Looking for history of Hampden watch company post bankruptcy (1927) in the 1940s and 50s.

Max50916 · July 23, 2021

I just serviced this vintage (I think it's from the 1950s) 14k gold Hampden wrist watch. I was looking into their history and everything I found about them said that they went out of business around 1927 and sold everything to Russia. I know that there are other Hampden wristwatches from the 1940s and 50s (swiss made) but I can't find any further history. Was this brand trying to be revived? Movement is signed Hampden too, it's an AS 970.

oldhippy · July 24, 2021

The Hampden Watch Company was originally known as the Mozart Watch Company. In 1866, Donald J. Mozart founded the company in Providence, Rhode Island.

jdm · July 24, 2021

On 7/23/2021 at 5:59 PM, Max50916 said:

I was looking into their history and everything I found about them said that they went out of business around 1927 and sold everything to Russia.

It doesn't cover your Swiss made watch or the Russian deal, but the early Hampden history is told in a book that you can download form the the internet.

The watch factories of America, past and present (1888).pdf

WatchMaker · July 24, 2021

Hi @Max50916 ... this is a really good site: https://www.hampdenwatches.com/

Takes you through the chapters of history for this company.

Note the super helpful PDF download on the Manheimer page for Hampden watches. Can you find yours (or one very similar) here?

JohnR725 · July 25, 2021

one of the things interesting with your watch is the letters found on the balance bridge? That's the US import code watches imported to the US were supposed to have a code of who imported them. so I have a link down there it tells us that XYV Hampden.

then for the second link for the as970 1935-1967, <16.000.000(all variants) that does narrow down a timeframe.

https://www.timeplex.com/pages/import-codes

http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&0&2uswk&AS_970