A jeweler in Oklahoma reached out with a rare Hamilton watch that a local dealer offered her $1,000 for. Surprised at the high offer, she decided to get a second opinion. When I saw the pictures via email, I was shocked to see the holy
grail of vintage Art Deco men’s Hamilton’s.
Not only have very few shown up in the marketplace, but none ever shows up in immaculate condition. When they do show up, because of the way the lid opens and closes, the lid is typically bent up, dented or ill-fitting, and the dials are usually in poor condition as well.
Even the dial on this watch is pristine. I immediately tripled her offer but urged her to allow us to sell at at our online auction instead, to reach a wider marketplace. The model is called Flintridge and is very large by 1930s manufacturing standards, so it sits well on a man’s wrist today.
Even though it is very large, women gravitate to these old Art Deco watches too. Amazingly, it still has the original winding crown. The Flintridge was produced in a few examples circa 1930 and was made famous by its appearance in the movie Shanghai Express.
Most watches of the day were gold-filled, but the Flintridge was solid 14 karat gold. It was marketed by Hamilton as an outdoor watch because of the protective cover, and advertised heavily in sports publications. It originally sold for $170, which was sky high for the period. It is believed by collectors that only a handful exist in any condition. We sent it to auction with a $3,000 to $5,000 estimate. Because of its excellent condition, we’re hoping to achieve close to the higher number.
The Hamilton Watch
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This is an archival article formerly written and is for informational purposes only. The valuations in this article have likely changed since it was first written.
