Originally Posted by UncleDave
Originally Posted by JohnG
Very nice! Most people don't realize the amount of work and YEARS that went in to earning these retirement watches. Hamilton did make a lot of them, since it was just after the WAR EFFORT that most of our grandfathers took part in. The Hamilton story is worth a read for anyone interested in that period of our history.
Mine is a rotor stem, in addition to the self wind function. I don't know what a "hammer wind" is.
If you look really close at the bottom of the face on mine, you'll see the word SWISS on it.
I remember Inland Steel. I've pumped a lot of oil barges and worked on many boats marked Inland. I'm sure there is a connection.
Im much more interested in acquiring Hamiltons than Tags (no offense to anyone). Great company and story.
The hammer wind was a bump stop deal, not to terribly effective, but cool in that was an early iteration of self winding mechanisms.
I basically have this watch without the date function - its a mechanical alarm, kind of a fun complication.
https://www.hoinkee.com/articles/a-week-on-the-wrist-the-jaeger-lecoultre-memovox-cal-825
I've worked pretty hard in my life but spending 25 years on the floor of a steel mill is something different.
My grandma on the same side worked there too keeping books, so half my family are steelworkers in some sense.
Inland was one of the true kings of industry and many of the big rigs they invested in heavily are still being used today by arcelor on the same site.
Check out the mighty 80 sometime if you like heavy machinery.
UD
I also like Hamiltons. I have a total of 7 of them, two of which were my dad's. One he bought in 1956 when he got out of the Army, and one that was his 25 year service award at work.
This guy's Hamilton restoration blog is amazing. He's serviced hundreds of Hamiltons:
http://www.hamiltonchronicles.com/?m=1