1955 Grenadier II

 In 1955 Hamilton introduced two very similar looking models, one called the Grenadier I and the other Grenadier II.  I've always thought they were interesting for a few of reasons.  First, the name is unusual - often men's models were named with men's names.  A grenadier is a term used for well trained, elite soldiers, who typically led assaults.  You might assume they were soldiers who threw grenades, which might be true, but grenadier is an old term that predates hand grenades.  Perhaps it is the other way around. 

The second reason I find the models interesting is they look so similar.  The cases appear to be virtually identical.  However, the Grenadier I has a sweep second hand and the Grenadier II has a sub-second hand.  The two models use different movements.  Another, similar pairing would be the Nordon and Langdon from the CLD line - they look very similar too but are different.

A third interesting bit of trivia is both models used "silhouette hands" where luminous paint was applied to the BACK of solid hands so they glowed onto the dial leaving a silhouette of the hands when it was dark enough to see.  The paint included radium which made the lume glow 24x7 and it tended to burn the dial after a decade or two.  So it's not unusual to find Grenadiers with trashy-looking dials. 

Both models were made for three years.

The Grenadier II also included solid gold markers with luminous dots.  I bet it was a very cool looking watch when it was new.  You just didn't want to eat it - as the radium would poison you.  Not to worry too much though, the case and the crystal blocked most of the radiation, as does your skin.

The 10K gold filled case was equipped with a stainless steel back.  It's a classic 1950s "flying saucer" design.  Both models were available with a bracelet and the bracelets were different, making the two models further unique.

I've had my project watch waiting in the wings for a LONG time, probably years.  I saw it in a pile of watches and thought, why not give this watch some love?  Looking at it, it's very dirty, the crystal is shot and appears to have paint rubbed on it, and the dial has a mild case of radium burn in the center.

The back unscrewed to reveal the gasket not fully seated.  Was it always like that or did it happen when I removed the back?  It's a very stiff gasket, I think it's been like that for a while.

The inside of the case back makes identifying the model easy - it says Grenadier II right there inside.  The four balls are recesses on the outside to engage a wrench.

1955 was a transition year for Hamilton and the 747 movement was phased out in favor of the 730, which is a 747 with shock jewels on the balance.  This is one of the last 747 movements made and I can tell because it doesn't even have a serial number on the barrel bridge.  After 1955 Hamilton stopped putting serial numbers on movements.   Some of the enamel has come of the printing on the bridges, I'll see if I can reapply it.

Everything has been cleaned and is readied to be reassembled.  I removed the lume from the hands and from the dial markers.  No point in having lume on a watch with solid hands.  The empty dots look pretty cool as is.  Notice the balance wheel design - the swirly arms on the balance wheel were a form of shock protection for the balance staff before the advent of shock jewels.

I applied black enamel to the bridges and let it dry, then wiped it down with mineral spirits, leaving some paint in the lettering.

The reassembled movement is ticking away with a decent motion.  Let's see what the timer thinks of it.

Oof - the beat error is a tad high.  I'll have to adjust the hairspring collet on the balance staff.

Whoops, wrong direction.  The beat error got worse - I'm trying to get it close to zero but at least under 3.0ms.

Fifth times the charm, I guess.  I'll leave it here for now.  I'm not sure why the amplitude dropped but it's still high enough to be okay.

I poked and prodded the gasket back into shape and into its position.  Now I can close up the case.

This watch turned out really well.  I like the open gold markers without lume, the look like little O's.  The dial will be forever toned thanks to the years of radium exposure but it's not a distracting mess.  I still don't recommend eating the watch though.

1960 Thin-o-matic T-403

When it comes to styling, it's a tough call which period is more dramatic, the 1930/40's or the 1950/60's.  

The former benefited from the art deco era and in addition to interesting case designs, models often featured different dial patterns to choose from.  The cases had a lot of style, with flairs, moveable lugs, stepped features, and long curves to fit the wrist.

20 years later, watches took on a futuristic look as if they were designed for the space age... with curved fins, flying saucer shapes, and the bracelets that were paired with the watch could echo the design aesthetic.

