The Hamilton watch company is a vintage watch manufacturer founded in America during the 1800s. Although the home of vintage watch making is considered to be Switzerland there are a number of high quality manufacturers based in the United States including Hamilton. The original collection of pocket watches was called the Broadway Limited and quickly became the watch of choice for railroad workers who relied on accuracy and reliability. Since then the Hamilton watch company have gone onto provide a number collections including the Khaki and American classic.
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BRAND NEW HAMILTON KHAKI FIELD AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH MENS WATCH H71566133US $1,199.00 |
RARE HAMILTON 921 MOVEMENT IN SWISS SAPPHIRE GLASS CASE 21 JEWELS 6497US $1,199.00 |
1960S HAMILTON 14K GOLD 23 JEWELS 945 POCKET WATCHUS $1,199.00 |
History or Hamilton Watches
Originally founded in 1892 by a group of businessmen in Pennsylvania, Hamilton quickly became one of the largest watch makers in the business. The entrepreneurs bought a company known as Keystone Watch which had recently gone bankrupt with the purpose of producing high quality and reliable watches. The company was named after James Hamilton who owned a large amount of land in the area although he didn’t have a direct role in manufacturing the watches.
The first thing that Hamilton watch company did was start manufacturing what they called “America’s finest watch”. The original collection was a set of pocket watches which were made for the railroad industry. Hamilton didn’t start to manufacture wrist watches until 1917 so weren’t one of the original companies on the market. The first wristwatches made my Hamilton were aimed at young men who were fighting in the First World War and hence had to be accurate as well as durable. Hamilton then started to manufacture the 0-size wristwatch and this particular line includes some of the most famous and high quality American watches ever made.
The Second World War was also an interesting time for Hamilton as they stopped manufacturing watches for the consumer market and only sent them abroad to troops. They also created a high quality marine chronometer for the Navy.
Hamilton was the first company to manufacture an electric watch called the Hamilton Electric 500 which was available with a number of different cases. Today, the company is owned by Swatch. Due to this change in ownership watches manufactured by Hamilton use reliable Swatch movements. The company recently released anniversary editions of the Hamilton Venture watch along with three new Ventura models. One of these includes a model to commemorate Elvis Presley.
Hamilton Ventura
The Hamilton Ventura is part of the American Classic collection and is one of the most distinctive watches around. The Ventura has a triangular casing and watch face making it stand out from the majority of other watches. A new Hamilton Ventura can cost over $1000 although a vintage Ventura may be priced differently. You can also find used or pre owned Hamilton Ventura watches on internet auction sites.
Other watches included in the Hamilton American Classic collection include the Hamilton Jazzmaster, Hamilton Seaview and Hamilton Timeless. The Seaview model has an auto chronometer version.
Hamilton Khaki Collection of Watches
The Hamilton Khaki collection contains a large number of different watches including a King Chronograph version. Some of the watches included within the Khaki collection are the Hamilton Conservation, Aviation, Navy, Field and Action. Each has its own distinctive style.
Hamilton watch prices vary depending on the age of the watch and which model it is. When looking for Hamilton watches for sale ensure that you know the condition and age of the watch – especially if you’re buying second hand.