Hamilton Watch Company in its heyday

This fascinating video from 1947 by Hamilton Watch Co details the production of watches at its Lancaster, PA, facility. (Skip to 4:52 for the interesting bits.) It was truly in-house - the factory had its own metal foundry and oil refinery for lubricates. And notice how much is still the same in watchmaking, 65 years on!
Video courtesy of the Prelinger Archives.

[@The177Hunter]

i have a waltham made in 1889, still runs strong and keeps good time, 127 years old, these watches definitly stand the test of time

[@DMBVR4]

My grandfather passed down all three of his Hamiltons to me, I wear them all and I feel very blessed to have them. 1956 Hamilton Transcontinental 1947 Hamilton 747 1944 Hamilton 992B pocketwatch

[@senorkaboom]

My maternal grandfather had Hamilton timepieces. In his working life, he had a white gold filled pocket watch mom said he carried for years. Later, he went to a Hamilton wrist watch. I never had a good chance to see his wrist watch. When he passed away, my cousin got the wrist watch and I got his pocket watch. I still have it and it runs to this day.

[@bessiebraveheart]

what a wonderful people we were, and what quality products we produced. i would love to go back in time and work in one of those old watch factories. i love quality watches.

[@kaunas888]

That was a time, when to promote its products, a company would show the public in detail why their watches were mechanically better, instead of a superficial campaign just showing a bunch of young people having a good time to convince the consumer.

[@tomasandreas7939]

A culture now dominated by influencers and short attention spans.

[@Idontcaremuch1000]

I own a 940 21 jewel model from 1904 that still keeps accurate time to this day.

[@michaelsheridan6139]

Really enjoyed this. It's a shame that these kinds of jobs no longer exist in the quantities they used to, and while they produced beautiful products all those people had to be paid and that meant that those watches gradually were priced outside of the main market, leaving them vulnerable to lower cost alternatives. The plant in the video is now a housing complex in Lancaster.

[@THX-C]

I’ve wanted a 1940s Hamilton for decades and finally bought an Ashley. Elgin and Hamilton made such incredible watches.

[@Kinseydsp]

I also am glad to own a Hamilton Lever set Pocket watch and a gold filled Wrist watch they are my greatest treasures! Better then anything made today! My Grandfather worked on the Reading Railroad and carried a Hamilton Pocket Watch!

[@TheTarrMan]

That sign at 4:57 is still there today only they turned the building into a condo. I think they turned one of the wings of the building into a school too. Very interesting to look at the place today on Google maps. Check it out for yourself. Search for "Lancaster, Pennsylvania Hamilton Watch Complex" . Those trees are BIG now.

[@_guillermo]

This video is a gem

[@Sturnburn772]

I love everything about this. Makes me appreciate my Hamilton even more

[@xavieralonzoparedes]

How times have changed. This was a time when being a company man held integrity, pride and gave fulfillment of accomplishment to its employees. Now it's a joke to work for anyone because just as products are mass produced so is the employee and with that philosophy nothing holds value anymore.

[@watchhans]

Hamilton once was the `Patek Phillippe´ of North America. At that time, even the Swiss could not compete in terms of mass production of high quality watches. But like with many other once great companies, Hamilton went down the drain because of less profit. The Hamilton watches made today by the Swatch Group are nothing special anymore. Using mass-ETA movements they are like many other watches made in Switzerland. But honestly, if Hamilton watches were still made in the U.S. the same way they were made back then, only a few people could afford them. If I look at a Hamilton movement made in the 1950´s, with today´s materials and today´s quality standard, one watch would be more than 5000 Dollars. I am very proud to still own a few made in their heydey.

[@bighands69]

+Blau Bär US citizens where the wealthiest in the world in the 1950s. Houses were cheap, cars were cheap and so were watches. A simple exercise is to think what a $100 a week income would purchase back then. Say a loaf of bread then cost 20 cent. Divide that 20 cent into 100 and you can buy 500 loaves of bread. Today to buy a 500 loaves would cost $1500 at 3 dollars a loaf. That would mean earning 78,000 after taxes.

[@DMBVR4]

@@bighands69 my 1949 Hamilton was $95 brand new. In today's money that is $1,000 lol

[@bighands69]

@@DMBVR4 That is about $500 in todays money at historical inflation of 2.5%. There are not too many high quality watches for $500 today. You would need to spend 10 times that today and America does not make that sort of watch today. I am a little doubtful that you paid that money for the watch. What model did you buy.

[@DMBVR4]

@@bighands69 Bureau of Labor Statistics says $95 in 1949 is the same as $994 in December 2018. $95 was what it cost my grandfather in 1949... he handed it down to me. Hamilton Transcontinental "A"

[@DMBVR4]

@@bighands69 the Transcontinental is actually a 1956, I was thinking of the other Hamilton he gave me. That's still $900 today

[@albert333pool]

Makes me appreciates my KFA that much more ❤️

[@georgem7195]

The US used to have so much culture and class.

[@hardwaylearner]

I've had two of those Bakelite boxes the young man got his in. Even the box looks good after 80 years

[@jackfyddle1]

Wonderful film! Thanks so much for posting this! I love Hamilton watches!

[@wadebolderman3250]

Great vid! I own a Hamilton Square B fully engraved from 1929. It still runs great!

[@michaelkennedy4444]

Hamilton though owned by the Swatch Group are still making great , dependable & interesting watches today. I have several and I am very happy with them. I really like my Intra - Matic which is a minimalist watch out of the sixties.

[@YAYAIL12]

It's not the same

[@michaelkennedy4444]

@@YAYAIL12 No shit Sherlock .

