Hamilton Ladies Pocket / Pendant Watch 26032-14

 It doesn't happen very often but occasionally I come across a "Hamilton" watch that makes me wonder if it's legit or not.  There are fake Hamiltons out there for sure but that's not too common.  I guess if you're going to go to the trouble of creating a fake watch, why not make one using a more preeminent watch brand like Rolex, et al.?

I was recently asked my opinion about what appears to be a ladies pocket watch, or perhaps a pendant watch.  What is your impression?

The case is very ornately engraved and even the dial is grossly embellished.  Still, it doesn't look quite right to my eye.  Hamilton's dials are very well done, the engraving is crisp and exact.  This watch looks like it's trying to be something that it's not.

What's really interesting is it's actually very small.  In the photo below it's compared to a Secometer B and you can see it's considerably smaller.

The inside of the case back is stamped 26032 and 14.  The number below that is the serial number for the case.  It doesn't say Hamilton inside the case back.  What's more, the inside of the case doesn't even say what the case is made out of.  I do not think it's solid gold.

The movement inside is a Hamilton 26 caliber.  It's based on an ETA 2512.  It looks familiar and that's because it's also known as the Hamilton 680.  I don't have a good handle on ladies models from the 1970s but that would be my guess for when this watch was made.

The case is a three piece design with a case back, a bezel, and the center case that holds the movement.  Two screws secure the movement to the center case and once the stem is removed the assembly comes out the front.

The dial is held in place by two screws on the side of the movement.  Loosen those and the dial will lift straight off.

Although it's about the size of a nickel, this is obviously an ETA design.

Everything is carefully disassembled and cleaned.  I have to take extra care with a watch like this because the parts are extremely small and very easy to lose track of.

The most difficult task with reassembling this movement is to get all four train wheels to line up in order to get the train bridge in place.  There is no room for error - everything nests together or the train bridge won't fall into place.  Then the second most difficult task it to get the click spring back on.  It's tiny and likes to flick away and hide.  It's amazing how far a spring and travel with the slightest flick.

Now the reassembled movement is ticking away with a brisk motion.  This caliber has a beat rate of 21,600 beats per hour - noticeably faster than the typical 18,000 beat rate most earlier calibers have.

It's running nicely.  I'll see if I can slow it down a smidgeon and fine tune the beat rate.  That's easier said than done on such a tiny movement.

That's a little better.  It took quite a few attempts and I decided to call it here... 16 second fast per day.

The dial goes back on and then the movement can go back into the case.

These hands are called "open moon" hands.  It's the same style many ladies watches from the 1920s were outfitted with.  I aligned the hands at 12:00 and the watch is ready to be closed up.

The finished watch looks pretty much the same as what I started with.  I think it's a very interesting watch.  Hamilton often included the movement caliber in the model number and 26032 is in keeping with that tradition.  So I would say this is a legit model, from exactly what timeframe is still a mystery.