Vintage Hamilton from my grandpa

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Kyle1223

·Dec 30, 2021

Good evening,
Over Christmas I was talking about watches with my family at my grandmas house. My grandma went and pulled out some old watches from my grandpa (he passed about 15 years ago) one was this vintage Hamilton.
She gave me the watch and I’m super excited. I don’t know a ton about it, but it needs a service and a new crystal. I’m gonna have that done and wear this one daily. Wanted to share some pictures. I love the dial, can’t wait to get this guy running and start wearing it. Really cool it was my grandpas, one of those I’ll keep forever.

 

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Canuck

·Dec 30, 2021

Congratulations. Your watch is a Swiss made Hamilton, produced after Hamilton stopped manufacturing watches. A word of caution before you set out to wear it daily. Your ancestor wore this watch with a metal bracelet on it. Notice the arrows pointing to two case lugs that are very badly worn. The other two are likely almost as heavily worn. The shop who will do the work will likely confirm it. If you plan on wearing it a lot, consider wearing it on a leather strap, rather than a bracelet. That way, you should be able to wear it lots, since the worn lugs won’t get any worse.

The movement in your watch appears to be a caliber 61, otherwise known as ETA 2391.

Edited: Dec 30, 2021

 

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Kyle1223

·Dec 30, 2021

I noticed the wear on the lugs, didn’t know metal bracelets could do that! Thanks for the info.

 

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Truva1

·Jan 2, 2022

Same here. I didn’t know that the bracelet can cause a damage.

 

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TexOmega

·Jan 2, 2022

Truva1

Same here. I didn’t know that the bracelet can cause a damage.

Just the spring-loaded multi mm width lug size type.

 

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Kyle1223

·Jan 5, 2022

Thanks, I am proud of it. It is with a watchmaker now getting the movement repaired and a new crystal. I will post pictures when it comes back.

 

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jaguar11

·Jan 5, 2022

How nice to have such an item....

 

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Canuck

·Jan 5, 2022

Kyle1223

Thanks, I am proud of it. It is with a watchmaker now getting the movement repaired and a new crystal. I will post pictures when it comes back.

When you pick the watch up after repair, ask for advice as to a strap or bracelet designed to prevent the lugs from getting worse. Don’t buy a bracelet with one -size-fits-all spring loaded ends like the one that your ancestor had on it.

 

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Kyle1223

·Jan 14, 2022

Here’s the Hamilton after service. The band is just a temp one until a can find something I like as a permanent.

It’s my only manual wind watch and I’m loving it.

 

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gatorcpa

·Jan 14, 2022·ΩF InvestiGator

That is an appropriate band for the watch. I would consider keeping it.

Many of the 1950’s Hamilton’s had these “one size fits all” bracelets fitted at the factory. That’s just what was popular at the time. No one cared about lug wear back then as the watch case was not expected to last forever.
gatorcpa

 

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TheGreekPhysique

·Jan 14, 2022

Awesome watch. Love that it says Lancaster on the case back since I am somewhat local. Congratulations!

 

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Waltesefalcon

·Jan 14, 2022

Kyle, that looks great now, I think that the strap looks great on it.

@TheGreekPhysique , for some reason I felt you lived in a more exotic place than Pennsylvania. Must be the name.

 

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TheGreekPhysique

·Jan 14, 2022

Waltesefalcon

Kyle, that looks great now, I think that the strap looks great on it.

@TheGreekPhysique , for some reason I felt you lived in a more exotic place than Pennsylvania. Must be the name.

hah! I did for a little bit.

 

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Kyle1223

·Jan 14, 2022

Waltesefalcon

Kyle, that looks great now, I think that the strap looks great on it.

@TheGreekPhysique , for some reason I felt you lived in a more exotic place than Pennsylvania. Must be the name.

Thanks! I took that strap off a vintage sea master just so I could wear it this weekend. I’ve got plans of putting it on a Hamilton leather strap, but this one is growing on me.