Hamilton Pocket Watches

Hamilton pocket watches play an integral part in Pennsylvania’s precision timepiece past. Taking root in the city of Lancaster around the turn of the century, the Hamilton workshop rapidly grew into one of North America’s most respective timepiece producers.

The Hamilton Watch Company began in 1892. Taking its name from James Hamilton, the owner of the land where the watch works company was built, Hamilton set its sights on becoming a producer of incredibly precise timepieces. So dedicated were they to this goal that they soon became the watch of choice for those working on the railroad.

Already popular in the early years of the 20th century, Hamilton Watches continued to innovate, ensuring their longevity as a brand. The year 1912 witnessed Hamilton’s first wristwatch design, and in 1928, Hamilton acquired another leader in the field, the Illinois Watch Company, which secured Hamilton’s status as a perennial presence in watch-making history.

Quick Facts

• The first model of pocket watch produced by Hamilton, Style 936, came to market in November 1893. An 18-size, 17-jewel pocket watch, this style can be identified by its engraved serial number included on the inner watch works
• During World War II, Hamilton shifted its production almost exclusively to watches for the military
• The heritage of the Hamilton Watch Company lives on today: purchased in 1971 by the Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogère, it has been a subsidiary of the Swatch Watch Company since the mid-'80s