"WRIST WATCH FOR MEN" -- Grade 981, silver case. This early
"0-size" watch is fitted with the Hamilton 981 movement -- the very first
ever made exclusively for men's wristwatches. Prior to the publication of Bryan Girourard's
and Will Roseman's ground-breaking research in the April 2006 issue of the NAWCC
Bulletin, the earliest Hamilton men's wristwatches were virtually unknown.
It was only in the past decade that factory documentation was uncovered detailing
Hamilton's first hesitant steps into this new market. The very first wristwatches
Hamilton made for men were based on movements already used in ladies' pendant watches:
grade 983 and 985. It was not until 1919 that a movement designed specifically for
this purpose was produced: the 981.
In the six years that watches were sold
with this type of movement, only 2,097 were made in total. And of those, only 300
were sold in a round silver case with wire lugs as I am offering here, and which
can also be seen in the contemporary advertisement above. This is truly beyond rare,
and is also one of the most historic of Hamilton wristwatches. The condition is superb,
with excellent silver case made by Fahy's (as documented in the Bulletin article)
and a superb original porcelain dial with only a hint of a hairline near the seconds
track. This is the only 981 I have ever offered for sale in over 30 years of collecting
and dealing Hamilton watches. A major rarity. (SALE PENDING).
REPLICA "PIPING ROCK" with 1928 NY Yankee Engraving. In 1928 the New York Yankees commissioned a small set of Piping Rock watches from Hamilton, especially engraved with an elaborate logo to commemorate their victory in the 1928 World Series. In the 1990s Hamilton created replicas of this special watch, which were popular with both watch and sports collectors alike. These replicas have been off the market for almost 12 years and are now collector's items in themselves. This example is mint-in-box, showing virtually no signs of wear. Even the strap is original and excellent. The case is white gold-plated, fitted with Swiss quartz movement. Visually it is a very faithful replica of a supremely rare relic. $495.
PUTNAM - white gold-filled. The Putnam, introduced in 1932, represents the pinnacle in classic Art Deco styling, with deeply stepped sides reflecting the "zigguraut" motif that inspired so many artists in the genre. Unfortunately for today's collectors, the very high and sharp steps of the design make it particularly susceptible to heavy wear. It is very are to find a Putnam in truly excellent condition. This one definitely qualifies for that lofty category, and is in fact one of the nicest I have ever seen. There is a hint of wear on the edges of the lugs, visible in the photograph above (they are less noticeable on the wrist). But there is no wear on any of the other steps and the corners of the back are still flawles. The dial is superbly refinished and the case back is engraved "JFF." Only 3,861 were made in white gold-fill, and of those there are just a handful which survive in such tantalizingly pretty condition. $650.
SHERWOOD 'T' - Gold-filled. In 1961 Hamilton released a small series of watches with wooden dials, which they dubbed "Sherwood." While in theory making a dial with a wooden surface might seem simple, in practice it proved to be extremely complex -- especially getting it to shape to a curved edge as you note in this particular watch. The hardest part was simply finding veneer thin enough to be workable. A Hamilton purchasing agent remembered meeting a salesman from US Plywood Corp. at a design show. Calls were made and soon Hamilton obtained samples of a new industrial veneer called Flexwood, which measured only sixteen thousands of an inch. This would later be sanded down to only six thousandths of an inch thick. The finished watches were remarkable in appearance -- but a total sales flop. Very few were sold, and many were returned to Hamilton and refitted with conventional dials. As a result these significant pieces are among the rarest of all Hamiltons today. This example is quite simply gorgeous, based on the "Rodney" case with elegant s lugs. The dial is flawless. The case is also mint, with absolutely no visible wear. It is fitted with a new-old-stock original Hamilton genuine alligator strap of the late 1950s. A fantastic watch. $1,995.
(left) FORM OPENING CUSHION - WHITE GOLD-FILLED. This is a very sharp example of this lovely 1926 style. The gold-filled case has no wear issues at all. The dial has been nicely refinished with new luminous markers. $395.
DATELINE 1000B- 18K gold. This is an incredibly rare watch, one of only four I have ever seen. The case and integral gold band are made of solid 18K gold -- nearly 65 grams!! The date feature is set into the band, which is a very unique feature. The watch measures 7-1/2" so it is sized to fit an average wrist. $2,750.