Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1940s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Steel
1970s Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Steel
1970s Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Steel
1980s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Steel
1940s American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Gold-filled
1940s American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1930s American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
White Gold
1940s American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1940s American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Diamond
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Stainless Steel
1940s American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Platinum
1950s American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Gold-filled
1930s American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1970s Pop Art Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Mixed Media, Lithograph, Ink, Offset
People Also Browsed
Mid-20th Century French Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Diamond, Ruby, Yellow Gold, Rose Gold, 14k Gold, Gold
Early 19th Century French Empire Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Silver, Enamel
19th Century Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Diamond, Gold, Silver, Enamel
1920s French Art Nouveau Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Late 19th Century Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Garnet, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold
Late 20th Century Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Yellow Gold, Gold, 18k Gold
Early 19th Century French Napoleon III Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Natural Pearl, 18k Gold, Enamel
Late 18th Century Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Gold, 14k Gold, 18k Gold
Early 19th Century American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1890s Swiss Art Nouveau Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1840s Swiss Baroque Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1930s Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Steel
1920s Swiss Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Swiss Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1880s Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Ruby, Diamond
Mid-19th Century Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Recent Sales
1980s Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1980s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1970s Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Stainless Steel
1940s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1940s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1940s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1940s American Modernist Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1940s Swiss Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
14k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1940s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1940s American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
1940s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Steel
1940s Swiss Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
14k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
10k Gold, Gold-filled
1940s Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Mid-20th Century North American Art Deco Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
14k Gold, Gold-filled
1970s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Base Metal
1970s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Stainless Steel
1940s Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Gold-filled, Yellow Gold
1980s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Base Metal
Mid-20th Century Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Stainless Steel
1970s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Base Metal
1970s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Base Metal
1970s American Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Base Metal
1960s Swiss Hamilton Military Watch Vintage
Hamilton Military Watch Vintage For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Hamilton Military Watch Vintage?
Hamilton for sale on 1stDibs
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 for sale on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right watches for You
Records show that, in Europe, by the 16th century, it was high time for portable clock devices. Right now, perhaps you’re shopping for your own. If so, find a vast range of fashionable and functional antique, new and classic vintage watches on 1stDibs.
While wall-mounted time tellers and grandfather clocks were much more convenient than the sundials of ancient history, watches were becoming crucial for an increasingly connected society whose members learned that the latest advancements in technology meant they could carry devices that kept time to within a minute a day. Tragically, the first pocket watches — albeit an improvement on the accessories that preceded them, which dangled from a chain worn around the neck — didn’t help much as far as accuracy or portability. Focused on style over substance, the upper class frequently carried lavish pieces that ran hours behind.
Eventually, watches migrated from owners’ pockets to their wrists. In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates — even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.
Indeed, although exceedingly practical, the watches of today are far from bland. Bulgari’s iconic Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces — the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe — are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional watches. You’ll always know what time it is because you won’t be able to tear your eyes away from your new accessory.
Form watches — the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches — are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist.
When shopping for a watch, it’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. When will you be wearing your new accessory? There’s a versatile model out there for everyday wear, while a rugged, feature-heavy watch is a safe bet if you’re prone to embarking on all-weather activities in the great outdoors.
Find exactly what you’re looking for in an unparalleled collection of antique, new and vintage watches on 1stDibs — we promise it will be worth your time.