POLARIS - 14K Yellow Gold - Model 505. Starting in 1945 Hamilton awarded
gold watches to all employees on the occasion of their 15 year of continuous employment.
Each watch was engraved with a custom dedication reading "To a Craftsman the
Product of His Craft. Presented to ... For Long and Loyal Service. Hamilton Watch
Co. [year]". Needless to say these award watches are excessively rare since
the only way to acquire one was to devote 15 years of dedicated service to the Hamilton
company. Each employee had a choice of two watches. In the Electric era one choice
was mechanical, the other Electric -- the Spectra for the first 3 years, the Polaris
until 1964, and the Polaris II thereafter. This Polaris was given to an employee
in 1960.
Overall this is excellent, with a perfectly refinished dial and fully
overhauled Model 505 movement. A rare and very special piece of Hamilton history
for only $1,095.
VENTURA - 14K yellow gold - Model 505. FINALLY BACK IN STOCK! First released on January 3, 1957, the Ventura was the world's first battery-powered watch, and it remains one of the most popular watch styles even after 50 years. Venturas have always been sought-after among collectors, but in recent years they have become extremely hard to find. This is NOT a rough, unrestored Ventura such as you will you find elsewhere. I restore my Hamilton Electric watches to look and run as-new, with new crystals, new straps, and fully overhauled movements. You won't find a finer Ventura anywhere else. Fully restored ,and as close to new as is possible for a 50 year-old watch. Fully guaranteed. $2.750.
As conceived by renowned designer Richard Arbib and first marketed by Hamilton
in early 1957, the "Ventura" Electric was offered with a unique strap with
a stripe of gold alongside a stripe of black, complementing the stunning design of
the case and dial. However within only about four months Hamilton discontinued this
custom strap and replaced it with a conventional black strap to reduce manufacturing
costs. The few straps that were sold in 1957 have almost all worn out and today these
original straps are incredibly rare and valuable. Those few that do exist are usually
so brittle from age that they are not wearable.
Ever since I began specializing
in Hamilton Electrics back in 1986 I dreamed of making reproductions of the unique
Ventura strap. It was a much more complex manufacturing challenge that it might seem,
and it was not until 1997 that I finally had straps to offer for sale. Alas, the
company I worked with to produce these special straps went out of business and I
had to go back to the drawing board, hunting for someone willing to handle such a
complex project. At last I have a new batch of superb replicas which are even better
than originals, and even better than my previous reproductions!
Like the original
it is handmade with two separate strips of leather, with different colors and textures,
fitted side by side. However my reproduction is backed with a soft, hypo-allergenic
kidskin lining for extra comfort and features supple, extra-high quality leathers
and smooth rembordé edges. Thse straps are handmade in very tiny quantities yet their
cost is about the same as plain straps of similar quality: ONLY $37.95 each!
Quantities
are limited. California residents must add $3.42 sales tax per strap. Shipping: $1.41
per order (any quantity)..
(left) EVEREST - Model 500. One of the most popular of the Hamilton Electrics, the Everest has become surprisingly scarce in recent years. It has a very bold design in which the keystone-shaped center portion gives the illusion of breaking through the top of the case. The numbers marked on the top of the bezel and the bright gold center of the dial reinforce the optical illusion. This is an exceptional example with a sharply-defined case showing no wear, and a superb original dial. The Everest is notoriously hard to find with a good original dial, so this one is truly a special watch. $750.
"ELVIS" LIMITED EDITION VENTURAS. In honor of Elvis Presley's 75th
birthday coming up in 2010, Hamilton has released a pair of special limited edition
Venturas with vintage-style "scissor-link" stretch metal bands. Although
Hamilton never originally offered the Ventura with a metal band, Elvis chose to wear
his personal white gold Ventura with a matching stretch band. The photograph at the
top shows his watch, as purchased by Elvis in 1965. (It was sold at auction by Graceland
about 10 years ago, and was bought back by the Hamilton Watch Company for its own
collection.) Elvis evidently didn't like the leather strap that came with the watch,
so the jeweler swapped out a metal band from a white gold-filled Savitar II in order
to keep his famous customer happy.
For the Elvis birthday Venturas Hamilton
has created the most accurate replicas they have made to date. The case is extremely
well crafted and matches the original much more closely than the standard Ventura
reissue as shown at the bottom of this page. The dial is also more like the original,
with gloss black finsh and a domed shape. Two versions are available. The plain stainless
steel Elvis Ventura is a close visual match to Elvis' original white gold watch.
For those who prefer yellow gold, Hamilton has also produced a Ventura plated in
yellow with the latest PVD plating technology, giving a much harder and more durable
finish than old electroplating.
Limited availability -- please EMAIL
for special pricing. BOTH STYLES ARE IN STOCK FOR IMMEDIATE SHIPMENT.
(left) PACER - Model 505 -- The Pacer has always been the most popular of all Hamlton Electrics, however in the past several years they have become increasingly scarce and expensive. Prices of unrestored examples have hit incredible highs in Internet auctions. Whereas I used to maintain a stock of Pacers at all times, in recent years I have found it extremely difficult to keep up with demand, however I currently have an excellent example on hand with unengraved two-tone gold-filled case, perfectly refinished dial, new crystal, new strap, and fully-overhauled Model 505 movement. Remember -- my Pacers are NOT sold "as-is" like everywhere else, all are fully restored and guaranteed. (Currently sold out, please EMAIL if you would like to be contacted when I find another.).
For those who want the classic look of the original 1957 Ventura in a carefree,
inexpensive version, the modern reissue by Hamilton fits the bill. It is reasonably
faithful to the original, but with its stainless steel case and high-quality Swiss
quartz movement it is more suited to rugged use. THIS IS A GENUINE HAMILTON PRODUCT,
made by the Hamliton Watch Company and with full Hamilton factory two-year warranty.
Superb quality and styling! Please EMAIL for pricing.
(Please
note that ladies' versions are also available on special order.)