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.
Another beautiful restoration!
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