The Watch That Changed The World...

 It was the biggest innovation in time keeping in 500 years... or so the marketers said.  Unlike prior "electric" watches - the Pulsar issued in the digital watch age.

Up until about two weeks ago, I didn't know much about Hamilton's history with Pulsar watches.  Turns out, it's really a fascinating story.

In the beginning there was The Hamilton Watch Company and it produced... well, watches of course.  In the 1950s and 60's the company diversified and got into several other lines - including fine silver, believe it or not.  Hamilton had significant business in watches and clocks but also other industries like metals and silver work.  

Enter the 1970s the company evolved into a holding company called HMW Incorporated with separate divisions for  Hamilton Watch Co, the Metals (Allied Products), and Wallace Silversmiths.  I suppose you could say the master became the servant and Hamilton Watch Co became simply a division of holding corporation.

In the late 1960s, Hamilton started working with a Texas company called Electro Data on a new concept for an electronic watch.  In fact, it took several years to develop and by 1970 the venture had a working prototype.  Fast forward to 1972 and the first production models were ready to be released. 

What makes the story even more interesting, is a new HMW division was formed to market and support the watch - branded Pulsar - and the division was name Time Computer, Inc.  So, technically, the Pulsar isn't a Hamilton watch because it was separated at the time from Hamilton Watch Co.  However, the plot thickens...

The initial model was the Pulsar P1.  Somewhere between 400 and 450 were cased in solid 18K gold and sold through Tiffany.  But there were other P1s produced in solid 14K gold and, I believe, in 14K gold fill.  They appear to be much fewer but known to exist.

The Pulsar was incredibly novel, and incredibly costly... you could buy a new car for less than the initial cost of the solid 18K P1.  The time computer (it's not a watch) was entirely electronic and displayed the time with a red LED display if you pressed the single button on the front of the case.

The P1 was quickly followed by the P2 and that's well known as James Bond's watch in the movie "Live and Let Die".

The initial electronic module released with the P1 was problematic and would fail suddenly.  The Electro Data design proved to be faulty and Time Computer Inc quickly recalled all of the P1 models known to be sold, replaced the module with a new design, and extended the warranty for several years.  What could have been a disaster proved to be an exemplary example of disaster management.

There are quite a few men's and women's Pulsar models and eventually the same electronic module used in Pulsars was used in Hamilton branded QED watches and Omega watches.  For a short time all three brands had the same module under the case back.  Newer advances added functions like date and calendar and the Pulsar lineup did well in the 1970s until the introduction of LCD watches, or liquid crystal displays.

The P1 is by far the most valuable model and even if it's not working, it's still very desirable.

I recently had the opportunity to lay hands on a Pulsar and when I opened the box, I was shocked to see that it was a P1.

As received, it arrived in it's original outer box.

Inside is another box, silver in color, and a clam shell design.

The watch looks to be new old stock.  The box says Pulsar, the Time Computer.  The little envelope is a mystery.

What's this?  What is a timeset bar?  Turns out there are no buttons on the watch other than the display button.  There are, however, two recesses on the side of the case that you apply the timeset bar - it's a magnet that will change the hours or the minutes, depending on the recess you play it in.  If you lose it, you're screwed - so they provided an extra one.

The magnet says Pulsar and it's shaped like a P, or maybe a piano.  You decide.

The bracelet is 14K gold filled over stainless steel.  Behind the clasp is a P-shaped recess than holds the other timeset bar.

Hamilton, uh, I mean Time Computer, was very confident in the P1 and the case is soldered shut.  It's not meant to be serviceable other than by the factory in Lancaster PA.  

Hey... what's this?  The watch case says Hamilton Watch Co.... why's that if this watch was produced by Time Computer?  Well, from what I hear the lore goes something like this... the case maker, Star Watch Case Co (that little star by the 14K is their logo) didn't get the memo that the case should say Time Computer Inc.  By the time the error was caught, the cases were made and needed to make the release time frame.  Ultimately, executives decided to let the issue go - as being associated with the Hamilton Watch Co was not really a bad thing.  

I think that's really interesting, when you consider in 1892 when Hamilton formed, many of it's watches were promoted with other jewelers names on the dial for the exact same reason.

Supposedly there are a handful of P2s with the same error but for the most part after the P1s all of the Pulsar cases would say Time Computer, Inc.

The two large battery recesses are the only think accessible.  If you look at the bottom of the photo you will see the two recesses for the timeset magnet.

