1959 Thin-o-matic T-201

I recently came across an interesting bit of trivia.  There are only 13 known models in 18K gold, most of which were shown in catalogs but not all.  One of them is identical to another model that was available also in14K gold.  The only difference between them is the case material.  The 14K model is fairly rare too.  It's the 1959 Thin-o-matic T-201.

If you look closely at the catalog depiction, you'll see that the T-201 came in a solid 14K gold case and you could get it on a strap or a matching 14K bracelet.  You'll also see that it was available in an 18K gold case as the T-101 for an add it also $25..  The T-201 was made for four years.

In 1960 the T-201 offered a second dial option, this time in gold and the T-101 was still available.

However, you'd have to wait until the 1962 catalog to see the T-101 depicted.  A lot of people consider it to be a one-year wonder as a result.  It featured the original dial from 1959.

So if you happen to see a T-201 for sale you may want to look closely to see if it's actually a T-101.  Interesting, huh?

Inside a T-201 you will likely find a Hamilton 666 or 663 micro rotor movement.  It may depend on the year, although I don't know which one came first or what really makes them different.  In the T-101 you might find the Hamilton 691.  It's the same movement but with 25 jewels instead of 17.  The catalog doesn't make mention of what movements are inside.

You don't tend to see the T-201 very frequently and the T-101 is arguably even more rare.  You will find "masterpiece" models that are close in design though with a slightly different dial.

I recently scored a T-201 and it was in rough shape.  The seller had a very generic listing so all I could really go on was the photos and there was no movement shot.  I could tell that the dial probably had issues but you never know what you'll until you see it in your hands.  I thought the Speidel expansion bracelet was a decent attempt to match the original bracelet shown in the catalog - although I bet it wouldn't come close to a real life example.

The case back is a bit worn and although you can't really see it in my photo, the watch has a presentation to someone with almost the same last name as my own.

The movement is a little rattly in the case and once I opened it up I could see why.  One of the movement case screws is broken off and it's not held inside the case.  The movement is very dirty but it does run, which is always a good sign.

The inside of the case back has clean signs that the rotor has been rubbing.  I suspect that is a result of the missing movement case screw but the rotor was a little loose too.

The finish on the dial appears to be compromised.  I could try cleaning it but I might lose the printing.

What's this?  Did the dial magically clean itself?  Nope - by coincidence, after I bought the watch I saw a loose movement for sale and it had the exact same dial but in much better shape.  The real question is did the seller scrap a $1000 18K T-101 case for $300 in gold or did this movement come from a T-201?  Well, regardless at least one Hamilton watch will be restored as a result.

My donor has a 663 movement and since it is in slightly better shape I will use it for my project.

Everything is cleaned and readied for reassembly.

The reassembled movement is noticeably brighter now and is ticking away with good motion.

According to the timer I need to make a slight adjustment to the regulator to speed the watch up a few seconds per day.

A new crystal will go a long way toward improving the looks of the finished watch.

How's this for a remarkable improvement?  This T-201 looks like a brand new watch.  I relumed the hands dial so they will glow in the dark again.  A fresh lizard strap completes the effect.

If the T-201 looks familiar, its probably due to it's timeless styling.  In fact, a few years ago Hamilton introduced a throw-back model to the Jazzmaster line called the Jazzmaster Thin-o-matic.  At 38mm it's a bit bigger than the T-201 and it also has a date complication.  However there's no debate that the similarities are striking.

The back of the Jazzmaster is a similar too - but it's not solid gold.

1959 Thin-o-matic T-501

The first Thin-o-matic models were introduced in 1959 and one of the first models was the T-501.  It was produced for three years.

In 1960 a black-dialed version of the T-501 was introduced and the price for the watch was the same whether you chose the bracelet or the strapped version.

As a 500 series model you can assume the T-501 has a stainless steel case.  Tucked inside is a 17 jewel 663 movement, or possibly a 666 grade in a later model.  I'm not entirely sure what's different between a 663 and 666 other than one is based on a Buren 1005 and the other on a 1005A.  They seem to be largely interchangeable.

I've had a T-501 sitting on my bench for a while - mostly because it's a micro rotor movement and particularly filthy.  The outside looks like it should clean up nicely, after all, stainless steel can take a beating.  The dial at the 4 hour marker looks a little odd - that's where one of the dial feet are.

The case back has an obvious lip so it's clear that this back should pop off.  You might be able to see that the crown isn't sitting flush with the case.

