1954 Newton

 Hamilton began producing men's wrist watches over 100 years ago.  Initially you had very few choices other than case material.  With each passing decade the model line up grew larger and larger to the point that men of discerning taste had many different models to choose from.

If you're a Hamilton collector you could focus your attention on only one decade and still acquire an impressive collection - as long as it wasn't the 1910 decade.

I think it's interesting to note how automobiles changed over the same time period.  Cars from the 1930s are very different from the 1960s.  You could even argue cars from the 1950s are different than the 1960s.  You could say the same about watches.

A good example of very unique styling is the 1954 Newton.  It was produced for only two years.  It was presented on either a bracelet or a leather strap.  The bracelet included styling that matches the case extremely well.  I'm not really a bracelet-guy but I think when it comes to the Newton, the bracelet would be the way to go, as you'll see.

The Newton came in a 10K gold filled case.  The dial is sterling silver and has a quadrant-design where opposing corners are brushed in a different direction than the other two corners.  So the dial looks different depending upon how the light hits it.  The dial also features 18K solid gold numerals and markers.  It's interesting to note that the 1954 catalog ad doesn't show any numerals in the 12 position and the 1955 catalog doesn't either.

My project watch arrived in typical condition, without a strap or a bracelet.  It's in decent condition and the high points on the case don't look too worn through.  The cylinder crystal has done a good job protecting the case from wear.

With the bezel removed and the movement secured in the case back, you can start to see how the different quadrants reflect light.  The dial appears to be original and shows a bit of spotting here and there but nothing too dramatic or distracting.

Based on the timeframe, I would expect to see the Newton outfitted with either a 17 jewel 747 movement or the 730 movement that replaced it in 1955.  The two calibers are the same other than the addition of shock jewels to protect the balance on the 730... definitely a nice upgrade.  This watch features a 747 movement and it looks to be in good shape.

Looking inside the case back, it's pretty easy to identify the model if you were unsure.

Everything is taken apart and thoroughly cleaned in the ultrasonic cleaner.

If you look at my earliest blog posts and overhaul examples, I typically reassembled movements in the reverse order of taking them apart.  For example, if the balance comes off first, then it goes back on last.  I think that's generally a good process although I typically install the pallet fork after the train wheels are installed - as shown in the photo below.  This allows me to verify the train spins freely before installing the pallet fork.

There - the movement is back together and running, even if my camera has frozen it in time.  Let's see what the timer thinks.

Well, everything looks good except the beat error is a little high at 4.2ms.  The closer to zero the better but getting it dialed in on this movement is tricky and more trial and error.  I have to remove the balance from the balance cock, adjust the hairspring collet, then reinstall it and check the timing.

When the beat error is zero the two lines approach each other.  In the shot below, the two lines run closely together but they are as far apart and they can get and the beat error is 9.9ms.  This means I made the adjustment in the wrong direction.  I had a 50:50 chance and chose poorly.  At least I know which direction to go now.

Well... moving in the right direction.  My personal specs are anything below 3.0ms is "good enough".  A watch with a low beat error will run longer than a watch with a higher beat error but every attempt to make and adjustment also risks disaster.

Third try isn't necessarily the charm but it's now below 3.0 and I'm calling it good.  I really don't want to screw up a perfectly good balance in the pursuit of perfection.

The final watch is reassembled and looking good on a slightly narrow strap.  Hamilton lug widths were in standard units like 5/8" or 11/16", etc.  These translate to metric equivalents of 16m or 17.4mm.  In this case 17mm is a little narrow and an 18mm would be the better choice.  Of course, you could also try to find the original bracelet - I'm sure there's one out there somewhere.