1955 Automatic K-454 Sputnik

Automatic (self-winding) watches were introduced by Hamilton in 1954.  Over the next few years more and more automatic models were introduced.  Many would feature some of the really futuristic designs inspired by the world's fascination with space exploration.

A great example is Hamilton's Automatic K-454, which became known as the "Sputnik".  It was introduced in 1955 and produced for three years.

The Sputnik was a satellite launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.  It was a low Earth orbit satellite and visible from Earth as it passed overhead.  It had long antennae that radiated from it's spherical center.  The Sputnik created a space crisis that inspired an urgency to the lagging US space program.

The K-454 came in a yellow gold filled case with a stainless steel back.  The silver dial features solid 18K gold markers with luminous centers with flush gold markers that radiate from the center of the watch and align with the lugs on the case.

Under the dial is a 17 jewel Swiss-made Hamilton 661 movement.

I recently rejuvenated an aging Sputnik in need of some tender loving care.  As received, it was in fair overall shape.  The dial was quite dirty and the crystal was in need of replacement.  Scratches on an acrylic crystal can usually be buffed out but cracks cannot.

Cleaning dials is something that needs to be done with extreme care.  This K-454 has an original dial so keeping it original is important.  Knowing when to stop cleaning is something that comes with experience.  Once you ruin a few dials by removing the printing on the dial you develop a feel for when to stop.  As a result, some dials will only get so clean - but any blemishes left can be considered part of the watch's character.

An overhaul of the movement and replacing the crystal completed the restoration.   I think this Sputnik turned out very well.

1939 Winthrop - Overhaul

The 1939 Hamilton Winthrop was only produced for two years and it's one of the last models to offer a variety of different dials.  Lots of 1930's watches were available with three (or more) different dials... usually a luminous dial, AGN dial and a black enamel dial.  The Winthrop came with an AGN dial as shown in the catalog ad but also a black enamel figure dial and a two-tone gilt and coral gold dial.

Another oddity of the Winthrop is behind the dial of a 1939 model is a 17 jewel 980 movement.  However, behind the dial of 1940 model would be a 19 jewel 982 movement.  Prior to 1940 the 982 was used only in solid gold models but in 1940 and later the solid gold models got the 982M movement.

The case on the Winthrop is 14K yellow gold filled.

I recently overhauled a 1939 model with the two tone gilt dial.  I'll show you how it went.

As received, the watch was in good overall shape... just a little dust on the dial.  It was running but getting a watch serviced while it's still running is a good idea... just like you don't wait to service your car until it has broken down.  Servicing a running watch keeps it in good running order.

This shot really shows the details of the two tone dial.

Once the hands are removed, the two dial feet screws on the side of the movement are loosened so the dial can be taken off.

14/0 sized movements have two different length cannon pinion and hour wheels (for the minute and hour hands).  This is to accommodate flat dials as well as the curved or spherical dials.  Curved dials, like on the Winthrop, require a longer cannon pinion and hour wheel.

All of the setting parts are removed from the front.  That will allow the center wheel to be removed from the back later on.

Switching to the back, the larger ratchet wheel below drives the mainspring.  Removing the two winding wheels and the barrel bridge will expose the parts below.

In this shot you can see the mainspring barrel and the center wheel.  One of the challenges with the 14/0 movements is if you want to change the center wheel, you have to remove the train bridge and expose all the wheels.  You can probably tell below that the edge of the center wheel is blocked.  If you've ever tried to re-assemble one of these, you'd know that getting the train bridge back can be a real pain.

Here all the wheels are exposed and ready to be removed.  Next to come out is the balance assembly.

The last part to come out is the pallet fork.

While everything is in the ultrasonic, I will clean up and rewind the mainspring.  This spring is a nice white alloy and has plenty of life left in it.  In this shot, the spring is in the mainspring winder.  You can do these by hand too - but that can be very hard on the fingers.  A winder makes short work of it.

Here, the spring and arbor are back in the barrel.  There's a cover that will go on after a little mainspring grease is applied.

Now all the parts are cleaned and set out to dry before final assembly.

Reassembly is basically the opposite of disassembly.  The first things back on are the pallet fork and the wheels.

Both bridges go on next and once everything is properly seated, a slight nudge of the center wheel with tweezers should easily move the pallet fork - that confirms everything is in its proper place.

