March 25, 2009

TRY AGAIN: Hamilton

Why try again? Because I nearly got my head chomped off last week when posting about MWC* watches. I'm sure I'll get some hate mail just for mentioning the brand name again. Evidently, military watch collecting attracts all walks of life, if all walks of life are men who care passionately about their timepieces and let you know when you are not following a strict code by which they all live. No, really, these guys are scary. As it goes, MWC* are impostors, or so I'm told. Do they look good? Yes. I tried to explain myself to these guys, saying I am merely a messenger. I do not endorse them, and I am not forcing your hand in a sales transaction, just starting a conversation about style and watches. They mistook "conversation" for yelling.

SO, without further ado...

HAMILTON WATCHES.



Fellas, is it safe to say these guys are the real deal? I'll tell you now, I don't care, cause they look good. Founded in 1892 out of Lancaster, PA (JIM REPRESENT!!!), Hamilton introduced their first line of watches, THE BROADWAY LIMITED. The watch became known throughout the country as "the watch of railroad accuracy".





"During the second decade of the 20th century Hamilton gained the prestigious rank of supplier to the US Armed Forces. The first of the wrist-watches provided was used by General “Black Jack” Pershing and his troops who were fighting in the European trenches."







"During World War II, Hamilton stopped production of watches for consumers to concentrate on the huge task of providing the forces with a total of one million timepieces. The Hamilton marine chrono-meter was the first to be produced by modern manufacturing methods and around 10,000 Hamilton marine chronometers experienced World War II action first hand."





My favorite:
KHAKI FIELD MECHANICAL OFFICER






SIDE NOTE:
"At 12.01 New York Time, on May 6, 1970, the world’s first digital watch started measuring time – made by Hamilton.
"

Some of the above photos by:

WATCH A DAY (This guy's collection is amazing)

WATCH U SEEK