1949 Raymon

Hamilton introduced its first stainless steel wrist watch in 1941 with the Lexington but the material wasn't used that much until 1949 with the introduction of the Clinton and the Raymon.  Stainless steel is a great material for a watch case, it's less expensive than gold or gold filled, it can take a beating and it can be polished back to a nice shiny appearance.  It was used much more frequently after 1950.

The 1949 Raymon was produced for three years and you might say it was a transition model because of the "new" stainless steel case blended with elements of pre-1950 designs likes luminous hands and dials.

The Raymon is a fairly small watch, like most other 1940s model.  Looking at it you might assume it would have a 14/0 sized 980 movement like the Lexington.  In fact, it has the recently introduced 8/0 sized 747 movement crammed into the case.  On the applied gold numeral (AGN) dialed version, the numerals and the hands were rhodium plated to appear silver in color.  The luminous dial had luminous numerals and a special style of luminous hands, unique to this model.

My project watch came as a gift courtesy of a fellow collector.  It had a lot of issues and I'm sure he hoped I could make something of it.  Looking closely at it, I can see the hour hand is the incorrect style, it's missing a second hand, and the crown is quite worn.

As you can see from the side, the crown is showing brass.  I assume the crown wasn't stainless steel but rather white gold filled.

The inside of the case back clearly identifies the model name.  You can see by the number of watchmaker's marks inside that this watch has passed through a lot of peoples' hands.

The movement appears to be in good shape but I'm sure it's been a while since it was last overhauled.

I have found that most Hamilton watches before 1950 have blue steel mainsprings but sometimes I get lucky and find a white alloy Dynavar spring has already been installed.  Not in this case though, there's a blue steel mainspring inside the barrel and it has probably "set" and lost most of its potential energy.

There are two 8/0 sized movements, the 747 and the 748 (or their 1950's replacements the 730 and 735, and 1960's 731 and 736).  Because the movements are quite different, there are several different mainspring strengths to choose from.  Too strong a mainspring will result in too high an amplitude and too low will result in too low an amplitude.  I'll try a standard strength spring, see how it works, and then go from there.

Here you can see the difference between a set blue steel mainspring and a fresh white alloy spring (below).  Notice how the fresh white alloy spring coils so much that it actually goes in the opposite direction.  This will allow the watch to run much longer than the blue steeled version originally installed.

I noticed the upper center wheel jewel in the barrel bridge looked funny and upon close inspection it is cracked.  The center wheel turns so slowly that the crack might not be a big deal but I'll replace it anyway.

Here's an interesting bit of trivia... the serial number for the 747 is on the barrel bridge.  Toward the end of production of the 747 in 1955 the serial number was dropped.  So if you see a 747 without a serial number (or a 748 as well), then you know it's from 1955.  There was no serial numbers on the 730 that replaced the 747 either.  So looking at the barrel bridge on the (left below), it could be from a late 747 or a 730, or even 731.  The parts are otherwise identical but I'll use the one on the right for my replacement.

Everything is cleaned and ready to be reassembled.  I even have a new glass crystal to install.

The reassembled movement is ticking away with good motion.  Let's see what the timer thinks.

The amplitude looks good but the beat error of 4.9ms is above my upper spec of 3.0ms.  The beat error measures how far the balance swings to one side versus the other. The closer to zero the better so I'll have to remove the balance and adjust the position of the hairspring to better center the balance relative to the pallet fork.

Well, I guess I could call that success... it's now below 3.0ms but not by much.  Every time I remove the balance is an opportunity to screw up an otherwise fine hairspring but I will give it one more try.

Okay - nothing to complain about now.   A slight tweak to the regulator will bring the timing down to +/- 30 seconds per day.

I have a new white crown to install as well as a couple of potential second hands.  The second hands are for a 14/0 size movement so the posts are too tight to fit on a 747.  I'll have to open the hole a bit.  The crown has a stylized H on it.  This design was introduced in the mid-late 1950s but Hamilton produced replacement parts for the 8/0 movements with the H logo and there's no real downside to having a crown with an H on a pre-1955 model, other than it just implies the crown is not original.  As long as it fits well and is the correct style, it's really not a big deal.

