1956 Automatic K-455 - or is it?

It's not unheard of to come across a vintage Hamilton that is hard to identify.  It's gotten a lot easier thanks to the HamiltonFieldGuide but sometimes weird things happen.

For example, it wasn't unusual for the Hamilton factory to be stretched in busy times of the year like graduation and Christmas seasons.  It's well documented by former employees that you sometimes had to use what was available when it came to parts like hands, etc.

Of course, a lot can happen to a watch over 70+ years.  Hamilton watches were expensive and if something damaged the case, for example, a frugal owner could simply recase the dial and movement into an aftermarket case.

Fast forward to the 21st century and today's collectors inherit the sins of the past.  Stuff happens.

I recently had the opportunity to help someone with their father's 1956 Automatic K-455.  This model was made for three years.

In 1956 the K-455 was offered in a 10K gold filled case with a stainless steel back.  The dial featured solid 18K numerals and luminous dots, along with a pearled track.  The case is sometimes referred to as a "flying saucer" design, which was a common aesthetic in the 1950s.   It was available on a strap or a bracelet with model numbers for each.

If the case looks familiar, it could be because it was shared with the Transcontinental A that was offered at the same time.  The Transcontinental A featured a rotating dial that moved with the hour hand so you could see the time in whatever timezone was of interest to you.

In 1957 and 1958 a second all-numeral dial option was offered so there were four different model numbers, depending on dial and strap/bracelet configuration.

My project watch is a little different.  Can you spot what's going on?

You guessed it - this is not a dial that was offered with the K-455, or was it?

Turns out, this dial wasn't even offered until 1958.  It was used on two different models... the Automatic K-412 as well as the Automatic K-302.  So what's the story?  Did it leave the factory with this dial or was it added at some time later?

It's not unusual for the luminous material on hands from this time to take a toll on the dial.  The radium in the luminous paint when held so closely to the finish of the dial, for years and even decades, can eventually burn the finish and leave an ugly shadow.  It would be a pretty easy change to just swap the damaged dial with something that looked better.  The same would be true if something else happened to the original dial... water damage, etc.

It's interesting that this watch has been in the same family for 70 years and there's no memory of a change being made.

Anyway - who knows the story?  Does it really matter?

The back of the case is stainless steel and unscrews off if you have a case wrench.

The inside of the case back is stamped "Time Zone A" - I guess that took up less space than Transcontinental A.  There is no model called the Time Zone but it's not unusual to see a K455 with this stamped inside - it was the same case, after all.  I can see several different watchmaker's marks inside so I'm not the first person to open this case in 70 years.

Like most K-series automatics, there's a17 jewel 661 movement inside.  I like this movement - it's big and chunky and built like a tank, in as far as a watch can be tank-like.

Everything is taken completely apart and cleaned in my ultrasonic for almost 30 minutes.  There's a cleaning cycle followed by two different rinses.  Then it's all dried and ready to be put back together.

The reassembled movement is bright and shiny.  It's ticking away with a nice motion but only the timer can say for sure how it's doing.

It doesn't get much better than this.  I hope I'm running this well when I'm 70 years old.

The dial and hands go back on and it all goes back into the case.  The large weight swings around smoothly and winds the watch while you wear it.  However, you can wind it manually with the crown too and the original instructions were to wind it manually before you put it on and the automatic bits keep it topped off from there.

A new crystal and a gentle case polish complete the restoration.  This watch reminds me of an old Corvette I once saw for sale.  It looked great and the sign said "Numbers don't match and Owner don't care".  Does it really matter that this dial and case may be an after-factory marriage?  Maybe if you were running a museum, but it was your old man's then not at all.  It's just part of it's life story.