Brought my Hamilton 770 to its birthplace, Lancaster, PA

[durant7]

 

The local and only watchmaker with a storefront in Concord, NH is a Hamilton devote.  When asked what the best American made movement was he responded promptly with the 770.  Added that for everyday use it is the watch as it has shock protection.  Given the plethora of Hamilton movement numbers made in Lancaster this gave me something to focus on.  I found one on eBay that was pleasing and he serviced it.  770 are small movements and I was not going to cut my teeth on them.  I wear it often.  It is a tad slow but perhaps with my new timegrapher I can give it some extra attention that he may not be inclined to provide.  Note the H and W on the gate.

 

I just thought it was calming to sit in some of the many blue Adirondack chairs on the yard and soak it all in and imagine the hustle and bustle pre war and the dramatic change when we entered WWII and the mass production of fuses and naval clocks behind the brick walls.  Not knowing this intense war effort would set in motion the death of the American Watch industry.  Interestingly the HW clock tower that I spent time around had no hands.  Some research on this sad tale is that the original mechanical mechanisms are long gone and they were replaced with electronic motor driven mechanisms by Hamilton back in the day.  If we only knew what we knew today.  And apparently even the electric versions are hopefully being restored.  All things are relative.  

Horology is a fascinating topic of investigation.  So glad the Hamilton Watch Company buildings still stand.  I grew up next to Waltham and the lore still existed back in the '70s.  I recall an old guy up the road who used to work at Waltham and he flashed his Accutron Spaceview when I was 12 years old.  I have an odd visual memory.  When I showed his children a picture of the watch I recalled they were speechless that some little bratty kid they use to babysit remembered their father's watch.  

Have a look at these photos re the loss of the Elgin factory.  So sad.  Thankfully Hamilton's towers are now on the National Historic Register.  As is Waltham.

Edited July 24, 2024 by durant7
added a link re clock tower mechanisms

[rehajm]

That’s great! There was video of the factory what appeared in my YouTube feed a few months ago. An amazing place…

I took a few pictures if your old haunt in Waltham a while back, too…