model on hand, I'll just use that stem.  Problem solved.

The movement inside is a 17 jewel 694A caliber made by ETA.  It's virtually identical the 689A movement in most Accumatics from the time - with the exception being all the bits needed for the calendar complication.

Speaking of the calendar bits, with the dial and hands removed you can see there's a lot going on to make the large date wheel rotate.  All of those parts are on the left side of the movement, including a couple of pesky springs that like to vanish into the ether if you're not super-careful.

Everything is disassembled in cleaned in the ultrasonic.  The cleaning and rinsing process takes about 25 minutes so that's plenty of time to clean the case and, in this case, polish the crystal.

Reassembly of the rear of the watch is fairly straightforward.  At this point it's reassembled and running, although I haven't wound it much since there's no crown.

The watch is running a little fast.  The amplitude is a little low but it's also not wound much.  The beat error is high at 4.6ms but I can easily adjust that on this movement.

A quick tweak drops the beat error to 1.2ms.  You can see the improvement as the two lines approach each other.

Another tweak lowers it again, this time to 0.9ms but it's actually better than that - the timer just hasn't caught up with the average.

From there it's smooth sailing to reassemble the automatic framework and then the dial-side parts.  I reinstall the movement in the case and then advance the time with the crown until the date changes - then set the hands at 12:00 midnight.

With a fresh strap, this 1967 Dateline A-680 is back to showroom condition.  Well, almost, the crystal could stand to be replaced but I didn't have the correct size (28.1mm).  But the original crystal polished up fairly well, only the most discerning eye would see any defects.

1953 Kingdon CLD

 Hamilton's first attempt at waterproof models was with the CLD line in the late 1940s.  They were marketed as "weatherproof" and not really intended for being submerged.  They were more of a "getting caught in the rain" sort of waterproof and intended for keeping out the elements.  CLD meant "sealed.

The second generation of CLDs came out in the early 1950s.  There are 18 CLD models in total.  You might me tempted to collect them all - you're not alone.  However, you'll be hard pressed to find them all.  It took me 15 years to lay hands on all 18.

One of the less common models is the 1953 Kingdon.  It was produced for only a single year and was cased in 14K gold.

My project watch arrived in the usual condition - with a one-size-fits-all Speidel expansion band.  I'm not a huge fan of metal bracelets - especially when they have spring-loaded ends that wear grooves into solid gold lugs.

CLD models typically have a two-piece case with a gasket in between and a special crown with integrated gaskets.  I wouldn't consider them waterproof, especially after 70 years.  To be honest, I don't trust any watch to be waterproof and would never take one into a pool or shower unless I was willing to see it damaged.

The back of the case is engraved with a presentation for 25 years of service.  You don't see that sort of award nowadays.

The front bezel pops off to reveal the dial and a reflector ring.  The black gasket is probably a replacement, as my experience the original gasket is long gone or crumbled to bits.

The reflector ring simply lifts out to reveal the two-piece stem.  CLDs use a special stem that you have to align in order to lift out the movement.  You cannot pull the crown out to separate the stem - if you tried you would surely break the female side, assuming you had enough strength to do so.

In this next photo you can see the female side of the stem.  It reminds me of the wooden toy train tracks where one side is a round post and the other side is a round slot.  The inside of the case is marked Kingdon and there are several watchmakers' marks from prior overhauls.  The little notch in the opening around 11 o'clock matches a slot in the movement to keep the movement from rotating in the case.

Behind the dial is a 17 jewel 8/0 sized 747 movement.  This is one of my favorite Hamilton movements.  It shares a lot of parts with it's sweep second sibling, the 748, but it's a lot easier to work with.

The crystal is very worn.  I might be able to polish it but replacement is always an option.

The Kingdon, Reardon, Lyndon and the Haddon all share the same crystal.  There are Hamilton-branded crystals out there but GS made a version too - the PA435.  Notice the design graphic shows the special contour to snap into the bezel.

The crystal that came with the watch isn't the proper style - someone replaced it a long time ago with something that fit "good enough".

Everything is cleaned, dried, and ready to be reassembled.

The reassembled movement is ticking away with a good motion - lets see what the timer has to say about it.

It's running cleanly but the beat error is a little high. 3.0ms is the top of my personal specs.  Ideally it would be zero.  The beat error is a measure of how well centered the balance impulse jewel is relative to the pallet fork.  If it's perfectly centered the balance will swing equally from one side to the other.  As the beat error increases, the balance swings more to one side than the other.

Reducing the beat error requires either moving the hairspring stud (attached to the balance bridge) or the hairspring collet attached to the balance staff.  Since the stud location is fixed on this movement, the only option is to rotate the balance at the hairspring collet.  It's tricky business and usually requires trial and error.

Well, that's MUCH better. I'm plenty happy with 1.2ms.  Now I can tweak the regulator a smidgen and speed up the beat rate a little - it won't take much.

I'll leave it here.  One of the benefits of a lower beat error is the amplitude picks up.  I haven't fully wound movement yet since there's no crown.  Once it's fully wound the amplitude will be even higher.

The dial gets reinstalled and I'll position the movement back in the case so I can use the crown to set the hands at 12:00.  Then I'll add the reflector ring and snap it all back together.

The expansion bracelet has been replaced by a genuine lizard strap.  The gently polished case and new crystal go a long way toward making this Kingdon a real show piece.