From a style standpoint, the most popular designs are the asymmetric models.  These are most often attributed to the late 1950s or early 1960s, but the earliest asymmetric model was actually introduced in 1928 as the Hamilton Spur.  A few years later, the Brooke was introduced.  So you might say the designers of 1950's models were really just getting back to their Hamilton roots.

Of course, a lot of things changed in the 1950s, including the introduction of the world's first electric watch.  Watches like the Pacer and the Ventura led the asymmetric revolution.  Hamilton introduced a few automatic models too.

In 1960 the first automatic asymmetric models hit the market.  One of them was the Thin-o-matic T-403.  This model was produced from 1960 through 1963.  Initially, the T-403 was cased in 10K yellow gold fill.  The dial had two colors, white and gold, with radiating black lines and the hour markers were embossed gold color.  The slender hands were black, although the catalog doesn't seem to show that detail.  However, catalog does accurately depict the lollipop hour hand.

In 1962 a white gold filled version of the T-403 joined the yellow gold filled version.  In addition to a white (silver-colored) case, the two tone dial featured a gray and white dial.  The dial still featured yellow gold embossed markers though, and the lollipop hands where changed to yellow gold.  So it's one of the few white gold models with yellow gold hand and markers.

Regardless of color, the model doesn't appear to have been paired with a bracelet, just a nice lizard strap.

Tucked inside the case is a pink micro-rotor movement, the 17 jewel 663 movement.

My project watch came paired with a vintage Kreisler bracelet.  I don't know if it's original to the watch but I bet I could peruse the catalogs and spot a few models that used it.

The dial has some bubbles on it and I assume it's from moisture getting inside.  When I turn the crown to wind the watch it's feels a little "crunchy" and I'm hoping I don't find a rusty mess inside.

The crystal lifted off way to easily, I think it's just large enough to stay put but it's not large enough to create a good seal.  You can see some moisture damage to the left side of the dial.  It's not repairable other than getting the dial refinished and I've never had luck getting an embossed dial refinished perfectly,  So this dial will have to do.  It's not that bad, really, but it's not perfect.

I can see a bunch of watchmaker's marks inside the case back so this watch has had a lot of care.  I actually recognize one of them!  That's a first for me (it's not my mark).

The 663 movement is in nice shape - thank goodness!  I've done several of these movements recently.  They take a bit of time.

The crunchiness of the winding could be any number of things.  The first hear involved is the clutch.  This part engages the stem and when the stem is turned the clutch either engages the winding pinion or the setting wheel, depending on if the stem is pulled out or pushed in.  The winding pinion is what transfers the winding motion of the stem to the back of the movement and the mainspring.  So the crunchiness could be between the clutch and the winding pinion.  However, there are several other wheels on the back of the movement that ultimately engage the mainspring.  Any of these gears could be the issue.  I have found that these movements, in general, are a little more crunchy than other non-micro rotor movements can be.

The inside of the case back shows the tell tale signs that there's a micro rotor movement inside.  The small oscillating weight can slide of it's arbor and rub the inside of the case.

Look how many parts have to be removed in order to get to the mainspring barrel.  You pretty much have to tear the movement down in order to address a mainspring issue.  The important thing to remember now is to put the barrel back in after the center wheel.  I've learned this the hard way in the past.  Normally the barrel goes in after the train wheels.  

Everything is cleaned and ready to be reassembled.  It's a lot more sparkly now.

The movement is almost fully reassembled but it's far enough along to test the time keeping.

That's not too bad at all!  I'll leave it as it is.

Everything goes back into the case and I installed a fresh crystal was was one size up from the last crystal - it's now providing a much tighter seal.  I also ended up changing the winding pinion and the winding is a lot smoother now.  It still has the typically rattle of a micro rotor when you wind it manually but it's much better than it was.

1959 Thin-o-Matic T-401

There are at least 57 different Thin-o-matic models, even more if you consider the diamond dial options, and even quite a few more when you consider the Dateline T-series.   They don't all use micro-rotor movements but the majority of them do.  The pink micro-rotor movements were made by Buren and the silver Dateline T-series also used Buren movements.  Buren also made a few of the Thinline manual wind movements.  In the 1960's Hamilton partnered with Buren and eventually acquired them.  In 1969 when Hamilton's US production was shut down, production moved to Buren's factory in Switzerland.