[@lsu1992]

The Hamilton automatics were Swiss mvmnts, like my K-416 (1958) as early as 1954, I think. it's ticking away (and winding itself) right now...

[@MrDrumminludwigs]

Fine video!

[@michaelbauers8800]

This is like an early informercial. Very cool IMO

[@harrisonslick2709]

The video is so fine specially with the narrator's fine voice going in finely to my fine ears and am watching it finely while wearing my fine watch.

[@24COI]

Just found a 6309 Khaki, with crown guard, it’s just a fantastic timepiece

[@MakerInMotion]

There's a genetic component to being a watchmaker. Fine motor control has to be exceptional. What I've learned from watching them work on youtube is I could have never been good at it even if I had dedicated my life to it. My hands just can't be that steady and precise.

[@tonyaxeman4381]

Well I have a Waltham pocket watch made in 1870 and it runs still today because I rebuilt it. I am watching this video because I just got a Hamilton from 1902 . One of the last accepted watches for the rail road . It is a beauty 17 jewels . Webb C Ball made the railroad watch requirements change to be at least a 19 jeweled watch in 1903 .

[@BANHMIZON]

he said "fine" 76 times throughout the video

[@machinistmikethetinkerer4827]

18S 925 open faced sidewinder pocket watch 9/12/1900 was my grandfather's and my dads before me. Keeps great time.

[@JMarshallYTTV]

I just bought a Hamilton Railway Special model 992b (1942) on eBay - have it hanging over a Hemingsway 43 Green Telegraph Pole Insulator (1920-1950) - makes a nice collectors presentation.

[@jvarela965]

i collect Hamilton. The most beautiful models they ever made was the Fontainebleau series.

[@ronl7131]

Have a few vintage Hamiltons

[@roadshowautosports]

8:43 NO! THEY ARE INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE!!! Some flew in the room and my naked eye could never see them again!!!

[@LouisPhung999]

I’m so proud to be the owner of 6 Hamilton pocket watches.

[@kc4cvh]

I got a watch for a high school graduation present. It wasn't a Hamilton, it was a Timex LCD watch and it ceased functioning after about a year. New battery didn't help, which indicates it's time to throw it in the trash and buy another.

[@MarkMphonoman]

I wear a 14k Hamilton Glenn from 1948. I love that old Watch, but I have to wind it a lot. LOL

[@JONNY240ZG]

The vintage Hamilton wristwatch is good, isn't it? I use habitually, too.

[@tripprawlings9284]

Their pre-war watches are like art. I have a Drake that I just sit and stare at on my wrist.

[@Jsuarez6]

Nice video. I like Hamilton watches. But from this video I really couldn't get if it was a fine watch, the narrator never said anything about that. :)

[@michaelbauers8800]

Oh yeah, just listen more closely, heh ;)

[@tomasandreas7939]

This is still more informative than watching an influencer who gets paid to sell a lifeless MVMT watch.

[@Dark_Asteroid]

Look how far we've fallen

[@jafi8120]

look at how happy all those families are. It's sickening. lol

[@timgore829]

All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. - Tolstoy

[@TheGtech83]

This is what I imagine when I hear make America great again.

[@lightube12]

this proves that nothing lasts forever !

[@camstrams2343]

I own a Hamilton Lancaster County wall clock from 1975. Was it made by this Hamilton company?

[@datsunmadman]

Then Seiko introduce the quartz watch and all was lost.

[@bighands69]

+datsunmadman That had nothing to do with it.

[@alexanderyodice]

datsunmadman Actually Hamilton made the first.Quartz watch, not Seiko, the triangular shaped Ventura model, in 1956, also purchased by Elvis Presley, which he.wore filming the movie.' Blue Hawaii' in 1958. Please look it up.

[@autobahn2501]

Why did this brand go away? I can't understand. It seems so hopeful.

[@AnthonyNguyenPapabear]

google the quartz revolution

[@MarkMphonoman]

Hamilton watches are still sold today. The company is still around.

[@SuperGclause]

The United States only manufactures the most cutting edge parts! Injection molded key chains-->China. Structural aerospace components-->USA. RGM Watch Company now has a few watches completely made in the USA. God bless!

[@YAYAIL12]

When Hamilton..was Hamilton not the G today..

[@frankroberts9320]

Evidently, people graduated high school at 40 in the 1940's

[@Kalateya]

Elinvar alloy hairspring? I'm not sure of my hearing.

[@michaelbauers8800]

Sounds right. I have heard Elinvar was the name of some metal used in some watches

[@Edgar-Friendly]

I know the VCs have a religious devotion to creating an app company and young people yearn to be a TikTok/KZbin suphstah that now overrides the drive for Americans to actually making things anymore. However, with additive manufacturing and cnc (as well as other machines), I am genuinely curious as to why it would be "impossible" to start a new watch company based on expired patents. Shinola does it, and one could make an actually good and attractive watch.

[@Reno2324]

to all those ppl dissing todays hamilton being with swatch. If it wasn't for swatch hamilton would be DEAD!

[@kc4cvh]

'Hamilton' has become one of those legacy brand names, like Bell & Howell, Magnavox, RCA, Admiral, etc. which has been resold several times and is now meaningless.

[@marekeos]

Also known as the era of the worst actors ever. On a related note, my Hamilton 992B is still my favorite watch!

[@xavierseals7878]

U

[@MrZol]

yea chinese food...

[@77goofyguy]

That announcer sounds SO full of himself.. It's a shame they made such ugly wristwatches instead of fixating on a classic design like Rolex or Omega

[@jakekaywell5972]

Ugly according to you. I wear both my Hamiltons with pride in what this country was, is, and will be.

[@cruiseberry1121]

Lol what a doof