Hamilton Solid 14 Karat White Gold Art Deco Bracelet Watch, circa 1940s
About the Item
- Creator:
- Case Material:
- Movement:
- Style:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940's
- Condition:Repaired. Wear consistent with age and use. It is important to recognize 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: 106 H1stDibs: LU42233251153
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Shipping from: Long Beach, CA
- Return Policy
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1920s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
Gold-filled
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
White Gold
Vintage 1940s Swiss Art Deco Wrist Watches
Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Wrist Watches
You May Also Like
Vintage 1920s American Art Deco Wrist Watches
Diamond, White Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1960s Unknown Art Deco Wrist Watches
Antique 19th Century Art Deco Wrist Watches
Diamond, White Gold, Platinum
Vintage 1930s Wrist Watches
Diamond, Platinum
Early 20th Century North American Art Deco Wrist Watches
Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold
Early 20th Century North American Art Deco Wrist Watches
Diamond, White Gold, 14k Gold