Out of all of the different Thin-o-matics produced, only one as cased in a square case.  It was the 1959 Thin-o-matic T-401 and was produced for four years.   

The T-401 was the second of only two square automatics.  The other came out earlier as the Automatic K-405 which I recently posted.

The T-401 was cased in 10K gold filled and featured solid 14K numerals and markers on a sterling silver dial.  You could get it with a bracelet or on a strap.  The dial also has a pearled track of gold dots to represent the seconds track (or minutes, I suppose).

The movement is a 17 jewel 663 movement, which looks a lot like all the other pink micro rotors, like the 666, et al.

All the parts are disassembled and ultrasonically cleaned.  There are a LOT more parts to a micro rotor and most of the arbors of the various wheels are long and difficult to get aligned when reinstalling the bridges. 

Piece by piece the movement is reassembled and ticking away with a good motion.  Now it's time to see what the watch timer things.

Not too shabby... good amplitude and the beat error is within my specs of less than 3.0.  The beat error is very challenging to adjust with this movement so I'm glad to not have to attempt it.

Everything goes back into the case and it's much shinier now.  The watch has 3/4" lugs so I'll need to find a 19mm strap.

1959 Accumatic IX - 1959 Bluebonnet Bowl

A lot of people collect the same things but for very different reasons.  This post is a good example.

I have found it much harder to purchase project watches lately because a lot of people have gotten into the hobby.  I'm a victim of my own success, as I know quite a few people who I've inspired in the hobby.  It's like more and more people standing around the same fishing hole, hoping to catch the big one.

Recently I had my eye on a watch that was right up my alley.  It appeared to be a clunker, missing a crown, with a cracked crystal.  What caught my eye was it was an award for a football event... the 1959 Bluebonnet Bowl.

Well, the bidding went right on by my interest levels and the watch was added to a long list of "the one that got away".

A little time passed and the person who purchased the watch asked if I would work on it.  It's a small world after all.  What's I found interesting is it wasn't purchased because it was a Hamilton.  It was of interest because of the 1959 Bluebonnet Bowl specficially.

1959 was the very first year of the Bluebonnet Bowl.  If you haven't heard of it, you're not alone.  The last one was in 1987, I believe, because it wasn't able to get a large corporate sponsor.  The bowl event was intended to include a Texas college and somebody else from somewhere else.   The proceeds for the bowl game were intended to benefit various charities in Texas.

For the 1959 event, it featured Texas Christian University (TCU) versus Clemson University.  Thus the added interest in the watch.  The owner is a big Clemson fan.  Clemson walloped TCU 23 to 7.

My project watch was specially ordered to recognize people involved with the bowl game.  It's based on a 1959 Accumatic IX.  The Accumatic IX was introduced in 1959 and produced in 1960 as well.  In 1961 and 1962 it evolved into the Accumatic IX-B - presumably with a new version of the automatic movement inside.

The Accumatic IX came in a 10K gold filled case with a stainless steel back.  The dial is gold in color and the embossed numerals and figures are also yellow.  It has a "pearled" seconds track, which makes it a very difficult dial to get refinished correctly.  The pearls aren't applied to the dial, they are cut in and require a level of accuracy and precision that is almost impossible to replicate.

The early Accumatics used movements made by ETA, a Swiss maker.  Hamilton had a couple of R&D projects early in the 1950s to develop their own self-winding calibers but they weren't able to pull it off at a price point that would compete with an international market.  The first automatics in Hamilton's line were actually branded Illinois, since Hamilton acquired the Illinois Watch Company in 1928.  I suppose that was to test the market - would Hamilton customers buy a watch with an imported movement?   They did, much to the chagrin, I'm sure, of the myriad watchmaker's employed in Hamilton's Lancaster factory

My project watch is true to the design of the Accumatic IX with the exception of the custom-printed dial.  That's what drew my attention to the listing as well.  It's very nicely done and the blue color is very appealing.  You can see the crystal is cracked and the crown is missing, so this watch definitely needs some attention.

