Hamilton Watches: a short history
Hamilton Watches have a long history, with a close association with America, although manufacturing has been done outside of the USA for some time. As a company it has been in many mergers and acquired by a number of companies and is today part of the Swatch Group. It’s quality has always been high. It’s a personal favourite of mine.
In 1892 the Keystone Standard Watch Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania went bankrupt and was purchased by the Hamilton Watch Company. The company was named after Andrew Hamilton, a Scottish born lawyer who originally owned the site of the Hamilton factory in Lancaster during the previous century.
The company expanded rapidly thanks to the boom in the railroad business, where Hamilton supplied more than 50% of all the pocket watches used by the rail companies. The watches were marketed as as the “Watch of Railroad Accuracy”.
In 1914, the first World War meant that all troops needed accurate watches and as pocket watches were unsuitable for soldiers crawling and lying in trenches, Hamilton switched production to wristwatches and became supplier to the US Armed Forces. During WW2, all consumer production was halted while Hamilton produced more than one million watches for the military. Hamilton also supplied the US Navy and some of the other allied armies.
In 1957 Hamilton made the World’s first electric watch, the Hamilton Electric 500. The watch sold in various case shapes, including the triangular shaped Ventura which was worn by Elvis Presley in the film Blue Hawaii. As the electric watches were being more popular Hamilton faced increased competition from Japan and even outsourced some of the work to Japan. This period marked the beginning of the end of US manufacturing operations and in 1969 the Lancaster factory closed and manufacturing moved to the Buren factory in Switzerland.
In 1970 Hamilton had another first – the first LED digital watch.
In 1971, the Omega & Tissot Holding Company Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère (SSIH) purchased the Hamilton brand. With further corporate shifting, Hamilton became part of the Swatch Group in 1984.
Today, Hamilton still talks about its American Spirit. You can see Hamilton watches being worn in many films like as in The Martian. These watches (as new) are in the £400 to £2000+ range so are reasonably affordable (see the Amazon UK Hamilton Watch page). Some of the older models are even cheaper
eBay UK
On eBay USA: | Hamilton Men's H76522531 Khaki Field 41mm Quartz Watch $ 269.99 |
 | Hamilton Men's Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer 41mm Quartz Chrono Watch H76522131 $ 269.99 |
 | Hamilton Men's Khaki Aviation Pilot Pioneer 44mm Quartz Chrono Watch H76722531 $ 289.99 |
 | Hamilton Men's H64645131 Khaki Aviation 42mm Automatic Watch $ 409.99 |
 | Hamilton Khaki King Navy Scuba H64515133 $ 400.00 |
 | Hamilton Jazzmaster Gray Men's Watch with Brown Leather - H38525881 $ 289.00 |
 | Original 1962 Hamilton Electric Custom Black Dial Sea-Lectric II Needs battery $ 400.00 |
 | Hamilton Men's H43725731 Broadway 46mm Automatic Watch $ 499.00 |
 | Hamilton Khaki Navy Scuba Mens Stainless Steel Quartz Watch H82211181 $ 487.00 |
 | New Hamilton Khaki Field Auto 38MM Black Dial Steel Men's Watch H70455133 $ 570.57 |
 | Hamilton Men's H77705145 Khaki Navy 42mm Automatic Watch $ 499.00 |
 | Hamilton Men's Jazzmaster Thinline H38525541 40mm Automatic Watch $ 379.99 |
 | Hamilton Men's Watch Khaki Aviation Chrono Black Dial Rubber Strap H76714335 $ 569.30 |
 | Hamilton H706050 Khaki Field Automatic Watch. $ 375.00 |
 | 1948 Hamilton 987S Hack ORD CORPS - US Military Wristwatch $ 699.00 |
 | New Hamilton Khaki Field Murph 38mm Watch H70405130 $ 714.95 |
 | Hamilton American Classic PSR Quartz Digital Men's Watch H52414130 $ 536.73 |
 | Hamilton Men's H77605135 Khaki Navy 42mm Automatic Watch $ 499.00 |
 | 1942 Hamilton 987S Hack ORD. DEPT. - US Military Issued WWII Watch Customized $ 699.00 |
![[Near MINT] Hamilton Khaki 6309 Gray Dial Quartz Men](https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/BhAAAOSwMLBnM~ib/s-l140.jpg) | [Near MINT] Hamilton Khaki 6309 Gray Dial Quartz Men's Military Watch From JAPAN $ 199.90 |
 | US Military Vietnam war 1976 issue GG-W-113 Hamilton men's watch Needs Work $ 299.00 |
 | Hamilton KHAKI Field Mechanical PVD Black Case Wristwatch, Model H694090, 38MM $ 350.00 |
 | ~Vintage 1980's MEN'S HAMILTON MASTERPIECE SWISS QUARTZ WATCH Still Works~ $ 49.95 |
 | HAMILTON MASTERPIECE TWO TONE WRIST WATCH WITH AT&T ANGEL OF LIGHTENING $ 174.25 |
 | Antique 1929 Men's Hamilton 17j 6/0s USA 14K WGF Wristwatch-Runs Great $ 192.50 |
 | Hamilton Khaki Field Men's Black Watch - H69459530 $ 550.00 |
 | Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic Black Dial Leather Strap Men's Watch H70405730 $ 709.99 |
 | Hamilton WWII Military Issue Watch $ 375.00 |
 | Men's Hamilton Watch Jazz Master H327160 Automatic Chronograph 45mm Ostrich READ $ 394.99 |
 | Hamilton Khaki Field Murph ST Steel Black Dial Leather Band Mens Watch H70405730 $ 945.00 |
 | Hamilton Khaki King Black Dial Brown Leather Men's Watch H64455533 $ 489.99 |
 | US Military issued WW2 Hamilton men's watch, OD type, low serial, grade 987A $ 395.00 |
 | HAMILTON REGISTERED EDITION QUARTZ MEN'S WRIST WATCH w/BOX $ 150.00 |
 | Hamilton Men's Khaki Navy 37mm Quartz Watch H82231150 $ 359.99 |
 | Hamilton Men's H43515641 42mm Automatic Watch $ 489.99 |
 | Vtg Hamilton 8102 Watch Men 33mm Gold Tone Dial Gold Flex Band $ 40.00 |
 | Hamilton Boulton 6264 Quartz Gold Leather Band Registered Edition NotWorking 506 $ 202.40 |
 | Vintage 1948 HAMILTON BOULTON, Stunning SILVER Dial, Serviced & Warranty $ 495.00 |
 | Hamilton Men's H38525721 Jazzmaster Thinline 40mm Brown Dial Leather Watch $ 349.99 |
 | Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical Black Dial Nylon Men's Watch H69439931 $ 489.99 |
