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Hamilton 14Kt White Gold "Spur" Watch circa 1920's

Name: Hamilton 14Kt White Gold "Spur" Watch circa 1920's
Brand: Hamilton
Price: 17051.38 AUD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 5 (141 reviews)

$11,000

£8,162.43

€9,508.11

CA$15,312.08

A$17,051.38

CHF 8,874.30

MX$210,241.48

NOK 113,021.02

SEK 106,228.81

DKK 70,942.29

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About the Item

FACTORY / HOUSE: Hamilton Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Art Deco / Reference "Spur" METAL / MATERIAL: 14Kt White Gold / Kiln Fired Enamel Print CIRCA / YEAR: 1920's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 27mm X Diameter 34mm MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 19 Jewels / Caliber 979 DIAL / HANDS: Original Sterling Silver with Kiln Fired Enamel Print / Blued Steel Hands ATTACHMENT / BRACELET: Leather, 12mm / Regular Length WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement LIFETIME SERVICE COMMITMENT Yikes... we never see this model and have only seen a few in the last 50 years, and never one with what appears to be the original box. This was one of Hamiltons most legendary wristwatches and it is exceptional condition. Since it has been in a vault for about 50 years the price includes a factory quality service by our finest watchmaker. Asymmetrical models are among the most sought after wrist watches in the vintage world. Hamilton produced one of the earliest and most intriguing examples, which they called the "Spur" for obvious reasons. it was first introduced in 1928, the Spur remained in production until 1932. Oddly, it only appeared in the Hamilton catalogs for a single year, 1930. It can be presumed that the "Great Depression" had something to do with this. This rare timepiece boasts a distinctive case with a black enamel bezel. The Spur started a trend with Hamiltion and they next produced the "Piping Rock" models. The Spur has hidden lugs that are tucked behind a series of cascading fins, creating a truly unique design. A tiny watch, even by vintage standards, the Spur features a delicate 12mm strap. Originally priced at $125, production numbers were limited, with a total of 1,183 pieces created: 683 in white gold, 499 in yellow gold, and a single, elusive example in green gold. Just two years later, in 1928, Hamilton introduced another groundbreaking design: the "Piping Rock." This watch featured a tonneau-shaped gold case with a striking black enamel bezel. Its unique aesthetic captured the attention of the era, and it was chosen to commemorate the New York Yankees' World Series victory that same year. Specially engraved editions were presented to legendary players like Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, solidifying the Piping Rock's place in Hamilton's history of iconic timepieces. 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 the 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 in Los Angeles and we immediately became a Gruen Store. A few months later, the other jeweler in the neighborhood went out of business and Hamilton came back to us asking if we wanted “the line” again. No thanks was the response and we never carried Hamilton again. During World War II, Hamilton supplied watches to the US military again. In addition, with contracts for the Navy, they produced the world’s most accurate navigational chronometers. The company also developed several new technologies for use in military watches. After the war, Hamilton continued to innovate, and the company introduced several new watch designs for the future. Unfortunately, they made one very poor executive decision in the 1950’s. Having invented the first “electric” or battery watch they decided to launch it before all the “bugs'' were worked out. Too many of them failed and at the same time, Bulova launched their version of the electric, or battery watch called the Accutron. It did not fail and that was the demise of one of America's most successful and influential companies. Their watches, however, still live on and parts are available and the average Hamilton, with only average care, will last hundreds of years. Their commitment to excellence has never been surpassed by any watch company. The Hamilton Spur is a classic watch with a rich history. It was first introduced by the Hamilton Watch Company in 1928, and quickly became a favorite among watch enthusiasts for its Art Deco design and high-quality construction. The Spur was produced in both yellow and white gold, and featured a distinctive black enamel bezel. Hamilton stopped producing the Spur in 1932, but its popularity has endured. In fact, Hamilton reissued the Spur in 1992 to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary. Today, vintage Hamilton Spur watches are highly sought after by collectors. Asymmetrical Hamilton Watches: A Vintage Treasure Asymmetrical models are among the most sought-after watches in the vintage Hamilton lineup, with some even selling for more than their inflation-adjusted original retail value! One of the earliest and most intriguing examples is the "Spur." Introduced in 1928, the Spur remained in production until 1932, though it only appeared in Hamilton catalogs for a single year (1930). This rare timepiece boasts a distinctive case with a black enamel bezel reminiscent of the later "Piping Rock" model. Hidden lugs are tucked behind a series of cascading fins, creating a truly unique design. A tiny watch, even by vintage standards, the Spur features a delicate 12mm strap. Originally priced at $125 in 1930 (equivalent to $2,190 in 2023), a good example of the Spur can fetch over $7,000 today, reflecting its rarity and desirability among collectors. Production numbers were limited, with a total of 1,183 pieces created: 683 in white gold, 499 in yellow gold, and a single, elusive example in green gold. Just two years later, in 1928, Hamilton introduced another groundbreaking design: the "Piping Rock." This watch featured a tonneau-shaped gold case with a striking black enamel bezel. Its unique aesthetic captured the attention of the era, and it was chosen to commemorate the New York Yankees' World Series victory that same year. Specially engraved editions were presented to legendary players like Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, solidifying the Piping Rock's place in Hamilton's history of iconic timepieces.

Creator:
Hamilton
Case Material:
White Gold
Strap Material:
Leather
Movement:
Style:
Art Deco
Place of Origin:
United States
Period:
1920-1929
Date of Manufacture:
1920'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:
Seller: 12411stDibs: LU422324469522

Shop All Hamilton

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 for sale on 1stDibs.

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Hamilton 14Kt Gold "Midas" Art Deco Watch 1940's with Original Dial Strap & Box

By Hamilton

Located in Long Beach, CA

FACTORY / HOUSE: Hamilton Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Midas Series / Art Deco Tank METAL / MATERIAL: 14Kt Solid Yellow Gold CIRCA / YEAR: 1940's DIMENSIONS / SIZE: Length 22mm X Width 33mm MOVEMENT / CALIBER: Manual Winding / 19 Jewels / Caliber 982M DIAL / HANDS: Original Two Tone in Sterling Silver with 18Kt. Solid Gold Applied Numerals ATTACHMENT / LENGTH: Leather, 16mm / 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 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 Alligator strap and an original Hamilton buckle and box. 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...

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