1941 Lester

A lot of the watches Hamilton produced in 1941 were re-introduced after WWII ended.  Some watches, like the coral gold models, were not reintroduced.  In fact, I don't believe Hamilton ever made coral gold models again.

One 1941 model, the Lester, was reintroduced after the war but only with one dial option.  The Lester was produced through 1950

Originally, the Lester came with two dial options - an AGN dial with solid 18K numerals or a black enamel numeral dial.  Regardless of the dial choice, the case came in 14K yellow gold fill.

Under the dial is the 14/0 sized, 19 jewel 982 movement.  After 1940, the solid gold models got the 982M.  10K gold filled models got the 17 jewel 980 and the 14K gold filled got the 982 movement.

The Lester is readily found but hard to find without at least a little bit of wear to the bezel corners where the lugs attach to the case.

I recently picked up a black numeral dialed version and I was happy to get it.  I think I've only seen a couple of other examples - ever.  I'm not saying it's ultra-rare, but it was only produced in 1941 so there are loads more AGN versions out there.

My black numeral dialed Lester came in an excellent case.  The hour hand was a little loose and probably not original to the watch.  It looks a little too big to my eye.

I also have an AGN version.  If you look closely you'll see a little of the typical wear through on the outside corners - but it's not too bad in comparison to many examples I've seen.

I really like the case, regardless of the wear through, because it's a Christmas watch with a nice engraving, "To A Good Skipper USCG 12-25-42".  The wear through just shows you this was a treasured watch.  As an "old Navy man" myself, the engraving touches a soft spot.  After all, during a time of war, like in 1942, the Coast Guard falls under the Department of the Navy.

1927 Barrel - Before and After

I have a few personal favorite models... I guess that is to be expected, right?   One of them is the 1927 Barrel.  It was introduced in 1927 and produced through 1930.

The Barrel came in green and white gold and gold filled originally and then in yellow gold / gold fill later on.  The models come as a Barrel Plain or Barrel Engraved depending upon the design of the bezel.  The center case in both models is engraved.

Dials are predominantly luminous although I've seen a few black enamel dials - but they are quite rare.

I have wanted a white example for a long time and I always seem to wind up on the losing side of eBay auctions.  Of course, Barrels in great condition are very desirable and I'm not the only one out there who likes them.

Last month I purchased a white Barrel Plain that apparently no one else wanted, as I got it for $55.  As you can see in the photo below, it was in need of some serious TLC.

Well, it came to the right place.  I overhauled the 17 jewel 987 movement, installed a new glass crystal, and had the dial and hands professionally refinished.  With a new black lizard strap, this Barrel Plain is a welcome addition to the Hamilton fleet.

Here's a nice shot of the engraving of the center case.

Restoring a vintage watch is very rewarding.  This was a very desirable watch when it was first purchased in the late 1920's.   Obviously it had a long and arduous life but now it's ready for more wrist-time as a faithful timekeeper.

1956 Essex

The 1956 Essex is the second Hamilton model to feature the Essex name.  The original Essex came out in 1940.  The 1956 Essex is considerably different though - it's a round watch while the original was rectangular.

Although it was introduced in 1956 and produced for two years, the Essex looks an awful lot like an Illinois model from earlier in the 1950s... specifically the 1953 Model E which was renamed the Debonair E in 1954 and 1955.

The Essex dial changed slightly in 1957 to have bolder numerals on the embossed (stamped) dial.

Behind the dial you should find a Hamilton 671 movement which is a Swiss-made movement produced by ETA and is equivalent to the 17 jewel 1080 movement.

I recently purchased an Essex in a local shop and the second hand was missing and it was not running.  Like the Sea-Scape I recently overhauled, this 671 gave me fits!  Then I realized the hairspring cleaner I was using must have been too dirty... as when I changed it everything went back to normal and ran as it should... go figure!

So here's a couple of shots of my Essex.  I replaced the Fourth Wheel - it's what drives the second hand, as the second hand bit (the part the second hand is supposed to attach to) was missing.  I put a replacement hand on it and with a nice polish to the case and crystal, I'd say it looks great!

One thing that is interesting is the dial... it doesn't completely match the catalog image.  It has a track of pearlized dots inside the markers and there's nothing written on the dial above the 6.  I've never seen another Essex in the flesh before, other than the 1957 variety - so this is a very interesting mystery.