A pin vise is the best way to secure a stem while you change the crowns.  The old crown should unscrew off and the new crown screws on it's in place.  If the dimensions of the crowns don't match I'll have to replace the stem too but I think they should be okay.

I'll use my set of tiny broaches to carefully enlarge the hole in the second hand so it will fit on the slightly larger pivot of the 4th wheel in the 747.

You can see below that the new crown looks like a great fit.

The finished project turned out great.  The expansion bracelet that came with the watch appears to be a good match, design-wise, but it's not original to the watch.  If you've got a great eye for detail you might suspect this is an older refinished dial, and you'd be correct.  It was redone properly though and it looks just as it should.  The new hour hand is a proper style and looks much better than the previous sword hand, don't you think?

I happened to have a vintage 5/8" grey leather strap, just like this watch would have originally had installed in 1949.  I think it looks much better than the bracelet so I'll keep it like this.

1958 Automatic K-412

It's been a while since I've come across a new Automatic K-series model.  Someday I'll have to make a "most-wanted" list and identify the models that I haven't come across yet.

As fate would have it, I was recently contacted by someone who inherited his grandfather's watch and it serves as a great reminder that all Hamiltons are worthy of being restored, especially family pieces.

The model in question is the K-412.  It was introduced in 1958 and produced for only two years.  It was introduced in the waning years of the K-series and the start of the Accumatic line.  So it could be a fairly rare model.  There are no production records from this time period, unfortunately.

The Automatic K-412 came in a 10K yellow gold filled case and was outfitted with a white dial embossed with yellow markers and numerals.  It also has a pearled minute track with tiny golden dots at each minute position.  Tucked inside the case is a 17 jewel 661 movement.

Check out my project watch below... notice anything unusual?  Where should I start?  The good news is at least it ticks - ha ha!  It has a serious case of dial rash and I don't think I'll be able to do much to improve it.  I could send it out to be refinished but embossed dials with pearled dots are very hard to get done properly.  The figures always seem to come back soft, like they've been over polished.

The gold filled case back is unremarkable and it's loose so I can get it off easily.  These types of cases are very robustly built.

I don't know where the hands went but I can tell you definitively that the second hand is missing because there's no bit to attach it to.  The tip of the 4th wheel is very easy to break off if you're not careful.

The movement appears to be in good shape but it's very dirty.

Although the watch is ticking, that doesn't mean it keeps accurate time.  I rarely check a watch on the timer before I take I work on it... I just assume it's not going to be very good and I'm going to take it apart anyway.  However, just for fun, let's see how this watch is doing?

There is no clear pattern to the trace on the timer although it is moving upward on a steep angle.  According to the sound of the ticking, the timer thinks this watch is running just over 5 minutes fast per day.

I looked in my stash of donor movements and check out what I found!  It's a K-412 dial.  It's not perfect but it's way better than what I started with... plus it has hands.

Here's a picture of the movement's 4th wheel (right) along with a replacement on the left.  Notice the extra portion on the end, called the "bit".  This is what the second hand attaches too.

I think I know which dial I would choose, how about you?  Refinished dials are not a problem with Hamiltons, as long as they are done properly.  That said, a nice original dial is always preferable to a refinished dial.

Everything is ready to be reassembled with fresh lubricants.

The moment of truth has arrived.  The partially reassembled movement is now ticking away with a good motion.  Let's see what the timer thinks of it now.

Well that's much better!  Now it's just a minute fast per day and the amplitude is well over 200 degrees.  The beat error of 0.2ms is right on the money.

A quick adjustment to the regulator index and this watch is now running like it just left the Hamilton factory.

The reinstalled movement is noticeably brighter and shinier than what I started with.

A fresh 28.7mm high dome crystal is definitely called for on this project.  Something needs to keep the hands on, right?

My merciless light tent reveals a little extra tarnish or finish loss on the dial but it looks way better in person.

I also relumed the hands and the dial so it will glow in the dark, when charged first with light.

