1964 Fairlane

Hamilton had a very active awards program where they would make models available to companies and organizations to serve as awards or to recognize achievement.  Sometimes the models were based on discontinued models that were slightly modified to look different enough from what you mind find in your local jewelers.  Other times it could be something even more special.

You can usually spot an awards division model when it says "Masterpiece" on the dial.  Other times you can spot it just by the manner and font of the engraving on the case back.

Award watches don't have universal appeal.  Some collectors prefer only cataloged models.  Others don't like the back to have any engraving whatsoever.  Other collectors might find the presentation to be very desirable - like if it's related to a sporting event, school, or a specific company.  One this is for certain, there is something for everyone in the world of vintage watches.

One model that I find interesting is the 1964 Fairlane.  It was produced specifically for the Ford Motor Company to recognize employees with 35 years of service.  That's a long stretch by any standard and definitely worthy of recognition.  The back was nicely engraved with the recipient's name and the signature of Henry Ford II, the CEO at the time.

The model was not catalogued but the model name is known to exist thanks to the Hamilton card originally provided with the watch.

The Fairlane was the name of a series of models Ford produced from 1955 through 1970.  The series got it's name from the Dearborn, Michigan estate of Henry Ford.

The Fairlane looks like it was based on the Stormking series, perhaps the Stormking VIII from 1961/62.  It's presented in a solid 10K yellow gold case and features the 18J 735 movement.

The last time I saw a Fairlane was 10 years ago so I thought I'd feature the model again.  My project watch has seen a well-loved life.  It has had a lot of wear and the dial has been refinished at some point.

The case back has the typical engraving but it's beginning to get worn away so I won't do any polishing so I can preserve what information remains.

The dial has obviously been refinished.  There are several clues.  First, the original finish would have been what I call a "radial finish" where the finish is brushed from the center outward.  The Hamilton logo and printing is a bit heavy.  Lastly the numbers and figures are a little soft.  This dial was embossed and when the original finish was removed, the abrasive process softens all the hard edges.

The watch had a slightly too small crystal installed.  I could spin it with my fingers.  It's supposed to be compressed in place.  Now that the crystal is off, I can separate the stem and pull the movement out of the case.

I use a little lever to carefully pry the crown away from the two-piece stem.  Now I can lift the movement out.

Without the movement, etc. inside, I'll way the case to see how much gold is present.  Looks like 8 grams, which at $55 per gram for 10K is about $440.  This watch is worth well more than that, in my opinion, which makes scrapping watch cases an unfortunate occurence.

The movement is held in the case thanks to a large spacer ring.

The back of the dial has numbers scratched into it, another clue the dial has been refinished.

Everything is cleaned and readied to be reassembled.

The reassembled movement goes onto the timer and things are looking pretty good.  The amplitude is a little low but I haven't fully wound it yet.

A new crystal and a nice strap complete the restoration of this unique watch.  I'm sure any Ford enthusiast would be happy to have it.

1941 Myron

There are several models that you could consider a mainstay of the 1940s lineup.  The Boulton is arguably one, as would be the Martin and the Dodson.  In fact, the Boulton is probably the record keeper as it was produced through the 1960s and is even made today!

The Martin has the distinction of being made in both rose gold as well as natural yellow gold (filled).  Another mainstay would be the Myron.  It was introduced in 1941 and produced in both yellow as well as "coral" gold filled.

The coral version was discontinued prior to WWII but the yellow version continued to be produced through 1951.  So it's a fairly easy model to find in the wild, they made a ton of them.

The Myron was offered in a 10K gold filled case so it was outfitted with the 17 jewel 980 movement.  14K gold filled models received the 19 jewel 982 and solid gold models offered the 982M movement.

The dial for the Myron was sterling silver and featured solid 18K gold numerals.  On the coral version, the numerals and hands were rhodium plated to appear silver and dial dial had a salmon-colored finish.

The Myron is also similar to the Martin in that the rounded lugs often show extensive wear through the gold layer and into the base metal.  So finding a nice Myron is much harder than it is to find any old Myron.

My project watch is one of the rarer finds... it actually has a very nice case.  Other than routine wear and tear, the only distraction to my eye is the black second hand.  It's a bit out of place, and would look better in gold like the other hands.

The case back of the Myron can often show a lot of wear through but this one still looks fine, even near the crown.

The dial is a two-tone white / silver butler finish.  I can tell this one has been refinished, it has the tell tale notch by the crown.  The correct pattern was used though so it looks totally fine and isn't a big deal.

The movement is the correct 980 caliber.  The serial number dates the movement to 1945 - right in the middle of the production run for the model.

Although the watch is running, it's running really poorly.  The timer is picking up a 21,600 beat rate when it should be 18,000 beats per hour.  This could be the result of magnetism, damage to the hairspring, or just some dirt on the mainspring making the coils stick together.

The back of the dial shows some numbers scratched in and that's another sure sign the dial has been redone at least once in the last 80 years.

This watch is one of the rare exceptions where I find a white alloy mainspring already installed.  That's great, as I can reuse it.

The plastic crystal has seen better days and will be replaced with a proper glass version.

Glass crystals usually require a little wet sanding to get a precise fit.  Then they are held in place with UV glue.

All the parts are disassembled, inspected and cleaned.  I don't see any obvious issues so it's time to put it back together.

My camera has frozen the balance in time but it's ticking away so I put it on the timer.

The wavy pattern is a bit distressing and I couldn't get the amplitude or beat error to show up.  So this balance is going to require some tinkering.

After a few attempts I was able to dial in the timing nicely.  Good amplitude and a perfect beat error.

This finished watch looks great with the new crystal and I installed a proper second hand too.  This watch is now ready for additional wrist time.