As I said above, I knew this movement was filthy and this is about as bad as I've seen.  Now you can really see the crown isn't sitting flush - that appears to have let a bit of moisture inside.  One of the screws and clips to hold the movement inside the case is also missing and the other is a bit rusty.  Fortunately I have some replacements.

The inside of the case back has a couple of rings where apparently the oscillating weight has rubbed the cover.  I'll make sure to set the weight a little deeper so it won't rub.  There's also a modicum of solder or something inside by the lip - I'm not sure what that's about as I don't see any damage anywhere on the inside or out.

The dial foot screw on the lower right (by the 4 hour marker) was corroded in place - that explains the funny look of the dial.  A past watchmaker may have bent the dial a little trying to get it off.  The dial-side of the main plate is as dirty as the rest of this movement.  This should clean up well but sometimes corrosion will still leave a mark on the finish.

While everything is in the ultrasonic I will get a new crystal ready for installation.  A 29.3mm PHD crystal will do the trick.

Everything is sparkly now that all of the parts have been cleaned.  I noticed one of the pivots on the pallet fork arbor was missing so I had to replace it with a pallet fork from a donor.

The reassembled movement is now running with good motion - so it's off to the timer.  I'll put the oscillating weight on once the timing is checked out.

It's running a little fast but a slight tweak to the regulator should slow it down.  The amplitude looks good and the beat error is acceptable.   The beat error is hard to adjust on this movement so I'll leave it as is and not risk damaging an otherwise good hairspring.

A tweak here, a tweak there, and eventually the two lines approach horizontal.  Everything looks good so I can finish reassembling all of the parts.

Ta-da... this T-501 looks great now that it's cleaned up and has a fresh crystal and lizard strap.  I was able to reshape the dial fairly well so the look of the 4 o'clock marker isn't obviously out of whack but it's still not perfect.  Still, not a bad save for an otherwise worn out watch.

1966 Bartley

The first men's model (other than the Cushion) to not have a second hand was the 1936 Nolfolk.  Like the Cushion, the Norfolk used a movement that was previously used in ladies models.

All men's models had second hands until the mid 1960s.  Then there were quite a few models without seconds hands.  Sometimes they used movement that were in ladies models and sometimes they used men's movements with a modified 4th wheel with a shortened pivot.  The last US-made model to not have a second hand was the 1969 Liberty Coin.

Still, there aren't that many men's models without a second hand and one of them is the 1966 Bartley. It was produced through 1969.

The 1966 Bartley was the second model to bear that name.  The previous version was introduced three decades earlier as the 1935 Bartley.  The latter version bears no family resemblance and came in a 10K RGP case with stainless steel back.  To look at it, you would probably assume it was a member of the Thinline series.

I recently picked up a Bartley and it caught my eye because it also came with it's original bracelet.  The lighting in my shop is good for working on watches but it doesn't do a good job showing just how filthy this watch was when I received it.

The stainless steel back is unremarkable.  The first challenge I faced was trying to get the bracelet off.  The original spring bars had corroded in a seized mess and would not budge.

Fortunately I can remove the movement while I soak the bezel and bracelet.  Without the cracked crystal in the way, you can see the dial is actually in great shape.

The 17 jewel Hamilton 681 movement is very small, about the size of a nickel.  It's basically a modified version of the 673 movement based on a Swiss-made A Schild AS1200.

The slightly blurry photo of the inside of the case back has two sets of numbers.  The top number is a unique serial number for the case and the lower number is the model number.  Notice it ends with 66, denoting it's a 1966 model.

The movement gets stripped of all it's parts in order to be thoroughly cleaned.

It took a while but I was eventually able to break the old spring bars without damaging the bracelet or the bezel.  Everything gets cleaned and readied for reassembly.

The first parts reinstalled are the train wheels.  When everything is properly aligned the train bridge falls in place and all of the wheels spin with ease.  Then I can install the barrel and pallet fork.

A few winds of the mainspring and the reassembled watch is brought back to life.  It's off to the timer to listen to it's ticking.

Initially running a little slow, a quick tweak to the regulator brings the beat rate into alignment with 18,000 beats per hour.

Almost there... it's running 5 seconds slow per day but the other specs look great.

This watch cleaned up very well.  I still need to locate a new crystal but that shouldn't be too hard to do.  Removing the funk from the bracelet revealed a little wear to the outside edges of the links but it's not too bad in normal lighting.  This watch is rather small, especially by today's standards but I'm sure there are plenty of men or women would be happy to wear it.

UPDATE:

I located a new glass crystal for the Bartley and I think it's a huge improvement... don't you?