Hamilton Platinum Art Deco Tank Style with Covered Lugs from 1940's
About the Item
- Creator:
- Case Material:
- Movement:
- Style:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940's
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. It is worth noting that this watch only had a 12-month warranty when it was new. However, we are so confident of our workmanship and team that we offer an 18-month warranty on all our watches, even those over 100 years old.
- Seller Location:Long Beach, CA
- Reference Number:
Hamilton
In an era when the safety of America’s bustling railroads absolutely depended on accurate timepieces for its conductors, watchmaker Hamilton pioneered cutting-edge, impossibly precise watches in a complex that spanned one square city block of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, during the late 19th century.
As railroad tracks were laid across the United States and steam locomotives began traversing vast distances, the American railroad system ran into a problem. Back then, time was not standardized across the country. Therefore, in 1883, the railroad companies established the four time zones as we know them today. But, despite setting these zones, train conductors were not always synchronized, leading to deadly accidents on the railroads.
Enter watchmaker Hamilton, founded in 1892. Railway workers would be required to wear a pocket watch, as the timepieces were responsible for keeping conductors on schedule, and the watchmaking industry — and early American pocket-watch manufacturers such as Hamilton, Elgin National Watch Company and the Waltham Watch Company — benefitted. Hamilton’s pocket watches were extremely alluring to train conductors, who began buying them en masse. The East Coast company’s timepieces eventually earned the moniker “The Watch of Railroad Accuracy.”
Hamilton transitioned from pocket watches to wristwatches in 1914, as it supplied timepieces to American troops fighting in World War I. Wristwatches, naturally, were more convenient to wear and use in battle. The new style of watch was also appealing to aviators, and Hamilton aeronautical watches became all the rage among pilots, specifically those flying for the new U.S. Airmail service.
The general public’s interest in Hamilton watches grew rapidly in the 1920s. Legendary polar explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd timed his historic flights over glaciers and chunks of sea ice with a Hamilton pocket watch in the late 1920s, and a Hamilton timepiece used by Byrd during these expeditions went on display in 2018 at the National Watch & Clock Museum.
Hamilton’s Piping Rock watch, an Art Deco–inspired design that featured elegant Roman numerals set in black for the hour markers, made its debut in 1928 and was gifted to the New York Yankees to celebrate their World Series win that year. The model was also featured in the film Shanghai Express alongside the brand’s Flintridge watch, further expanding Hamilton’s popularity. (Hamilton watches can also be seen in the films The Frogmen, Blue Hawaii, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Men in Black.)
In the second half of the 20th century, Hamilton became well known for several innovations: It developed the first-ever battery-operated electric watch, the Ventura, in 1957, as well as the first-ever digital wristwatch, the Hamilton Pulsar Time Computer, in 1970. Three years later, superspy and watch enthusiast James Bond donned a Pulsar in Live and Let Die.
Today, the company is part of the Swatch Group, and its headquarters and production facilities relocated from Pennsylvania to Switzerland in 2003.
Find vintage Hamilton watches and pocket watches on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Long Beach, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Hamilton Platinum Art Deco Tank Style with Original Diamond DialBy HamiltonLocated in Long Beach, CAFACTORY / HOUSE: Hamilton Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco Gabled Crystal Diamond Bezel METAL / MATERIAL: Platinum CIRCA: 1940's DIMENS...Category
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Wrist Watches
- Hamilton Gold-Filled Art Deco Watch with Articulating Lugs 1940'sBy HamiltonLocated in Long Beach, CAFACTORY / HOUSE: Hamilton Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco / Articulated Case METAL / MATERIAL: Yellow Gold-Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1940's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 51mm X Width 27mm MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 17 Jewels / Caliber 72 DIAL / HANDS: Sterling Silver with 18Kt. Solid Gold Applied Numerals / Gilt Hands ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Leather, 16mm / Regular Length WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT This wonderful Art Deco watch was produced by the legendary American House of Hamilton, from Lancaster PA. The dial is done is Sterling Silver with Solid 18Kt. Gold Applied Numerals. Only the worlds finest Swiss Watches went to this extreme. We seldom see this model and this one is in exceptional condition. It is offered with an original Hamilton Buckle and with what we think was the original New, Old Stock Strap as well. The strap, while being new is to dried out to actually use. This watch can easily be worn every day and counted on to get you there on time, every time. Hamilton Watch Company History The wrong train, on the wrong track, at the wrong time at the end of the 19th century frequently resulted in disastrous train wrecks. In response to the critical need for accuracy on the nation’s railroads, laws were passed in 1891 establishing set standards