Hamilton Watches
Hamilton – history today
Hamilton Watch has been a true pioneer since its foundation in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Very early in its history Hamilton established itself as the ultimate provider of accurate timekeeping, being relied upon by the railroads to end an era of chaos and serious accidents. In the decades that followed, style, fashion, war and adventure made their mark on the American brand and the trends it inspired. Today Hamilton pays tribute to its heritage by continually adding new dimensions of contemporary design and technology to its two product lines – American Classics and American Khaki, the military timepieces. Accuracy on land, at sea and in the air The “watch of railroad accuracy” put its reliability to the test in World War I on the wrists of soldiers fighting in the European trenches. In 1919 the first American airmail postal service selected Hamilton for use on board its planes flying between Washington and New York. By the 1930s Hamilton was the official watch of TWA, Eastern Northwest and United that used Hamilton for timekeeping on the very first coast-to-coast commercial service. The Hamilton marine chronometers that used celestial navigation to locate the exact position of a vessel completed the picture.
The world’s first fashion watch
Hamilton introduced the world’s first fashion watch in 1928. It was called “Piping Rock” and had an art deco style. This watch became the official watch of the baseball World Series champions, the Yankees, as well as being the forerunner of a long series of elegant timepieces that added fashion to functionality. Many of the original Hamilton designs of the 1920s and 1930s are represented in today’s Hamilton collection.
Supporting the war effort
During World War II Hamilton stopped its commercial production to free capacity for the one million timepieces it supplied to the military during this period. The Hamilton “Khaki” watches, referred to as the “Hack” watches by the forces due to their synchronizing function, were robust and resistant to shock, extreme temperatures, severe weather conditions and the mud of battle. The current collection contains many “Khaki” watches to appeal to the sporty, adventurous side of 21st century citizens.
Milestones of design and technology
World firsts like the first electric watch, Ventura, in 1957, and the first digital watch in 1970 were key milestones in both the Hamilton and the global horological history. The distinctive shieldshape of the Ventura captured the growing trend of cars with fins, chrome-decorated jukeboxes and irregularly shaped coffee tables. The first digital watch introduced a new way of measuring time that led to a worldwide annual production of 350 million digital watches in the year 2000.
A star is born
The Hamilton Hollywood tradition started in 1961 when Elvis Presley wore a Ventura in “Blue Hawaii”. The Hollywood connection has gone from strength to strength since then and has included roles in such blockbusters as “2001: Space Odyssey” and “Men in Black”. Each Hamilton watch contains a top-quality Swiss movement and is equipped to perform on and offscreen with features such as water-resistance and sapphire crystals. Today Hamilton is based in Lengnau, Switzerland and is a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor.
Hamilton Watch has been a true pioneer since its foundation in 1892 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. Very early in its history Hamilton established itself as the ultimate provider of accurate timekeeping, being relied upon by the railroads to end an era of chaos and serious accidents. In the decades that followed, style, fashion, war and adventure made their mark on the American brand and the trends it inspired. Today Hamilton pays tribute to its heritage by continually adding new dimensions of contemporary design and technology to its two product lines – American Classics and American Khaki, the military timepieces. Accuracy on land, at sea and in the air The “watch of railroad accuracy” put its reliability to the test in World War I on the wrists of soldiers fighting in the European trenches. In 1919 the first American airmail postal service selected Hamilton for use on board its planes flying between Washington and New York. By the 1930s Hamilton was the official watch of TWA, Eastern Northwest and United that used Hamilton for timekeeping on the very first coast-to-coast commercial service. The Hamilton marine chronometers that used celestial navigation to locate the exact position of a vessel completed the picture.
The world’s first fashion watch
Hamilton introduced the world’s first fashion watch in 1928. It was called “Piping Rock” and had an art deco style. This watch became the official watch of the baseball World Series champions, the Yankees, as well as being the forerunner of a long series of elegant timepieces that added fashion to functionality. Many of the original Hamilton designs of the 1920s and 1930s are represented in today’s Hamilton collection.
Supporting the war effort
During World War II Hamilton stopped its commercial production to free capacity for the one million timepieces it supplied to the military during this period. The Hamilton “Khaki” watches, referred to as the “Hack” watches by the forces due to their synchronizing function, were robust and resistant to shock, extreme temperatures, severe weather conditions and the mud of battle. The current collection contains many “Khaki” watches to appeal to the sporty, adventurous side of 21st century citizens.
Milestones of design and technology
World firsts like the first electric watch, Ventura, in 1957, and the first digital watch in 1970 were key milestones in both the Hamilton and the global horological history. The distinctive shieldshape of the Ventura captured the growing trend of cars with fins, chrome-decorated jukeboxes and irregularly shaped coffee tables. The first digital watch introduced a new way of measuring time that led to a worldwide annual production of 350 million digital watches in the year 2000.
A star is born
The Hamilton Hollywood tradition started in 1961 when Elvis Presley wore a Ventura in “Blue Hawaii”. The Hollywood connection has gone from strength to strength since then and has included roles in such blockbusters as “2001: Space Odyssey” and “Men in Black”. Each Hamilton watch contains a top-quality Swiss movement and is equipped to perform on and offscreen with features such as water-resistance and sapphire crystals. Today Hamilton is based in Lengnau, Switzerland and is a member of the Swatch Group, the world’s largest watch producer and distributor.
