1960 Automatic K-417

 It was a case of mistaken identity...

How's that for the start of a blog post?  Sounds mysterious, but sometimes that happens with vintage watches.

I get a lot of requests to identify a watch.  I typically refer people to HamiltonFieldGuide.com  which also has a great book - the best so far.  On rare occasion it can lead you astray though, but not too far.

A potential wrinkle is when the dial has been refinished.  I started out with this... a round (circle) dial, no numerals, gold markers, automatic.

The font for the Hamilton logo is a little unusual but sometimes you come across that.  The automatic font is a little odd too but, again, it could be debatable.  It's engraved with a presentation from 1961 so that would tell me it's likely an Accumatic model.  I thought perhaps it was an A-600 with a slightly incorrect dial refinish.  Checking out the catalog snip, seems like I might be on the right track.

Well, it turns out it has a Hamilton 667 movement inside... so that would make it an Automatic K-something.

Looking in the 1961 catalog yielded no matches.  However, it's not unusual for watches to stick around in a jeweler's showroom and looking in the 1960 catalog... eureka!  It's an Automatic K-417.  The dial has the four large markers, gold rim and the pearled track.  However, it's been refinished with extra lines are the other hour markers, which threw me off.

The K-417 is a one year wonder so you don't see them very often.  It's also came out near the end of the Automatic K-series lineup.  1961 was the final year of the K-series.

I was sent the watch after the original owner was told it was not repairable.  Looking inside the case back, there are a ton of prior watchmaker's marks so this high school graduation present was very well taken care of.  Nothing lasts forever, I guess, but I am confident I can resurrect this heirloom and add my mark to the tally inside.

Sure enough, the dial has numbers scratched into the back - a sure sign that the dial has been refinished over the last 60+ years.

Everything is disassembled and thoroughly cleaned.  Each part is inspect to make sure there isn't something obviously wrong.  So far everything looks fine other than the obvious wear and tear from a myriad cleanings on the nickel plating.

Everything goes back together one piece at a time and with the mainspring wound a little, the balance comes back to life.  So far so good.

It's running a little fast but that's no big deal.  The amplitude is on the low side but I didn't really wind it very much.

A couple of tweaks gets the beat rate right where I want it.

The one-size-fits-all bracelet has spring loaded ends and makes it a one-size-ruins-all option, as it will wear grooves into the lugs.  So I'm recommending a nice leather strap as a better choice.  The hands have been relumed to glow in the dark and a proper crown makes a huge difference!  This watch is ready for another 60 years of enjoyment.