The winding and ratchet wheels go on next, after a little lubrication.  The thread on the smaller winding wheel's screw is left handed - so you turn it the opposite direction to tighten it than typical screws.

On the front side, all the parts for winding and setting are reinstalled.

The dial feet screws usually fall out in the ultrasonic so they need to be reinstalled.  As you can see in the shot below, these screws are tiny but very important.

With the mainspring wound up a little the last thing on is the balance assembly after a droplet of oil goes into the jewel.

With the watch on the timer, it looks to be running pretty strongly but a little fast at 34 seconds fast per day.  That's not bad, but I'd like to get it a little better.  A little tweaking to the regulator will slow it down.

Now it's running 14 seconds fast per day with good amplitude.  I like to leave them running a little fast per day as they will slow down a little when the mainspring winds down.

With everything running fine, the dial and hands go back on.

And here it is all back together and ready for a few more years of trustworthy service.

And here's an AGN dialed version of the Winthrop that I recently restored.  It's also a very nice looking watch.

What a Difference a Dial Makes!

I think there are two things that can make a dramatic difference in a watch... replacing the crystal and redoing the dial (and hands).

Replacing crystals is inexpensive and easy to do.  It's definitely a do-it-yourself project, especially if you have a few to do.

Getting dials redone is something that you need a professional to tackle for you - but pulling the dial and hands in order to send it off is something you can do yourself as well.

There are a few dial refinishers out there, but I like to use International Dial Co. in Ohio... their website is:  www.internationaldialco.com

There's a lot of debate about when you should refinish a dial... or even if you should finish it at all.  Definitely a nice original dial is more appealing than a nice refinished dial.  A cruddy original dial is probably more appealing than a cruddy refinished dial.  But a nice refinished dial is more appealing than a cruddy original dial.  So it really comes down to what makes for a cruddy dial?

Old luminous dials used Radium... which is a radioactive material that reacted to the luminous material and made it glow - all the time.  The radium oxidizes (rusts) but it's still radioactive and will be for thousands of years.  The good news is the crystal and case block the alpha rays.   But that's the reason you see radium burns on dials and crystals.

So to me, getting a luminous dial redone is actually an appealing thing to to.

Other dials get spotted and scratched and getting them redone makes for a nice improvement as well.

Here are some examples...

1930 Raleigh...

This Raleigh had an incorrect redial already.  You can tell because the font is incorrect.  In addition, the dial has a little bit of radium burn showing.  Getting this dial redone was a no-brainer.

Once it was redone with the correct dial pattern it looks excellent!

1959 Thor...

This Thor dial was a judgement call.  Although the dial was original, it was very spotty along the edges.  To me, when the spots become a distraction it's a good time to get it redone.

Here it is refinished.  This dial pattern is fairly simple so it's easy to get it to look like new.  I think it looks much better and without any distracting spots your eye can appreciate the unique design of this asymmetric watch.

1940 Whitman...

The 1940 Whitman was only made for one year so it's an uncommon watch.  I showcased this watch on my blog and featured how I restored the terribly worn case.  The dial was an old refinish but the finish on the dial was a little splotchy.  It's hard to tell in the before photo but it was a bit more yellow than it should be.

On the "after shot" the nice butler finished AGN dial really looks superb!  This old battered watch looks almost new again.

1930 Gladstone...

This 1930 Gladstone was a judgement call too.  Although the dial was spotted, it was evenly spotted so that's more of a "patina" and can actually have a pleasing look.  The case on this Gladstone is very good which is a nod in favor of getting the dial redone.

In this after-shot the dial and hands looks great with matching lume.  The watch looks almost new and that nasty old radium is gone.

1924 Illinois...

This old Illinois Cushion was a funny little watch... not so little really as it has a larger 3/0 movement.

You could wear this watch on the inside of the right wrist and it would be easy to tell the time.  "Back in the day", as they say, wrist watches were worn on the inside of the wrist.  Worn on the outside, this orientation makes for an uncomfortable head nod to read the time.  This orientation of the dial is also appropriate for a pendant watch or pocket watch.  The non-matching lume on the dial and hands is a little distracting too.

Here it is redone with a "seconds at nine" pattern.  This is a very cool layout in my opinion and the matching lume on the dial and hands pulls it all together.

Like I said above, getting a dial redone and replacing the crystal can make a dramatic improvement on an old watch.  Getting the movement overhauled to run like new is the first step - but these finishing touches really go a long way - that's for sure.