1970 Pan Europ I

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery but imitation is also just a form of fashion and style of the day.  So it's interesting to see how Hamilton's watch designs evolved over the years and one could debate "who did it first" and who were fast followers.

For example, Hamilton had a line of rose gold models in the early 1940s, but so did other brands at the same time.  Everyone seemed to drop the trend after WWII so if you see a rose gold watch, regardless of brand, it's probably from the late 1930s or early 40s.

Today, Hamilton is owned by the same company that owns Omega, along with several other highly regarded watch brands... the Swatch Group.  I find that interesting because back in the 1980s Swatch watches were very popular but they were also pretty disposable quartz watches.  It's almost as if Yugo owned General Motors today... that would be crazy!  I think the story is a lot more complicated than just that.  The Swatch Group is more like a conglomerate of brands, acquired over the last 50 years, perhaps with a somewhat humble origin, but certainly now part of a premier family.

Hamilton and Omegas connection goes back quite a ways, certainly to the early 1970s.  In 1971, after production in Lancaster was shut down, the Hamilton brand was purchased by SSIH (Société Suisse pour l'Industrie Horlogère), a Swiss holding company that was originally formed by a merger between Omega and Tissot in 1930.  In 1984, SSIH merged with ASUAG (another major Swiss watch industry group) to form what is known today as The Swatch Group. 

I find it interesting that some Hamilton models remind me of Omega models from the same timeframe.   Is it just a result of the fashion of the times or was there more to it?

A good example is the 1970 Pan Europ I.  It was produced through 1974.  There was also a Pan Europ II, which was similar but cased in yellow gold electroplate.

Originally priced at $100 on a leather strap, in later years the price increased and the opportunity for a bracelet was added.   Its the equivalent of about $850 in today's dollars.

There are several models with Pan Europ on the dial, but only a Pan Europ I and II share the name.  Some Pan Europ models were introduced in the 1960s, so I suspect the line was partly intended for international markets.

My project watch is in decent condition and looks good good overall.  Stainless cases can take a beating, which is a nice feature.

The case back is where I see a similarity to Omega.  Other Pan Europ models have a similar pegasus rendition on the back cover and it always reminds me of the Seamaster logo you'll see on the back of Omegas from the same period.  Coincidence?

Behind the dial you will find the 21 jewel 64A movement.  This ETA based caliber is essentially the same as what was used in the Accumatic Dateline A-series of movements but with four additional jewels in the reversing wheels of the automatic framework.

A couple of screws secure the movement to the inside of the case and then I can remove the dial and hands.  The dial is a complicated design and the chapter ring is integral to the dial.

The crystal is a bit crazed so I will replace it while the movement gets cleaned in the ultrasonic.

The most challenging part of this movement is removing and reinstalling the index lever and spring for the date wheel.  The little U-shaped spring loves to disappear into the ether and if it doesn't disappear, sometimes it sends the lever off instead.  In fact, the lever is missing from my photo and I found it on the back of the date wheel.

Everything gets cleaned and dried before reassembly.

Reassembling the basic movement is very straightforward.  This similar design is still used in modern Hamiltons today, albeit with some improvements here and there.  The balance is reinstalled and comes right back to life - time to see what the timer thinks.

Well, that's not bad at all.  However, I can easily fine tune it from here.

First I'll reduce the beat error - see how the two lines approach each other.

Then I will carefully tweak the regulator to slow the beat rate down to a pure 18,000 beats per hour.

After about 10 minutes for looking for that stupid index lever again, I got the dial back in place and advanced the time until the date wheel indexed.  Then I know it's midnight and can reinstall the hands.

A new crystal completes the restoration of the 50+ year old watch.  It now looks great again and is ready for more wrist time.