The electronic module required two large batteries that are no longer produced.  Instructions inside the two battery wells indicated positive side up or down, but I'm not sure what direction is up... I'm looking at the back of the watch, is the top down or is the back down?

I purchased a set of 357 batteries and two spacers from Bruce Wegmann on ebay.  Turns out, he's the preeminent expert on all things Pulsar.   He can be reached at Bruce (no space) Wegmann at gmail.com

In go the batteries and spacers ... time to see if this baby works.  I feel like Geraldo Rivera opening Al Capone's vault... will it work?

Uh, nope.  Maybe I have the batteries backwards... nope again.

I checked the voltage of the batteries - maybe I have a dud.  Nope - plenty of juice.  I think this is one of the many non-working Pulsars out there.

Oh well - it turns out collectors really don't mind if the module isn't working.  The beauty is all in the case and the presentation.  This is definitely a unique watch and I'm glad I had the opportunity to admire and learn about it.

1938 Linwood

Thin was in, in the 1930s as was long and lean - and that required a watch case that would curve to accommodate a curved wrist.

As a result, in the late 1930s Hamilton introduced several "curved to fit the wrist" models.  One of the most dramatic was the Linwood.  Introduced in 1938, the Linwood was produced for four years.

There are a lot of interesting trivia points about the Linwood.  One is that it has a spherical dial - which means that it curves in every direction, top to bottom, side to side, corner to corner.  As a result, it's actually thicker in the center than it is at the sides.

In addition, the Linwood is cased in 14K gold filled and spans the years before and after 1940.  That is when the 982M movement was introduced.  So in 1938 and 1939, the Linwood was powered by the 17 jewel 980 movement.  In 1940 and 1941 the Linwood received the 19 jewel 982 movement - as the 982M was devoted to the solid gold models.

Another interesting factoid is the Linwood is the only model to feature a solid gold star marker on the dial.

My project watch arrived after being stashed away and lost for almost four decades.  The owner sent it to me for repair after they located it.  It was his grandfather's and for many years it was presumed to be lost.

As received, it is missing it's crown and the stem appears to be snapped off.  The crystal is a little scratched but not too terrible.  The dial is an old refinish and it's close but not a perfect match to the original pattern.  The gold star is also missing, and has been replaced by the a gold dot instead.

The movement inside is a 980 caliber but the serial number dates to the early 1940s - so I suspect it's a replacement.  Perhaps the original movement suffered a fatality.  There's no crown to wind it but I was able to wind it using the arbor screw and it's not running.  Hopefully it just needs a good cleaning.

The hands are a mismatched pair of different styles... the minute hand is an alpha or pointex style and the hour hand is moderne.  I could replace them but the hands are part of the heirloom and only a purist would really care that they aren't original.

I removed the broken part of the stem.  Looking inside the barrel, the old blue mainspring will likely need to be replaced.

Sure enough, the mainspring is set into a tight coil and has lost most of it's potential energy.

Everything is cleaned and dried.  Time to reassemble it but with a new stem and replacement crown.

Success... it's running with a nice motion.

A slight adjustment will slow it down but the new white alloy mainspring is powering the watch with a great amplitude.  Unfortunately, when I move the movement around to different positions, it stops.  It stops only in one position - and it's an unusual angle, like if you had your hand on the steering wheel at 10:00.  After looking very closely at all the parts, I couldn't find anything amiss.  I ended up replacing the balance with a donor from another movement and it runs fine in all positions now.  It happens.

I replaced the crystal with a blemish-free new glass crystal and the finished project looks and runs fantastic.  In this photo you can see the dot marker at the 6 position.  Originally this would have been a gold star, but at least it has a marker - often there is just an empty hole.

1954 Blaine Pocket Watch

Hamilton made pocket watches for it's entire US-production existence.  It started in 1892 when the company was formed and continued through 1969.  In fact, inventory continued to be sold into the 1970s. 

As you might expect, there were technological advancements along the way and movements evolved over the decades until finally coalescing around 10 Size dress pocket watches and 16 Size railroad watches.  Eventually, Swiss-made calibers entered the line up too but for the most part, Lancaster-made calibers dominated the model line up.

I find the variety of models to be very interesting.  I guess it's kind of like Jelly Belly jelly beans with over 50 flavors... to the uninitiated you wouldn't realized there was such a wide variety.