1939 992E Elinvar Model 10 Railroad Watch

No Hamilton collection would be complete without a 16 Size Railroad Watch.   After all, Hamilton Watch Company was "the watch of railroad accuracy".  In fact, you could build yourself quite the collection of pocket watches by just trying to find all the railroad-approved movement calibers that Hamilton produced.  It's a surprising variety in 16 Size and 18 Size models.

In order to be railroad approved, a watch had to meet a variety or requirements but the requirements also evolved over time and could vary.

Core Technical Specifications

Watches had to be open-faced designs.  So side-winding hunter-case pocket watches were prohibited.  The winding stem had to be positioned at the 12 o'clock position.

The size was limited to 16 or 18 size movements.  Anything less than 16 size was prohibited.

The winding stem had to be positioned at the 12 o'clock position.

The jewel count varied the most over time and rail line.  For the most part, 21 jewels was the cutoff but depending on the period and rail line it could have been as few as 17.

The setting mechanism had to be lever-set.  This requires the bezel to be removed in order to set the time, thus the watch couldn't be accidentally be set to an incorrect time.

The number of adjusted were set to at least 5 positions that a watch would typically be carried in... face up, face down, crown up, crown left, crown right) and adjusted for temperature variations and isochronism (meaning the accuracy didn't vary based on how much the mainspring was wound.

In addition, the balance required a double-roller balance and a steel escape wheel with a micrometric regulator.

The dial was required to be plain white enamel with bold Arabic numerals.  Roman numerals were prohibited after the 1890s.

The hands had to be black or blue spade style.

From an accuracy standpoint, the movement had to maintain and accuracy of within 30 seconds per week.

Railroad watches were subjected to inspection by certified watchmakers on a regular frequency, depending on the line.  Railroad watches were required to be synchronized with a railroad clock daily.

I find these requirements to be fascinating and when you consider the number of rail lines, trains, and supporting personnel, it was a staggering achievement to maintain this standard for so many years and decades.

For a long time the two principle railroad movements were the 16 size 992 and 950 movements.  The 940 18 size movements was also prominent.  You could go even fancier but those three were really the starting point that met all of the requirements above.

In 1934 Hamilton introduced a new hairspring material, Elinvar, that improved their timekeeping even further.  The 992 and 950 were upgraded with Elinvar and resulted in the 992E and 950E movements.  

Their run was somewhat short lived, as both designs would be improved upon again and replaced in 1940 by the 992B and 950B.  Those movements would continue to be produced through 1969.

The 1934 catalog introduced the new 992 Elinvar design.  The 992 features 21 jewels and a solid gold center wheel.  It was offered in several cases with varied dial designs.

Not much changed by 1939, other than the color of the catalog and models shown.  The same Model 2 was shown as well a the Model 10.

Both the Model 2 and Model 10 could be referred to as "bar over crown".  The style of the pendant and the bezel details differed.  The bar over crown design is a sure sign the watch is lever-set, as the crown cannot be pulled out.

My project watch is exactly what was shown in the catalog... it's a Model No. 10 with an HG dial (heavy gothic) and heavy spade hands.

The case back shows lots of wear but nothing too distracting.  The back screws on and off and I find the best way to do it is to hold the watch between your hands and use the friction of your palms to twist the back (or front) off.  Once it's free, your finger tips can take over.  Putting the back or bezel back on requires extra care to make sure you don't cross thread it and put it on crooked.

The 992E looks like any garden variety 992 produced in the 30 years prior.  There are two clues its not a basic 992... first, there's the monometallic balance (more on that in a bit) and the word ELINVAR is stamped on the pallet bridge.  You can see it peaking out in the photo below.

With the bezel unscrewed and removed, you can see the tip of the setting lever at the 6 minute mark.  You slide this lever out with your fingernail and then can set the time with the crown.  Slide it back in and the watch is in the winding position.

With the dial removed, you can see how the setting lever operates.  It's a very clean, simple design.

The monometallic balance has no gaps in the balance wheel.  If you look at the earlier balance design, there is a gap in the wheel at the end of each arm.  This allowed the wheel to expand or contract with temperature and slow or speed up the watch accordingly.  With the introduction of Elinvar, the balance wheel changed.  You'll see the same difference with the 987 movement when the change from the 987F to the 987E was made in 1934.

With the balance and balance cock out of the way, you can clearly see the ELINVAR stamp on the pallet bridge.  You can also see one of the 21 jewels is a cap jewel protecting the end of the pallet fork pivot.

With the bridges removed, you can see the solid gold center wheel is a different color than the other train wheels.  The escape wheel is steel - also a railroad requirement.

Everything is cleaned and dried.  This movement takes up a lot more space than the typical wristwatch movement does.

At this point I have the movement 99% complete.  I just need to add the balance.  First, I will install the movement in the case and use the crown to wind up the mainspring.  With power in the mainspring, the movement will come to life once the balance is in the correct place.

Seeing a watch movement come back to life never gets old.  It's such a rewarding feeling to see everything come back together.  Now I will put it on the timer and see how well it's running.

Not too bad at all... I'll let it run for a little while before I fine tune the timing.

From there it's smooth sailing.  I just have to reinstall the dial, etc. and put the assembly back into the freshly cleaned case.  It's noticeably brighter and shinier now.  Too bad I have to cover it up with the back cover.

The finished project looks great.  This is such a nice watch.  I actually started my watch collecting by focusing on project watches.  Then I realized Hamilton made wrist watches too.  I still have a decent collection of pocket watches but if I were to start over, my advice to myself would be to focus solely on movements with 19 jewels or more.  The collection would be smaller, but it would consist of the most exquisite movements Hamilton made.  It would definitely include a 992E.