1966 Lord Lancaster K

I posted earlier this month information about diamond-dialed Hamilton's and the Lord Lancaster line of models.  These 1960's era watches came in all shapes and sizes and are normally found in white gold, gold filled or rolled gold plated models.  However, there are a small few Lord Lancaster models that were also available in yellow.

One of them is the 1966 Lord Lancaster K.  It was produced through the end of US production in 1969.

The Lord Lancaster K came in both white or yellow 10K RGP.  The butler-finished dial has matching hour markers (white or yellow) and the 12, 3, 6 and 9 have diamonds.  Without the diamonds, the same watch would be called a Darwin.

Unlike the Darwin, the Lord Lancaster K came only on a black suede strap.  There's no matching bracelet.

I recently picked up a Lord Lancaster K project watch.  It was a little dirty and scratched up but not so bad that it wasn't a promising project.

The original dial is in very good shape.  There are a couple of minor age spots but it's otherwise unblemished.

Behind the dial is a Swiss-made 17 jewel Hamilton 681 movement.  It looks like an A Schild movement of some sort like the 686, but it's a slightly smaller size.

It's very important with diamond-dial watches to make sure the inside of the case back is marked Hamilton Watch Co. Lancaster PA.  If it doesn't say that, then it's not an authentic model.

With the movement freshly overhauled, the case and crystal polished and the a new black strap installed, this Lord Lancaster is ready for wrist time.  It's not a very large watch and although it's a man's model, it's probably better suited for a woman by today's standards.

1954 Automatic K-300 CLD

Automatic movements are self-winding movements that wind as you wear them.  You can also wind them manually by the crown, like a mechanical watch.  Some Swiss makers introduced automatics in the 1930's  but Hamilton didn't introduce them until 1954, when they added the 12 new models - including their first calendar watch too.

One of the 1954 watches was the Automatic K-300 CLD.  The CLD line was "sealed" with a series of gaskets around the various seams… bezel, crystal, crown, etc.  They weren't waterproof, just sealed from the environment in general.  The K-300 was only available for two years.

The new models introduced a numerical nomenclature that is defined by the case material.  A 100-series watch is 18K gold, 200- is 14K, 300- is 10K, 400- is gold filled and 500- is stainless steel.  Eventually there were even 600-series watches with rolled gold plate.

So with that in mind, you should know that the K-300 has a 10K solid gold case.  Like a lot of 1950's watches, the decorative lugs have a funky shape.  The silver dial features solid 18K numerals and markers with pearlised dots.

I recently purchased a K-300 but I had to return it.  I'll tell you why a little later.  As received it was in very nice shape but it had a smudge across the top of the dial.  I had hoped to be able to clean it off.

Most CLD watches have two-piece cases where the movement is held in the case back and the bezel pops off the front.  But the K-300 has a pop-off back and the movement is held in the front.

And here's the movement.  This is a very interesting movement.  In fact, it was only used in the first automatics.  There's no Hamilton number associated with it - it just says "Hamilton" on it.  I had to do quite a bit of research to figure out what it is.

It's called an Eterna-matic.

Eterna-matics are made by Eterna, a Swiss watch company.  They introduced automatics in the 1930's and their trademark is the 5 ball bearings in the center of the rotor.  You can see them in the photo above.  Those five ball bearings dramatically reduce the friction of the rotor and they became the logo of Eterna as well.  Eterna also introduced a subsidiary, ETA - which is the maker of Hamilton movements today.  Small world, huh?

So why did I return the watch?  Well, I couldn't get the movement out of the case!  It needed to be serviced but it would not budge for me.  Others had tried before me, you can see some pry marks on the movement ring near the lugs.  I was really bummed to return it but I was afraid I might damage it if I tried any harder to get it out.  Goofing up an Eterna-matic would be a costly mistake for sure.  Any other automatic, no problem - but try finding a loose Eterna-matic.

I suspect the gaskets around the movement ring must have hardened to the point they were a solid mass.    You'd probably have to dig the gaskets out with a pick to free them up… or maybe soak them with something.  Beats me.  Returning it was the best option.

Oddly enough, I know the person who bought it after me and I helped them send it to a professional watchmaker for service.  I'm really curious to see how it turned out because it's a very nice and uncommon model.

I also want to know how they got the movement out!

UPDATE:

Turns out there's not much of a mystery.  Once the stem is removed the movement and movement ring come out the back with a little persuasion.  One option is to remove the crystal and push on the dial.

1965 Lord Lancaster H

It's not unusual to see Hamilton watches with diamonds on the dial.  In fact, you will come across them for sale all the time but you need to be wary of them because they are often not authentic Hamilton models.  A great example of a common, non-authentic model is often described as a "Top Hat".   If you look on eBay at any given time for a "Hamilton Top Hat" you're sure to find one or two.

Diamond watches are often cased in white gold or platinum - or at least represented as such.  The backstory to them is that Hamilton movements were so highly regarded that jewelers would case loose movement in a "jewelers case".  Movements could be taken from older watches with worn out cases or, especially in ladies watches, the jeweler would buy a new gold filled watch, repurpose the movement and then scrap the case.

Hamilton hated the practice and tried very hard to discourage it as best it could but it continued nonetheless.

So the real question, is how do you identify a "real" Hamilton from a "jobber"?    The best answer is to look inside the case back.  It should say "Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster PA" along with the serial number, material, etc.  If it doesn't say Hamilton Watch Company, Lancaster PA - it's not an authentic model… end of story.

A common question is what's a watch like the "Hamilton Top Hat" worth?  It's true value is whatever the gold content is plus a value of a spare movement… so maybe $350- $450, depending on gold content, weight, etc.  In the end, the value is nowhere near the $2,600 you'll see them for sale.

But there are actually a good many authentic models with diamond dials and they are very collectible.  Many of them fall into the Lord Lancaster series, introduced in 1963.  Lord Lancasters come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, with electric, mechanical and automatic movements.  Cases can be solid gold, gold filled or rolled gold plate… you name it.  Many times they are white, but sometimes they were available in yellow too.

One of the white automatic models was the 1965 Lord Lancaster H.  It was produced through 1969.

The Lord Lancaster H is outfitted with a 17 jewel 694A Swiss-made movement.  The watch has a fancy reflector ring inside the crystal to make the watch sparkle.  The diamonds are set in faceted hour markers.  So Lord Lancaster H offers a lot of "bling".

Most of the time Lord Lancaster watches came on special black straps of varied designs and occasionally special bracelets too.  But the Lord Lancaster H came on a simple black suede strap.

I had a Lord Lancaster H a while back and I sold it.  It's one of the few watches I have an occasional minor twinge of "sellers regret".

Perhaps I will find another someday….