Like wrist watches, pocket watches were often used for awards and presentations.  My latest project is a great example.  Trying to determine what model it is proved to be a challenge.

Ultimately I landed on the Blaine.  Note the characteristics I used.  First, it's cased in solid 14K gold.  There's a 21 jewel 921 movement inside.  The shape of pendant is sort of rectangular but it's also get a slight stepped, or ridged, contour.  The bezel also appears to have a couple of ledges to the profile.  The dial features all numerals but also "pearlized" dots at the minute intervals.

The Blaine, an other models, also offered different dial options so you really have to look closely at the fine details.

As an example, compare the Blaine to the Hale - it also has a 14K gold case and a semi rectangular pendant.  However, the pendant is smooth and doesn't appear to have the same ridged detail as the Blaine.

The 1951 catalog has lot more detail about the various models and you can see some of the finer nuances and dial options much more clearly.

What's also very interesting is Hamilton offered personalized dials for their 10 Size models so you could place a custom order for a pocket watch that would be unique to the person receiving it.

As you'll see shortly, my project watch has a presentation from 1954 and the Blaine was no longer a cataloged option for that year.  Another model, the Tyler, could have been a contender but looking very closely at the details, I'm pretty sure the Blaine is the better match.  Perhaps the Tyler replaced the Hale - they look much more similar.  Watches with company presentations were typically based on discontinued models, so it would make sense that a 1954 award could use recently discontinued model.

Hamilton definitely had bragging rights when it came to pocket watches - after all, they were " the watch of railroad accuracy".  During this time period you had three choices of 10 Size movements... the 17 jewel 917, the 21 jewel 921 and the 23 jewel 923.  The latter two a really stunning designs, in my opinion.

The 1951 catalog is one of the few years where Hamilton really went into detail describing their movements.  You can see the three calibers side by side.  The 921 and 923 are superior movements to the 917 in that they were factory adjusted to temperature and five positions vs only three positions for the 917.  The extra jewels on the 921 are at the barrel and the escape wheel.  The two additional jewels for the 923 are at the pallet fork so the escapement is fully cap jeweled.  I think the 921 and 923 are simply beautiful and it's a shame they get covered up by the case back... as you'll see below.

My project watch arrived in a clam shell case, typical for 10 Size pocket watches.

Notice the color of the interior felt - it's brown.  This case is not original to the watch.  It's actually from the early 1940s and would have originally contained a rose gold "coral" model.

For comparison, I happen to have another pocket watch in it's original boxes.  Notice the blue felt interior.

The yellow baggie contains the set lever screw... that's what started this watch's odyssey to my workshop.  The owner loosened the set lever screw too far and was unable to get it to reconnect with the set lever.  The set lever is what holds the stem in place and without it, the stem will simply fall out if you try to set the time.

The case back has the classic Awards Division sans serif font and celebrates a January 1954 anniversary or 30 years of service.  Adjusted for inflation, this was a $2700 award at the time.  Not too many companies would treat their employees like that today.

The inside of the case back is nicely engraved with Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster PA.  I do not see any prior service marks inside... I wonder if I'm the first to service this watch in 70 years?

You can see the empty hole where the set lever screw should go.  I wound the watch up and it ticks.  I wonder how well it's working?

There's a world of difference between ticking and keeping time and this watch is definitely "just ticking".

The movement will drop out the front once the stem is gone (easy) and the two case screws are removed.

My tweezers are pointing at the set lever that came loose.  Getting it reattached isn't too difficult but you need to support the set lever on one side of the main plate while you use the screwdriver on the other side - so it takes some practice.

I'll address the set lever when I reassemble the movement. At this point I can use the stem to let the mainspring down and then start to disassemble all of the parts for cleaning.

Everything goes through the ultrasonic three times... once for cleaning and twice for rinsing.  It's all bright and shiny now.  Time for reassembly with fresh lubricants in all the proper places.

Okay, it's the moment of truth.  The movement is back together and I wound up the mainspring.  Now I can replace the balance and it will (hopefully) come back to life.

Success!  The balance is ticking away with a nice motion.  Did I mention how attractive these movements are?

It's running a smidgeon fast but that is easily adjusted.  The amplitude is great and the beat error is well within my specs of under 3.0ms.

I'll leave it running just a little fast as my experience has been watches tend to settle a little after they are serviced.

The finished project goes back into it's case and back into it's clam shell.  I'm sure the owner will enjoy this watch a lot more now that it's running and the stem will stay put.