1958 Deauville

Back in 2014 I did a post on the 1958 Deauville, well, actually a 1960 Deauville.  Now I can do a post on the earlier version.

Introduced in 1958, for the first two years the model featured a unique dial with numerals at 12, 3, 6 and 9.  The dial was embossed so the numerals and markers are stamped into the dial from behind.

In 1960 the Deauville dial changed to a textured patter with the number 12 and markers in the other positions.  You can see an example of it on my 2014 post.

Other than the change in dial and the hands, the model used the same case and bracelet option, along with a slight increase in price.

I think the Deauville is easily confused with other models from the period, like the Carlyle and Coburn I recently posted about.  They're all entry-level models in Hamilton's lineup at that time.

My project watch has been laying around the shop for several years.  It's not a particularly great example and it's a bit worn and tired looking.  I'll see if I can brighten it up a bit.  It's also not running but hopefully it will respond well to a good cleaning.

The watch was originally used as an award for US Truck Lines for Safety.  That's pretty interesing.

The case back simply snaps onto the front bezel.  It's not a very tight fit and unsnaps very easily.  With the crystal in place you can see the dial has a lot of spotting grime.

The movement is a 17 jewel 673, based on a A Schild caliber.  This example is incredibly dirty, perhaps the dirtiest watch I've ever seen, but it's not rusty, which is good.  But it does look somewhat corroded, in a tarnish sort of way.

Everything is thoroughly cleaned and ready to be reassembled.

Some of the nickel plating came off in the cleaning process.  I guess this was the result of the corrosion / tarnish being cleaned away and taking the plating with it.  The gear train runs in ruby jewels so the nickel loss is mostly aesthetic.

It's running very fast with low amplitude. I can actually visually see that the amplitude was low.  Looking at the hairspring very closely, I can see that it's also been corroded and is a little out of shape.  I'm sure that's a factor.

I swapped balances with another 673 donor and it runs fast too but the amplitude and beat error are good.  Hopefully I can slow it down with the regulator, it's not that much of an adjustment.

Oddly, the regulator would not adjust the beat rate at all.  That's very strange and indicates a problem with the regulator.  So I'll have to look for another donor.  I found a solution with a 686 movement.  This Hamilton caliber is also based on an A Schild ebauche and but it has a glucydur balance and adjustable balance cock.  It's basically and upgraded 673 and is interchangeable.  Now the movement appears to be running nicely.

Yup - sure enough.  It's running well with a good amplitude and beat error.

Thanks to the adjustable balance cock I can fine tune the beat error fairly easily.  With a few tweaks I get it dialed in to near-zero.

My finished watch looks pretty good, if I do say so myself.  Unfortunately, the back comes off too easily, especially when the strap catches it and pries on it.  Off it's comes and the movement spills out.  So I really have two options... try to glue the case closed with a little crystal cement, or send this watch to the scrap pile.

Using  crystal cement to keep the case closed is a sort of Rube Goldberg thing to do... it would probably work but it's kind of a rudimentary thing to do.  I don't feel I could sell a watch like that in good conscience so this watch will go into the donor pile, and hopefully a better watch will be saved in the future.