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.