of accuracy. All engineers and railroad workers were required to purchase and maintain their watches to keep accurate time based on set standards, about 30 seconds per week was the tolerance. This was the inspiration for The Hamilton Watch Company which was founded in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The company was started by a group of investors who were looking to create a high-quality, American-made watch. Hamilton quickly became a leading manufacturer of pocket watches, and by the early 1900s, the company was supplying watches to the US military. In 1917, Hamilton introduced its first wristwatch for service men entering the first World War. The wristwatch quickly became popular with both soldiers and civilians recognizing how practical they were. Hamilton continued to grow throughout the 1920s and 1930s, and by the 1940s, the company was one of the largest watchmakers in the world. Hamilton had exceptional engineers and designers and their watches were elegantly styled as well as dependable. As a watchmaker myself I consider Hamilton to be one of the worlds “best” watches. It was mass produced perfection. Even today, you can take 100 old Hamilton’s of the same model apart and shake them up in a bag and reassemble 100 watches that will work perfectly with almost no adjustment. This is an achievement. In the early 1930’s our family store in Los Angeles was a “Hamilton” Store. Even during the depression though Hamilton did not allow you to discount the price to sell a watch. Also, in the neighborhood was another Hamilton store and one day the owner sent in a “shill” to buy a Hamilton from us, someone gave them a slight discount. Well, that was all it took for Hamilton to “pull the line” from us. In those days the local jewelry supply houses sold you the watches and they were all told not to sell to us...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsGold-filled
- Hamilton Platinum Ladies Art Deco Styled Diamond Dress Watch, circa 1940sLocated in Long Beach, CAFACTORY / HOUSE: Hamilton Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco / Bracelet Watch METAL / MATERIAL: Platinum CIRCA / YEAR: 1940's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 32mm X Width 14mm MOVEM...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsPlatinum
- Buren Gold Filled Art Deco Watch with Articulated Lugs From the 1940'sBy BurenLocated in Long Beach, CAFACTORY / HOUSE: Buren Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco METAL / MATERIAL: 14Kt Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1940's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 42mm Length X 23mm Diameter MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 17 Jewels / Caliber DIAL / HANDS: Silvered with Gilt Numerals ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Leather, 14mm / Regular Length WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement This is a "vault find" watch, it has been locked up for nearly 50 years, which means it needs a service. We will give it a factory quality service by our finest watchmaker as part of the purchase price before it is shipped out to you. This will delay shipping for a few days of course. LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT This unique watch Buren is done with an unusual articulated design. These watches were called "Drivers Watches...Category
Vintage 1940s Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsGold-filled
- Gruen Yellow Gold Art Deco Tank Style watch with Original Dial from 1940'sBy GruenLocated in Long Beach, CAFACTORY / HOUSE: Gruen Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art deco / Tank Style METAL / MATERIAL: Yellow Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1944 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 39mm Length X 23mm Diameter ...Category
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsGold-filled
- Hamilton Yellow Gold Filled Art Deco Tank Style with a Mid Century Design 1950'sBy HamiltonLocated in Long Beach, CAFACTORY / HOUSE: Hamilton Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Morton / Art Deco Tank Style METAL / MATERIAL: Yellow Gold Filled CIRCA / YEAR: 1950's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 27mm X Width 36mm MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 22 Jewels / Caliber 770 DIAL / HANDS: Original Sterling Silver with 18Kt. Solid Gold Applied Numerals / Gilt Dauphine Hands ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Black or Brown Leather, 19mm / Regular Length WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement This is a "vault find" watch, it has been locked up for nearly 50 years, which means it needs a service. We will give it a factory quality service by our finest watchmaker as part of the purchase price before it is shipped out to you. This will delay shipping for a few days of course. LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT This unique model by H This is a great looking and dependable watch by this legendary American House from Lancaster Pennsylvania. This watch is offered with what appears to be an original period strap and an original Hamilton buckle. While the strap is to fragile to be practical it does indicate that this watch is in nearly new condition. Hamilton was devoted to excellence from their most modest watch to their finest. For example, Hamilton Dials were made in all Sterling Silver with Solid Gold 18Kt. Applied Numerals. No American house did this on all their watches. Only the finest Swiss houses had this level of quality. This watch will keep dependable time for the next 200 years if you give it a service every so often. Hamilton History