1964 M 69-2

In 1964 Hamilton included a line of men's and lady's watches with M- or F- model names in their catalog.  M for male and F for female, I suppose.  Some are similar to other models in the Hamilton line up but with slight differences in the dials or crystals.  There are about a dozen different models for each gender in the 1964 catalog.  As I understand it, M and F watches were produced from 1961 through 1967 but I've only seen images of them in the 1964 catalog.

One of the 1964 men's models is the M 69-2.

The M 69-2 came in a one-piece stainless steel case with a white dial along with luminous hands and dots at the hour markers.

Under the dial is a Swiss-made Hamilton 688 movement.

I recently acquired an example of an M 69-2 that was not running and had a broken stem so the crown would come off when you set the time.  The 688 is an ETA movement and shares the stem with several other ETA movements so I had a spare on hand for an easy fix.  So really the watch just needed a good cleaning and a crystal replacement.

One piece case are usually opened with a diabolical looking claw tool called a crystal lift.  The tool compresses around the circumference of the crystal and squeezes the diameter enough that you can pull the crystal off.  It goes back on the same way.  Just release the pressure and the crystal expands into the bezel, making a waterproof seal.

Since the case is one piece, the stem has to be two pieces so you can pull the movement out the front.  In the shot below, you can see the female portion of the stem.  It engages a corresponding male portion in the crown and allows you to wind the watch or set the time.  If you pull the crown really hard it will pop out of the female portion.  However, you can also lift the movement out with the crown in place - if you're careful.

Servicing the movement is pretty straightforward and like the 686 movement in the Gary I recently showed, the 688 also has an adjustable hairspring stud so the beat error can be fine-tuned.

And here's a shot of the finished product - all cleaned up, running great and with a new crystal.

It's a very sharp, clean looking watch with a classic 1960's styling, I think.

1953 Turner - Overhaul

It's probably safe to assume that the early 1950's was a hectic time at the Hamilton factory.  There was a lot of change going on.  New "automatic" models were being introduced.  The 14/0 movements that had been in production since 1935 were being phased out and replaced by 12/0 sized movements.  And Swiss-made movements were being used to lower the Hamilton price-point in specially branded Hamilton Illinois models.

It seemed like Hamilton had one foot planted firmly in the past while the other stepped out boldly into the future.

One of the models that seems to fit squarely in both time periods is the 1953 Turner.  It was produced for only two years.

The Turner came in a 10K solid gold case, either in yellow or white.  The sterling silver butler-finished or black finished dial featured solid 18K gold numerals or numerals and dots - and the figures were rhodium plated when used with the white gold case.  So you would need to collect six different Turners  to get the full set.

I think the Turner is very similar to the Donald - which was produced from 1946 through 1952.  The Donald used the 19 jewel 982M movement.  The Turner received the 982M's replacement, the 19 jewel 12/0 sized 754 movement.  Like the 982M, the 754 was a specially treated hi-grade movement for use in solid gold models.  It was short lived though, and replaced in 1955 with the introduction of the 22 jewel 770.

The easiest way to tell the difference between the Turner and the Donald is the Donald has numbers on it's seconds register where the Turner does not.  Of course, the Donald is also solid 14K gold, so that's a key difference as well.

I recently purchased a Tuner project watch and since it's the first model I've had with 754 movement, I can show you a little more about the grade.

As received, this Turner was a little worse for wear.  It was quite dirty, the crystal was beat up and the second hand was missing in action.

This was a presentation watch, probably for someone's retirement from Stanley - or at least their 25th anniversary with the company.  Those were the days, huh?

The original dial is quite dirty along the top and bottom edges but will hopefully clean up well.

The 14/0 and 12/0 movements came with two different length cannon pinion and hour wheel setups.  When the dial is flat, the shorter set up is used.  If the dial domes, the longer setup is used to accommodate the taller dial in the center of the movement.

The Turner requires the taller setup and rather than have a thick dial, a spacer ring is used between the dial and the main plate.

The 754 is pretty much the same as the 19 jewel 753 movement that was introduced at the same time.  The 753 replaced the 982 and the 754 replaced the 982M.  Like the 982M, the 754 has gold accents and the writing on the back is gold enamel rather than black.  It's also more heavily damascened than the 753.

Everything gets taken apart and thoroughly cleaned.  The dial cleaned up nicely but there's still some evidence of wear on the corners of the dial - most likely from wearing against the bezel.

Reassembly goes easily and every jewel gets a tiny droplet of fresh oil.  The white alloy mainspring was cleaned and relubricated and after a few winds, the watch comes back to life.

A little fine tweaking to the regulator gets it to level out at about 5 seconds fast per day with a vigorous amplitude and low beat error.

And here it is, all cleaned up and paired with a fresh teju-lizard grain strap in black.  A new second hand and glass crystal completes the restoration.  This Turner is ready for more wrist time.

1951 Gary

I recently restored a 1962 Gary and it reminded me that there is an earlier model with the same name that i used to have.  It was a 1951 Gary and it was produced for three years.

The Gary came in a yellow 10K gold filled case with a two-tone finished sterling silver dial with 18K gold numerals and dots.

As you can see in the two ads, the Gary was offered on two different styles of bracelets - so if you find one with a bracelet it might be original.

Behind the dial is an 8/0 size 17 jewel 747 movement.

I think the Gary is easily confused with the 1953 Ryan although the Gary only came in yellow with a white / butler dial while the Ryan came in yellow or white gold filled with two-tone white or black dial.  They are about the same size and look very similar thanks to their square bezel opening and numeral / dot dial - albeit the Ryan has roman numerals.