Hamilton On Sale
Vintage 1940s American Wrist Watches
Diamond, Platinum
Early 20th Century American Edwardian Pocket Watches
Gold-filled
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21st Century and Contemporary Modern Choker Necklaces
Diamond, Ruby, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
1990s Swiss Wrist Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Swiss Wrist Watches
Gold, 14k Gold
Antique 18th Century Italian Victorian More Jewelry
18k Gold, Gold
Vintage 1930s French Wrist Watches
Diamond, Platinum
Vintage 1940s Unknown Art Deco Pocket Watches
Diamond, Platinum
20th Century Pocket Watches
14k Gold
Vintage 1910s Brooches
Diamond, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Art Deco More Jewelry
Diamond, Platinum
1990s Swiss Modern Wrist Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 20th Century British Art Deco Cluster Rings
Diamond, Emerald, Platinum
Vintage 1920s Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
Late 20th Century Wrist Watches
Yellow Gold
20th Century Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
Vintage 1920s Unknown Link Necklaces
Diamond, Blue Sapphire, Platinum
Vintage 1960s American More Necklaces
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold
Recent Sales
2010s Drop Earrings
White Diamond, Tourmaline, Platinum
Vintage 1920s Art Deco Wrist Watches
Diamond, Platinum
2010s Cocktail Rings
Morganite, Tourmaline, Platinum
21st Century and Contemporary American Bangles
Diamond, 18k Gold
2010s Wrist Watches
Late 20th Century American Art Deco Wrist Watches
Diamond, Gold, Platinum
20th Century Wrist Watches
Diamond, Platinum
Vintage 1950s Wrist Watches
Yellow Gold, Silver
1990s American Beaded Bracelets
Diamond, Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
Mid-20th Century Swiss Wrist Watches
Diamond, White Gold, Gold, 14k Gold
2010s Swiss Modern Beaded Bracelets
Diamond, Cultured Pearl, 14k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1960s Swiss Wrist Watches
14k Gold
20th Century Unknown Art Deco Wrist Watches
Diamond, Gold, 14k Gold, White Gold
20th Century Wrist Watches
Diamond, Platinum
Mid-20th Century Unknown Art Deco Wrist Watches
Diamond, 14k Gold
Mid-20th Century American Wrist Watches
Diamond, 14k Gold
2010s American Cocktail Rings
Diamond, Tourmaline, Platinum
2010s Cuff Bracelets
Diamond
Hamilton On Sale For Sale on 1stDibs
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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.
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