Here's a wrist shot in more flattering (and realistic) light.  This is a remarkable transformation and I'm sure the owner will be delighted to get his grandfather's watch back.  Now he can enjoy it with pride rather than let it rattle around in a drawer somewhere.

1967 Thin-o-matic TM-5800

There are three different kinds of Thin-o-matic models, well, actually six if you want to include the ones with date complications. 

The first Thin-o-matic models used Buren-made Swiss ebauches with small oscillating weights, a.k.a. micro rotors.  These movements include the 663, 666, et al calibers and were unique designs where all the parts were attached on the same side, or plain, of the main plate.  This allowed the overall thickness of the movement to have a very thin profile.

Also included in the early Thin-o-matics were ETA calibers that looked like the familiar ETA movements in the Accumatic line (689, 689A, et al) except the profile of the oscillating weight and overall movement was much narrower. 

You can easily tell what type of movement is inside a Thin-o-matic by looking at the back of the case.  If it's wide and flat it's a micro-rotor and if it's pie-pan shaped it's got an ETA movement inside.

In the 1967 time frame Hamilton had acquired Buren and a new generation of Thin-o-matic models were introduced.  The new micro-rotor movements look similar to the earlier generation but there are a number of critical differences.  One of the biggest is the center wheel is offset in the second generation calibers and that can present a significant challenge to collectors today.  The other, more obvious, difference is the earlier micro-rotors were plated with a pink plating while the second generation are nickel plated.

Hamilton changed the model nomenclature for the new generation of Thin-o-matics from T-something to TM-something.  So if the model name begins with TM then you know it's from after 1967.

One example of the new TM models is the 1967 TM-5800.  It was introduced in the 1968 catalog and made through 1970 but based on the model number it appears to have been created in 1967.

My project watch has seen some use but appears to be in decent enough shape.  Stainless steel cases can really take a beating.  The bracelet is a period correct Kreisler design but not the same as what's shown in the catalog.  It seems to still go nicely with the florentine pattern on the bezel though, so I'll reuse it.

Here's a shot of the case back showing you clearly the wide flat profile of a micro-rotor case.  I wasn't sure what model this was originally so I was hoping to see a pink movement inside.

Kreisler was one of several bracelet makers that made bracelets for Hamilton models.  I think between Kreisler and JB Champion, you probably cover 90% of the models but makers like Gemex, and others, where used too.

Without the crystal installed you can see the dial is actually in good shape.  Now that the crown has been separated from the male-side of the two-piece stem, the movement can be lifted out.

Darn... the movement inside is a 628 movement.  Although this looks a lot like the earlier 663, 666, etc. calibers, these newer movements are prone to having loose cannon pinions on the offset center wheel resulting in the hands not moving, even though the movement keeps accurate time.

Here's a photo of the inside of the case back.  Notice there are two numbers, the one at the bottom is the model number and the last two digits are 67, indicating this is a 1967 model.  The other number is a unique serial number for this specific example.

With the dial out of the way you can see where the cannon pinion that holds the minute hand is installed.

With a couple more parts removed, you can now see the offset center wheel.  The part where my tweezers is pointing is what drives the hour and minute hands.  It's a friction-fit part that is installed on the center wheel and is meant to slip when you set the time but hold when the watch is running.  That allows you to set the time without jarring the train wheels.  Over years and years of use, the friction yields so that the center wheel will turn as it should but this part won't move the hands, or the watch will appear to run very slow. 

Parts for these types of micro rotors are no longer available so the only solution is to try to tighten the center wheel (but not too tight) or scavenge a part from a donor movement.

Everything is now cleaned and ready to be reassembled.

These two springs are used in the barrel bridge.  You need to be very careful with them as they are known to disappear, never to be found again, with the slightest of tweezer pressure.

Phew!  Did I mention I don't like working on these movements?  Finally it's almost all back together and now running.

One of the differences between the first and second generation of movements is the beat rate.  Notice this movement beats 19800 beats per hour instead of the typical 18000 BPH.  This movement is running just a little fast but the other specs look acceptable.

A new crystal makes this watch look 100% better.  In fact, it looks almost brand new.  It definitely looks as good as it runs - but I'll need to watch it to make sure the hands are not slipping.