1953 Preston

It's interesting how some models were produced for many years while others only had one year in the sun before setting for good.  One of the one year wonders you rarely see in the wild is the 1953 Preston.

The Preston came in a solid 14K gold case and what's most interesting about the model is it featured a gabled crystal.  I imagine the Preston was inspired by the 1951 Brent, they are quite similar other than the Preston being solid gold.

Tucked inside the case of the Preston is a 19 jewel 12/0 size 754 movement.  The 754 replaced the 14/0 sized 982M movement used in solid gold models in the 1940s and early 1950s.  It had a short run though and was replaced in 1955 by the 770 movement.

My project watch arrived in typical as-found-in-a-drawer condition, right down to half of the strap and second hand missing.  The crystal isn't a gabled style, so it must have been replaced at some point.  Notice the crown is on an odd angle - this is likely the result of winding the watch without removing it from your wrist.  That puts a lot of strain on only one side of the stem.  When you want to wind a watch you should remove it from your wrist first.  

Looking closely at the dial, it's readily apparent that it's been refinished at some point.  It's the correct pattern but the finish isn't really a silver butler, it's not two-toned, and the markers on the left side and top aren't well aligned with the printing.

The 754 looks a lot like the 22 jewel 770.  The main difference is the lack of shock jewels on the balance and, of course, three less cap jewels.  Most of the parts are shared between the calibers though, which is good to know when you need to replace something.

Notice the post of the missing second hand is still attached to the 4th wheel bit.

While everything is drying after being cleaned, I'll prep a new crystal for installation.

Everything is ready to be reassembled with fresh lubricants.

The movement is noticeably brighter and shinier after a trip to the spa.  It's ticking away with good motion so now it's off to the timer to see how well it's working.

Not too shabby.  The beat error of 1.6ms is well within my specs of less than 3.0.  It could be reduced closer to zero but that would risk goofing up the hairspring.  So I'll leave it as is.

Now to see if I can persuade the crown to sit more evenly.

Check it out... this watch looks a lot different with a correct crystal.   Depending on your perspective the gable is a little distracting.  That might be why the model had such a short run.

Still, the crystal does add a lot of visual interest to what is otherwise a very traditional looking model.

I think the watch looks much more interesting when it's more flattering light.

1948 Eaton

I try not to post repeat models but I thought you might find my most recent project interesting,  It's a model called the Eaton, originally introduced in 1948  and produced through 1951.

The Eaton is not a very large model.  In fact, it's about as small as you can make with a 14/0 movement tucked inside.  It came in a 10K yellow gold filled case so you could probably guess it has a 17 jewel 980 movement inside.  14K gold filled models got the 19 jewel 982.

As received, it was in need of some serious TLC but not too unusual for a 70+ year old watch.

My first clue that this was going to be a challenging project was I couldn't get it out of the case.  I pried and I pried until eventually it gave way.

I loosened the two dial foot screws and then pried and pried on the dial.  What the heck?  Eventually it gave way too.  The dial feet are still there so I have no idea what this goopy mess was.

I was unable to get the hour wheel off - that's never happened before.  Based on the green verdigris this watch hasn't run in many, many years.

A new glass crystal will be an improvement, assuming I can get this watch to run again.

It took about 20 minutes in the ultrasonic along with some elbow grease with peg wood and Q-tips to get everything apart and cleaned up.  Surprisingly, the only casualty was the set lever and set lever screw - they were a rusted mess.  A new white alloy mainspring is also in order, the original was actually broken.

This watch would have made a nice Easter post, as it has been raised from the dead and is ticking away with good motion.  Based on the movement serial number, this watch is a 1949 model.

What the heck?  There's a shotgun pattern of noise on the timegrapher.  Something inside is making noise.

Close observation revealed a tiny filament snagged on the balance roller table, probably from a Q-tip.  Once it was out of the way the timing cleaned up nicely.  Just a slight tweak to the regulator is needed to speed the watch up a smidgen although being within 1 minute per day isn't that bad for a vintage watch.

It's hard to believe this is the same watch I started with.  My light tent is merciless but even with that, this watch looks pretty good.  It's even better in regular light.  The original dial shows it's age but it's way better than it was and definitely not bad enough to get refinished.  This watch is ready for more wrist time, hopefully it won't be gummed into oblivion again.

1957 Astramatic I

There's a great Hamilton Watch Company video from the late 1940's called "What Makes a Fine Watch Fine".  It begs the question, if the most basic Hamilton watch is a fine watch, then what makes an exceptional watch exceptional?

There is one series of Hamilton models that arguably fits the label of exceptional - or at least the best that they had to offer in 1957 - the Astramatic line.  There are only two Astramatic models, the Astramatic I and the Astramatic II.  Both models are one-year-wonders though, so you'll be hard pressed to find either of them.  They are the only models to utilize the 25 jewel 664 movement.

Of the two, the Astramatic I is the cat-daddy and arguably the flagship of the entire 1957 model line.

There are only about a baker's dozen solid 18K models and the Astramatic I is a member of this elite collection.

I recently had the opportunity to work on an Astramatic I.  It's only the second time I've come across one, so it was a real treat to restore it.  As received it was in typical "as-found" condition with a few bumps and bruises and a slightly cloudy crystal.

The solid 18K case back is on tight!  18K is fairly soft, as metals go, so I'll have to be very careful not to gouge up the case back by trying to open it.

In situations like this I'm glad that I've invested in the best tools that I can afford, like a Bergeon case holder and a Bergeon case opener.  Less expensive tools might look similar but it's quality that counts in situations like this.

A little penetrating oil helps free up the couple of decades of dried DNA holding the case back in place.  Finally it broke loose without any damage.

I don't see any evidence of prior watchmakers inside the case back... I wonder if I'm the first person to look at the movement in over 60 years?

The 25 jewel 664 movement is essentially the same as the 661 movement used in the Automatic K-series of models, except there are 8 additional jewels inside.  Although this is a very rare movement, it's not hard to find parts for it since there are lots of 661s out there.

Despite the radium-based lume on the hands, the dial only shows a slight amount of radium burn on the surface.

If you look closely at the automatic framework you will see four jewels that you won't see on the framework of a 661 movement.

There are four additional corresponding jewels below the framework, bringing the total jewel count to 25.

The movement is completely disassembled and ultrasonically cleaned.  While it was in the ultrasonic I replaced the crystal with a fresh one... that alone will make a nice improvement.

The basic movement is reassembled with fresh oil and now ticking away with good motion.

It's running a smidgen fast but a slight tweak will slow it down.

There... 13 seconds per day fast is a good place to leave things.  It will slow a little after everything settles back in place.

The reassembly of the movement is completed and everything is installed back in the case.

I cleaned the case up and gave it a very gentle polish so that I wouldn't lose any of the crisp edges.  There are still a few marks from prior wear but that's preferable to an over-polished case with soft edges.  A new crystal makes this 63 year old watch look like it just left the showroom floor.  I'm sure the owner will be delighted to get it back on their wrist!  However, I believe this watch will be for sale so if you're interested in it let me know and I'll put you two in touch!