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.