1956 Automatic K-406

Automatics were introduced into Hamilton's line-up in 1954 and they really took off from there.  New models were added every year and although some models stuck around for a few years, many were just produced for a couple.

Take for example the Automatic K-406.  It was only available in 1956 and 1957.

The K-406 came in a 10K yellow gold filled case with a white-finished dial with embossed numerals and markers.  The dauphine-style hands are luminous and the dial has corresponding dots at the hour markers.

I've only come across one K-406 in my travels.  I don't know if that would make it rare or uncommon but it does make me wonder a little.  The lugs on the case are somewhat delicate and the example pictured below has an old repair to the lug on the top right.

The gold filled back screws on in a fashion reminiscent of Hamilton's military watches from WWII and Korea.  No special wrench is required, just your standard-issue adjustable wrench is needed to peek under the hood.

Inside you'll find Hamilton's 17 jewel 661 movement.  This was one of the more frequently used Swiss-made movements in Hamilton's automatic model line during the mid-1950's.  It's a KF (Kurth Freres / Certina) movement.  It's a pretty thick movement and would be replaced in a couple of years to allow for much thinner automatic models.

If you're wondering what the little "switch" is near the center of the rotor with the arrow just below it, it's a toggle that allows you to remove the rotor from the carrier below it.  There are a number of gears under the carrier that are turned when the rotor moves.  The gears engage the golden wheel in the upper left of the photo - which, in turn, wind the watch.  Or you can just wind it by hand too.

1946 Vancott

There are a handful of Hamilton models that did not show up in catalogs.  One was the 1928 Oval.  Another was the 1946 Vancott.  I say 1946 as a guess since the watch may have been introduced after WWII - once non-military production resumed.  Without a catalog it is hard to say for sure.

Since it's not in any of the catalogs, nor advertisements (that I'm aware of), I don't have any marketing material to describe it.  As informed as I may be, I am walking in the footsteps of much more learned Hamilton collectors like Mark Cardelucci, Tom Diss, Rene Rondeau, Brian Girouard and Will Roseman.  In fact, the Vancott was really only discovered and identified as an authentic model within the last 10 years or so, thanks to the research of others.

The model comes in two different case materials, solid 10K gold and solid 14K gold in yellow.  The 10K version has a stainless steel back while the 14K version has a solid gold back.   Otherwise they look identical.  According to Will Roseman's site, about 3,000 Vancott's were created, one third of them in 14K but no one is sure how many were actually released.

The 14K version is stamped 14K inside the case back.  The 10K version is stamped 10K on the back of  one of the lugs.

Inside is a 6/0 sized 17 jewel Hamilton 987S movement - which was introduced in 1940 and used mostly in sweep second military wrist watches.  Although the Sentinel and the Secometer also used the 987S.  In fact, the sterling silver dial with solid gold applied numerals on the Secometer is the same as on the Vancott.

When you see a Vancott, the first thing you will think is it might be a franken version of the Secometer.  The lugs are straight and with a stainless steel back it's unlike any other Hamilton model from the period.  In fact, the Vancott is the first Hamilton model to use a gold (or gold filled) bezel paired with a stainless steel back.  Other watches would follow suit in the 1950's and '60s.

I recently landed a Vancott... the first I've ever laid my hands on.  Once I cleaned it up it's turned out to be a very sharp looking watch.  Paired with a genuine teju lizard strap, it's a new personal favorite.

In the shot below you can see the stainless steel back and the 10K stamp on the lower lug.

1958 Sea-Glo

One of the distinctive style aesthetics of the 1950's and '60's was unique, textured dials.  Hamilton had a variety of models with embossed dials that featured swirly patterns, star bursts, combinations of smooth and textured finshes, even wooden dials and dials with mother of pearl!

An example of an otherwise ordinary-looking watch that was made interesting and distinctive by it's dial is the 1958 Sea-Glo.  It was produced through 1961.

The Sea-Glo came in a stainless steel case with either or a black or a white embossed dial.  Embossed means "stamped" or "pressed" so the features on the dial are made like the features on a coin are made. The silver colored hands are luminous to glow in the dark along with corresponding dots at each of the hour markers.

Underneath the dial is a Hamilton 671 movement.  This 17 jewel movement was made by the Swiss company, ETA, and is the same as the ETA 1080.  Hamilton used Swiss-made movements to achieve a lower cost point so their entry-level imports could compete with the rapidly evolving watch industry.

Interestingly enough, Hamilton today is owned by the Swatch Group and ETA is a sister company.  Hamilton watches today all feature various ETA movements.

I recently purchased a Sea-Glo off of eBay a week or so ago.  It came via a "buy it now" sale for $50.  It was described as "only running a few seconds".   Running at all is usually a good sign... but you never know.  It also came with a brand new strap (still in the package) so I took a chance.

Would you recognize the watch in the photo below as a Sea-Glo?

Well, once it arrived I found that it would run dial-up but not dial down.  That's usually not a good sign and would indicate a balance issue.  I popped the back off and sure enough... the balance wobbled.

Changing balance staffs is pretty advanced stuff... it's very precise work and takes a lot of practice to get right.  Fortunately I have a couple of spare 1080's.  They aren't Hamilton branded but with great care I figured I might be able to transplant the balance assembly.

Turned out though that the reason the balance wobbled was the jewel on the main plate was missing!  Well, not really missing, just no longer in place.  The balance wheel on this and many other movements from this period is "shock jeweled".  That means that the jewels are relatively free to move but held in place with a tiny spring.  If the watch is dropped, the spring pops out and protects the balance staff from being broken.

So all I had to do was put the jewels and the spring back in... only problem was I couldn't find the spring.   I did the next best thing, and just used the main plate from another ETA 1080 - problem solved.

Here's a shot of the Hamilton 671, aka ETA 1080, all cleaned up and purring like a kitten.

With the dial and hands cleaned up and the crystal polished, this Sea-Glo is a remarkable improvement over what I started with, don't you think?

Here's a shot from outside... you have to love the sparkling effect that these textured dials can provide.

And here's a shot of a black-dialed Sea-Glo that I restored a year or so ago.  They are both very cool watches... I'm not sure which one I like better.  How about you?