The wrong train, on the wrong track, at the wrong time at the end of the 19th century frequently resulted in disastrous train wrecks. In response to the critical need for accuracy on the nation’s railroads, laws were passed in 1891 establishing set standards of accuracy. All engineers and railroad workers were required to purchase and maintain their watches to keep accurate time based on set standards, about 30 seconds per week was the tolerance. This was the inspiration for The Hamilton Watch Company which was founded in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The company was started by a group of investors who were looking to create a high-quality, American-made watch. Hamilton quickly became a leading manufacturer of pocket watches, and by the early 1900s, the company was supplying watches to the US military. In 1917, Hamilton introduced its first wristwatch for service men entering the first World War. The wristwatch quickly became popular with both soldiers and civilians recognizing how practical they were. Hamilton continued to grow throughout the 1920s and 1930s, and by the 1940s, the company was one of the largest watchmakers in the world. Hamilton had exceptional engineers and designers and their watches were elegantly styled as well as dependable. As a watchmaker myself I consider Hamilton to be one of the worlds “best” watches. It was mass produced perfection. Even today, you can take 100 old Hamilton’s of the same model apart and shake them up in a bag and reassemble 100 watches that will work perfectly with almost no adjustment. This is an achievement. In the early 1930’s our family store in Los Angeles was a “Hamilton” Store. Even during the depression though Hamilton did not allow you to discount the price to sell a watch. Also, in the neighborhood was another Hamilton store and one day the owner sent in a “shill” to buy a Hamilton from us, someone gave them a slight discount. Well, that was all it took for Hamilton to “pull the line” from us. In those days the local jewelry supply houses sold you the watches and they were all told not to sell to us. We simply contacted Gruen, and they were very excited to have a new account...Category
Vintage 1950s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsGold-filled
- Art Deco Diamond Onyx Platinum Cocktail Watch by Hamilton, Circa 1940By HamiltonLocated in Jesmond, Newcastle Upon TyneAn impressive vintage Art Deco 0.95 carat diamond and black onyx, platinum cocktail watch by 'Hamilton'; part of our diverse antique jewelry and estate jewelry collections. This impressive vintage Art Deco diamond watch has been crafted in platinum. The watch has a rectangular dial with plain black Arabic hour numerals displayed within rectangular designs, the outer one marked as the chapter ring. The Art Deco watch is fitted with shaped, blued steel hands, and the face clearly displays the text 'Hamilton'. The crown/winder of this manual wind watch is plain and unembellished. The watch bezel and lugs are embellished with thirty-six pavé set eight-cut diamonds, and ornamented with two shaped black onyx panels. This fine vintage diamond cocktail watch is fitted with a platinum gold bootlace style strap which secures to the reverse with a plain flip clasp. The watch is fitted with a Swiss 17 jewels...Category
Vintage 1940s Unknown Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsDiamond, Onyx, Platinum
- Hamilton Hooded Lug Tank Watch 14K Rose Gold and DiamondsBy HamiltonLocated in New York, NYThis is a rare 1950's Hamilton 14k rose gold hooded lug tank watch with diamond dial. This tank is large for the period at 21mm in diameter and 40mm lug to lug. This watch is powere...Category
Vintage 1950s American Retro Wrist Watches
MaterialsDiamond, Rose Gold
- Fine Art Deco Hamilton 4.8 Carat Diamond Platinum Dress WatchBy HamiltonLocated in New York, NYElegant Art Deco period Hamilton platinum, 4.8 TCW diamond dress watch with a wide double row platinum and diamond bracelet band, high style X-form diamond details and substantial baguette and round cut diamond accents. For nearly a century, Hamilton watches have been associated with the glamour of Hollywood. In 1932, the inimitable Marlene Deitrich was the first to wear a Hamilton watch on-screen in the film Shanghai Express. Elvis Presley wore the iconic Hamilton Ventura...Category
20th Century American Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsDiamond, Platinum
- Patek Philippe Tiffany Early Platinum Art Deco Tank style watch, Circa 1930'sBy Patek PhilippeLocated in Santa Monica, CAPatek Philippe "Tiffany & Co." Platinum rectangular Tank style watch; measuring 37 x 25mm with a two-tone Original silver dial signed Tiffany & Co. wi...Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsPlatinum
- Patek Philippe Early Platinum Art Deco Rectangular Tank style watch circa 1930'sBy Patek PhilippeLocated in Santa Monica, CAPatek Philippe Platinum Art Deco watch, measuring 22.5 x 37mm. The watch was made between 1934-1935 and is fitted with an manual winding 9" 90 Caliber 18-jewel movement #832484, cas...Category
Vintage 1930s Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsPlatinum
- Art Deco 1940s 18K Gold & Platinum 3.09tgw Ruby & Diamond Tank Cocktail WatchLocated in Staines-Upon-Thames, GBAn Art Deco ruby, diamond, platinum, and yellow gold watch, comprising thirty-four square cut rubies, fifty-five round brilliant cut diamonds, set in platinum, with an 18 karat yello...Category
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Wrist Watches
MaterialsDiamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, 9k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum