1955 Powell

The 1950's was a challenging time for Hamilton, not unlike companies in today's economy.  Competition from foreign countries was tough and Swiss watch manufacturers specifically offered quality movements at a low price point.  Hamilton endeavored to compete nonetheless and introduced a variety of models with Swiss-made movements in rolled gold plate cases as their entry-level lineup.

However, Hamilton also continued to produce it's own best-in-class movements at a slightly higher price point with gold filled cases.  A good example is the 1955 Powell.  It was produced for four years, through 1958.

The Powell came in a 10K yellow gold filled case with a pop-on stainless steel back.  The sterling silver dial is white finished with 14K solid markers or applied gold numerals.  I think the marker dial is the more common of the two.  I've seen black dialed versions but I don't know if they are authentic, as the catalogs don't mention that as an option.

Under the hood you'll find Hamilton's 8/0 sized 17 jewel 730 movement.  This is an upgraded version of the 747 movement with shock jewels on the balance assembly.  It's a great movement, in my opinion, very simple, easy to work on and performs great.

The Powell is a surprisingly thin watch but that could also be because it's a nice size.  It measures about 32 mm wide and 42mm long.

I recently picked up a Powell project watch.  It came on a Speidel expansion bracelet, a good sign that it wasn't original as Hamilton rarely used Speidel for bracelets.  The crystal was cracked and there was a surprising amount of verdigris inside the case - that's corrosion you'll see on gold filled cases where dissimilar metals meet.

The white dial has a faint patina forming and you can see in the shot below the verdigris on the outside.  Cleaning white dials is very tricky business.  It seems like they will only get so clean before the printing comes off next.  So you need to know to stop when they're still a little dirty or be ready to get the dial refinished.

Here's a nice shot of 730 movement.  I think if you've ever had a hankering to take apart a watch and see if you could put it back together again, then your best option is a 747 or 730 movement.  They really are a breeze and I don't think I've ever broken one (although there have been some hairspring issues in my past).  Some of the screws are pretty small though and it's quite likely you'll lose one if you're not careful.  It takes a very gentle touch with the tweezers to not send a screw flying off, never to be seen again.

And here's the finished product, all polished up with a fresh genuine lizard strap and a new glass crystal.  The dial got a little better but still has some faint coloration on the outside - but that just helps the watch look authentic, I think.

The Powell is a very simple, elegant dress watch.  Now to try to find one with the AGN dial...

UPDATE:

Turns out a fellow collector and friend of mine just got a Powell too - but of the AGN variety so here's a photo of his to complete this post.  I like the AGN dial - it's a sharp, clean looking design.

1935 Lowell - Overhaul

Hamilton introduced it's 14/0 sized movements in 1935 and ushered in a new generation of narrow rectangular watches and watches that curved to fit the wrist.  Two movements were introduced, the 17 jewel 980 movement for use in gold filled cases and the 19 jewel 982 movement for solid gold cases.

One of the first watches to feature the 982 movement was the 1935 Lowell.  It was produced for only two years.

The Lowell came in a solid 14K gold case with a sterling silver butler-finished dial with solid gold applied numerals.

I recently was asked to help a friend with a family heirloom Lowell.  The watch came presented on an old expansion bracelet - it's definitely about the right timeframe but the Lowell would originally have come on a strap.  The bracelet is broken anyway - so it'll get replaced.

The dial has been refinished at some point.  It looks okay but I noticed that the "1" in 10 is a little too large.  Sometimes dials use different-sized numbers on the sides of the dial but in this case I suspect the 1 was replaced with whatever was on hand.

The movement would run and stop so it definitely was time for a cleaning.  The serial number J19304 dates this Lowell as a 1936 model.

The glass crystal is scratched up and needs to be replaced for best physical appearance.  Note also that the Lowell has posts for female spring bars - as opposed to holes that would accommodate the more common male version.

Here's what a female spring bar looks like.  Some modern watches use female spring bars too - but the male pins on old watches are much larger so getting replacement spring bars can be a challenge.

Unfortunately, one of the bars has a broken end - so a replacement is needed.  Otherwise the watch will fall off the strap and that's never a good thing.

Luckily I have a small stash of new spring bars.  I'll have to open the holes a little with my drill press to get them to fit over the case's pins.

One interesting bit of 14/0 trivia is although the 980 and 982 were produced for 17 years, slight changes to the movement occurred over time.  One of the first changes was the set lever spring, aka the set bridge.  Originally, the movements had a two-piece set bridge - as shown on the right below.

On my project watch, the spring must have broken at some point.   It was replaced by a one-piece set bridge - as shown on the left.  I was surprised to see that the replacement actually works - although it looks like the spring portion is a little bent to make it work.

I happen to have the correct parts so I will replace the incorrect bridge with the correct pieces below.

While everything is in the ultrasonic being cleaned, I'll check the mainspring.  This watch has a regular blue steel mainspring installed.

Outside the barrel, you can see the spring has "set" and lost a lot of it's potential energy.

I'll replace it with an original white alloy Dynavar mainspring.  It comes pre-coiled so it will drop right into the barrel - if I do it right the first time.

Once the parts come out of the cleaning process, the pivots on the wheels get a quick sprucing on a block of "pith wood" to make sure any remaining gunk is removed.  Pith wood is a very soft wood, almost like a soft cork.

Everything is now cleaned and dried and ready to go back together.

The 980 and 982 can be a pain to reassemble as you have to put all the wheels in at one time.  I'm good at it now but I've broken my fair share of pivots learning how to do it.  Patience and a steady touch are needed.

Normally I leave the balance assembly in one piece when I clean it because anytime you mess with the hairspring you are asking for trouble.  But since this watch wasn't running well I took it apart to make sure it got thoroughly cleaned.

The hairspring needs to be fed through the regulator's fork - that's what allows the regulator to do it's thing.  So I'll have to move it in the shot below so it's inside the two pins.

Success.  The watch is now running as it should, with good motion.

This watch was not winding very well either and would slip occasionally as it was wound up.  So I replaced the winding pinion with one that was less worn.

Here's the front of the movement with it's correct set bridge installed and it's ready for the cannon pinion, hour wheel and the dial to go back on.

A trip to the timer will allow me to tune the regulator and get the watch to keep accurate time.

And here's the finished product, all polished up and with a nice teju lizard strap safely installed with new stainless steel spring bars.  The old crystal is still installed.  It's a little domed so it makes the minute track wavy.  A replacement crystal will fix that.

This is a nice watch and I'm sure the owner will be very happy that it can continue to be a treasured family heirloom.

UPDATE -  I purchased a new glass crystal for the Lowell before sending the watch home.  I actually ordered one that's a little thicker because I like prominent look a thicker crystal has with a case like this. As you can see in the shot below… it's quite an improvement.  The minute track is now a rectangle as it should be.

1948 Neil

Watches in the 1940's are often surprisingly small.  I guess the "greatest generation" and their parents weren't as self conscious as today's tuna-can wearing bling enthusiasts sometimes appear to be.  The styles back then were more subtle but, to be honest, maybe a little too subtle in some cases - as there were some really small watches back then.

However, there are exceptions to every rule and the 1948 Neil is one of them.  At about 30mm wide, it has a larger wrist presence than pretty much any other model in the 1940's. It was a popular model too - as it was produced for five years.

The Neil uses Hamilton's 8/0 sized 747 movement which was introduced the prior year.  It's smaller than the 6/0 sized 987A that it replaced and that might help create the illusion that it's larger than the typical watches from the period.

The case is 14K gold filled and the butler-finished sterling silver dial features solid 18K gold numerals.

The Neil is also one of the first Hamilton's to feature a bracelet.  Up until 1949 Hamilton predominantly used only straps.  There are a number of models that received bracelets in 1949.

The model is pretty popular, even today.  I've wanted to get one for a long time but they usually sell for a price above my typical price for a project watch.  However, I recently landed a nice example at a fair price.

As you can see below, it was in decent shape.  The model is prone to wear to the outside edges of the lugs and this one looks nice and crisp.

The crystal on the watch is a high domed glass and actually gives the watch a slight goldfish bowl-effect.  The prominent dome is probably one reason why the case is still in good shape.  However, unfortunately by protecting the case, the crystal has taken some beatings and will need to be replaced.  You really can't polish glass crystals like you can plastic.

Below the crystal, the dial is original and shows a tiny bit of wear from age but overall still looks great.

Here's a shot of the 747 movement.  It's a little hard to tell in the photo, but there's a coating of oil on everything.  I'm not sure what that's all about but the watch does run - which is a good sign.  A thorough cleaning will get it back into proper condition.

Everything gets taken apart and cleaned up.  As you can see below, a good cleaning makes everything sparkle like new again.  A fresh mainspring is installed in the barrel and you can see it in the lower right corner since the cover hasn't been put on yet.

In this shot you can see the effects of my tweaking the regulator to adjust the time keeping.  It eventually leveled out at about 7 seconds per day fast.  I usually try to set it around there as it will slow slightly as the mainspring unwinds.

And here is the finished product, all polished up with a fresh glass crystal and a nice genuine lizard strap.  This watch's simple design makes it a sharp looking watch in my opinion.   This clean, elegant look is still being replicated today by modern manufactures, 60 years later.