Hamilton Watch Company High Grade 12 Size Pocket Watch Movements

Hamilton Watch Company was known as one of the highest quality American watchmaking brand and the last surviving American watch brand until its sales to Swiss companies in 1969.  The heyday of Hamilton Watch Co. was in 1900-1930 when they mass-produced some of the most accurate and durable pocket watches in the world.  Of the pocket watches they made the highest priced models were the gentlemen’s ‘dress’ pocket watches, which not only had all of the high grade features of railroad pocket watches but also great class and finesse for their smaller and thinner gold cases.  Grades or Models 910 (17j), 912 (17j), 914 (17j), 916 (17j), 918 (19j) were made as the standard grade series while 900 (19j), 902 (19j), 904 (21j), 920 (23j), 922 (23j), 922MP (23j), 400 (21j) were manufactured to be some of the best 12 size movements in American watchmaking.

Key features that made the high grade Hamilton 12 Size Pocket Watch Movements top quality watches:

• Bridge-style movement with independent bridge assembly.
• 19j-23j high quality sapphire and ruby jewels serving as pivot bushings.
• Solid gold wheel train and chatons (jewel bushings).  Blued screws throughout.
• Overcoiled blue-steel hairspring with compensation balance that carries solid gold timing screws.
• Fine regulator on balance cock.
• Motor barrel with jeweled mainspring pivot.
• Extra fine engine-turned ‘demaskeening’ adornment on movement top side.  922MP Masterpiece has extra layer of platinum finish.

Example of Top Grade Model 922MP Masterpiece 23 Jewels (1925-1936):

Examples of High Grade Models 900 19 Jewels (1909-1923), 920 23 Jewels (1911-1924), 922 23 Jewels (1923-1927):

Example of Standard Grade Model 914 17 Jewels (1912-1933):

Sadly due to the fallout of the Great Depression in the 1930s Hamilton stopped producing 12 size pocket watches in 1938.