The stem tube is a little out of round.  Maybe that's from rattling around in a desk drawer for 50 years.

The case back is a little simpler than other examples I've seen but that could be simply because this was a custom job.  Lou Hassel was one of the originators charged with creating the first Bluebonnet Bowl.  I don't know who David Goldfarb is - perhaps a local Texas business man who helped organize the event.

With the back cover removed, I was pleased to see the movement is in decent shape.

All of the screws in the movement were very loose.  The dial wasn't even held in place and came off when I removed the hands.  It's fortunate that the watch wasn't running as the hour hand could potentially scratch the dial if it rubbed against it.

I can see that the set lever is unscrewed and that's why there is no stem installed in the watch.  I have no idea if the movement runs but I'll just clean it and cross my fingers.

While all the parts are being cleaned in the ultrasonic I will try to fix the stem tube.  This is a job for my smoothing broaches.

There... the hole is back to being round.  That will be important for supporting the stem and crown - once they are installed.

Everything is laid out to dry before being reassembled.  I already installed a new crystal.  I'm in the home stretch now.

With some tension added to the mainspring the balance is now ticking away with a good motion.  It's off to the timer.

Not too shabby, good amplitude and an acceptable beat error.  One of the improvements the 1960s will bring is an adjustable balance cock that allows fine tuning the beat error.  The 672 is "old school" and much harder to adjust so I'm happy it's within my personal specs.

I've got a new stem installed in the movement and everything is ready for the dial to go back on.  Then I can reinstall the movement in the case and slowly trim the stem until the crown fits properly on the stem tube.

This watch turned out great.  The new crystal and proper-fitting crown will give this 60+ year old automatic a new lease on life.  Paired with a genuine ostrich strap, it's ready to attend another Clemson football game.

1947 Myron

One of the more common 14/0 sized tank models is the Myron.  It was introduced in 1941 and produced through 1951 so it was made for quite a while, even with a short break for WWII.  It's also one of the few models that was produced in rose gold filled and was called the Coral Myron.  That was only produced for a single year and it's much less easy to find.

I like the Myron, it's a decent sized watch considering the watches from the 1940s can be very small.  It was cased in 10K gold filled and was outfitted with the 17 jewel 980 movement.  The sterling silver dial has a two tone white and silver butler finish and features solid 18K gold numerals.

My project watch arrived in non-working order.  If I try to wind it the hands move, sort of, so it looks like it's stuck between winding and setting.  The crown will move out and in, sort of, but something is definitely going on.  The hands are a bit corroded where they attach to the cannon pinion but the beat up crystal makes it hard to see.

The back of the case is engraved with a Christmas presentation from 1947 - almost 80 years ago.  The corners of the case back and near the crown are worn through a little but that's not too unusual for such a flat-backed watch.

With the bezel and crystal removed, you can see the dial and hands a lot better.  This appears to be an original dial.  I'll try to clean it up but I doubt it will be much better other than the numerals will be nice and shiny.

I lifted the movement out of the case back and can now see that the movement is in decent shape.  I was expecting a rusty mess.  The balance doesn't move freely but it's not wobbling, so that's a good sign.

After removing the dial and hands I can check out the other side of the movement.  The winding pinion and the clutch wheel are both very rusty, as is the stem.  That explains the issue with winding and setting.

Everything is taken apart and thoroughly cleaned.  I was able to remove the rust from the stem but I'll replace the winding pinion and clutch.  This watch had a white alloy mainspring so I can reuse that to power the watch.

The reassembled movement is bright and shiny.  It's ticking away with a decent motion.  Let's see what the timer thinks.

I was initially fooled by how close the two lines are but they are actually about as far apart as they can get.  The beat error of 9.9ms is way too high.  The good news is it should be clear to see which direction I need to adjust the hairspring collet in order to reduce the beat error.

Alright, the two lines appear to be the same distance to each other but now they're actually close to one another.  The beat error of 1.3ms is well within my personal specs.  The amplitude looks fine too.

I replaced the hands since they were corroded but the rest of the watch looks fine now.  I still need to replace the crystal but I polished the plastic crystal and it will protect the dial and hands until a new glass crystal arrives.